Primary Care Call Handler

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB TITLE-Primary Care Call Handler

REPORTS TO-Practice Operational Lead

HOURS-up to 37.5 hours per week Mon-Fri and occasional Saturday Morning

This role can be part of a job share

SALARY PER YEAR-£25,000 - £26,500 pro rata dependant on experience

NUMBER OF POSTS-1-2

CONTRACT-Fixed Term: 6months contract with possibility of extension

Location-Islington GP Federation Head Office, Unit 16-18, The Studios, Hornsey Street N7 8G or Islington IGPF Practices.

Job Responsibilities

Main responsibilities

To engage in health promotion strategies and reduce health inequalities in the local Islington population.

To make targeted telephone calls to patients and parents to deliver health education around preventative healthcare, directing the patient to appropriate resources when required.

To arrange appointments when required and to accurately record essential information on our clinical system (EMIS)

To actively participate in data evaluation and support the development of quality improvement methodologies.

To take calls appropriately and efficiently whilst adhering to guidelines

To treat all patients with empathy, respect, and consideration

To understand issues around Information Governance regarding data access rights and to be comfortable navigating this with patients

To make the most appropriate appointment for the patient

Book in, amend and cancel patient appointments in line with IGPF appointment procedures.

Provide ad-hoc support to clinicians when requested.

Work safely at all times in accordance with legislative requirements and Federation policies and procedures.

This list is not exhaustive and may be adjusted periodically after review and consultation.

Software

Must be experienced, comfortable and competent using EMIS patient record system to manage and record appointments, input registration data and accessing patient data only when necessary. Experience using Microsoft Office Packages including Excel an advantage.

Assignment of work

The post-holders work assignment is determined by the requirements of the operations team and the patients. The post holder will take instruction on a day-to-day basis from the Practice Operational Leads/Practice Manager.

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately. In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their careers. They may also have access to information relating to IGPF as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential. Therefore, all post holders will be expected to be up to date with Information Governance and Confidentiality training. Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of IGPF may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the IGPF policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Federations Health & Safety Policy, to include:

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to IGPF guidelines

Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills.

Equality and Diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Federation procedures and policies, and current legislation.

Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.

Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional Development

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Federation as part of this employment, such training to include:

Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development.

Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Federation, and will:

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk.

Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision

Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance.

Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs.

Effectively manage own time, workload, and resources

The post-holder will:

Apply Federation policies, standards, and guidance,

Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work.

Participate in audit where appropriate.

Communication

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members.

Communicate effectively with patients and carers.

Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Contribute to service implementation if required.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• - Must maintain a clear, warm and professional telephone manner at all times.
• - Ability to work methodically and to a structure, seeing problems through to their satisfactory conclusion.
• - Experience of using EMIS
• - Work, maintaining concentration and accuracy
• - Ability to communicate effectively and possess an aptitude for dealing with potentially difficult or demanding situations.
• - Able to embrace new patient interaction modes.

Desirable

• - Must be able to work effectively under pressure.

Experience

Essential

• - Must maintain a clear, warm and professional telephone manner at all times.
• - Ability to work methodically and to a structure, seeing problems through to their satisfactory conclusion.
• - Experience of using EMIS
• - Work, maintaining concentration and accuracy
• - Ability to communicate effectively and possess an aptitude for dealing with potentially difficult or demanding situations.
• - Able to embrace new patient interaction modes.

Desirable

• - Must be able to work effectively under pressure.
• - Ability to work independently of others and to be self-determined.

Skills

Essential

• Must be able to use own initiative when dealing with problems to make reasonable and necessary decisions.
• Must be able to establish and maintain effective lines of communication with their line manager.
• - Must respond to requests or queries for support as they arise in an appropriate and timely manner.
• - Must be able to appropriately prioritise workload and requests for support.
• - The post holder should make the most effective use of resources available.

Desirable

• - The post holder should use judgement and experience in helping to determine the relevant urgency of requests for information received from patients and other external organisations.

Employer details

Employer name

Islington GP Federation

Address

Unit 16-18

The Studios, Hornsey Street

Holloway

London

N7 8EG

Employer's website

https://www.islingtongpfederation.org/ (Opens in a new tab)