Job summary
Exciting Opportunity: Patient Services Advisor
Location: Thornhills Medical Practice, Kent
Hours: Part time. Flexible shifts (MonFri, 5-hour shifts: 8am1pm, 1pm6pm,
or 1:30pm6:30pm). Occasional evenings/weekends required
Starting: September 2025
Salary: Competitive
About the Role
Thornhills
Medical Practice is seeking a friendly and reliable Patient Services Advisor to
join our team. Youll be the first point of contact for patients, helping them
access the right care and supporting our clinical and administrative teams.
Main duties of the job
Key Duties Include:
Welcoming
and guiding patients to appropriate services
Booking
appointments and managing enquiries - in person, telephone and online
Assisting
the clinical team with administrative tasks
Liaising
with external agencies and multidisciplinary teams
General
reception and admin duties
Requirements:
Strong
customer service background
Excellent
communication skills - oral and written
Ability
to work well in a team and adapt to change
Experience
in a GP surgery is desirable
About us
About Us
Thornhills
Medical Practice is a GP training practice with a strong emphasis on
high-quality patient care, education, and personal development. We serve
approximately 14,800 patients and are proud of our happy, reliable, and
forward-thinking team.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Ensure that patients and visitors enquiries
are handled courteously, efficiently and confidentially
- Answer incoming calls in a friendly, polite and
professional manner. Consider the request, taking appropriate action or
redirecting to other personnel as appropriate.
- Take telephone messages, appointments details and
home visit requests accurately and efficiently and enter details on to computer
system as appropriate
- Signpost patients
to the most appropriate service, seeking advice if this is not clear.
- Assist patients with completion of their digital
triage requests.
- Action Digital
Triage requests as per the triaging clinician.
- Alert doctors to urgent concerns or outstanding
telephone calls or visits, as appropriate
- Relay test results to patients
- Ensure that outstanding matters and information
are handed over to colleagues at shift change
- Check prescription requests and ensure they are
directed to the requested collection point
- Print off repeat prescriptions from computer as
necessary
- Handle patients positive and negative feedback
initially, seeking advice from or referring to Patient Services Supervisor or
Assistant Practice Manager as appropriate
- Check own nhs.net email account frequently during
shift and ensure that all messages are responded to and actioned promptly and as
appropriate
- Check practice generic and reception nhs.net email
accounts frequently during shift and ensure that all messages are responded to
and actioned promptly and as appropriate
- Send, receive and record facsimile messages
- Be conversant and deal with procedure for new
patients wishing to register with the practice
- Be conversant with online Patient Services and
Care Navigation and record outcomes as appropriate
- Be responsible for security of the building if
last person leaving
- Be conversant with Panic Alarm system and act
upon this if necessary
- Attend and participate in team, staff meetings
and other meetings as required
- Be fully conversant with patient services
procedures and developments
- Ensure that filing, record keeping and
distribution of documents and mail are undertaken efficiently and promptly.
- Assist with sending out of patient recall
letters and other similar correspondence
- Ensure that patient services area, waiting room,
consulting rooms, meeting rooms and outside areas in the immediate vicinity of
the practice are clean and tidy, and that there is an adequate supply of
stationery and other routine items available.
- Ensure that noticeboards are kept up to date and
that appropriate literature is displayed.
- Arrange refreshments for doctors meetings and ensure
that adequate supplies are available.
- Ensure that kitchen areas are kept clean and
tidy.
- Arrange for photocopier and other equipment
repairs to be carried out as soon as possible
- Contribute to a safe working environment
- Assist with mentoring/training new staff, as
directed by Patient Services Supervisor or Assistant Practice Manager
- Any other ad hoc duties as required
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Ensure that patients and visitors enquiries
are handled courteously, efficiently and confidentially
- Answer incoming calls in a friendly, polite and
professional manner. Consider the request, taking appropriate action or
redirecting to other personnel as appropriate.
- Take telephone messages, appointments details and
home visit requests accurately and efficiently and enter details on to computer
system as appropriate
- Signpost patients
to the most appropriate service, seeking advice if this is not clear.
- Assist patients with completion of their digital
triage requests.
- Action Digital
Triage requests as per the triaging clinician.
- Alert doctors to urgent concerns or outstanding
telephone calls or visits, as appropriate
- Relay test results to patients
- Ensure that outstanding matters and information
are handed over to colleagues at shift change
- Check prescription requests and ensure they are
directed to the requested collection point
- Print off repeat prescriptions from computer as
necessary
- Handle patients positive and negative feedback
initially, seeking advice from or referring to Patient Services Supervisor or
Assistant Practice Manager as appropriate
- Check own nhs.net email account frequently during
shift and ensure that all messages are responded to and actioned promptly and as
appropriate
- Check practice generic and reception nhs.net email
accounts frequently during shift and ensure that all messages are responded to
and actioned promptly and as appropriate
- Send, receive and record facsimile messages
- Be conversant and deal with procedure for new
patients wishing to register with the practice
- Be conversant with online Patient Services and
Care Navigation and record outcomes as appropriate
- Be responsible for security of the building if
last person leaving
- Be conversant with Panic Alarm system and act
upon this if necessary
- Attend and participate in team, staff meetings
and other meetings as required
- Be fully conversant with patient services
procedures and developments
- Ensure that filing, record keeping and
distribution of documents and mail are undertaken efficiently and promptly.
- Assist with sending out of patient recall
letters and other similar correspondence
- Ensure that patient services area, waiting room,
consulting rooms, meeting rooms and outside areas in the immediate vicinity of
the practice are clean and tidy, and that there is an adequate supply of
stationery and other routine items available.
- Ensure that noticeboards are kept up to date and
that appropriate literature is displayed.
- Arrange refreshments for doctors meetings and ensure
that adequate supplies are available.
- Ensure that kitchen areas are kept clean and
tidy.
- Arrange for photocopier and other equipment
repairs to be carried out as soon as possible
- Contribute to a safe working environment
- Assist with mentoring/training new staff, as
directed by Patient Services Supervisor or Assistant Practice Manager
- Any other ad hoc duties as required
Person Specification
Skills and Personal Qualities
Essential
- Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
- Strong IT skills
- Clear, polite telephone manner
- Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
- Effective time management (planning & organising)
- Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
- Good interpersonal skills
- Problem solving & analytical skills
- Ability to follow policy and procedure
- Personal Qualities
- Polite and confident
- Flexible and cooperative
- Motivated
- Forward thinker
- High levels of integrity and loyalty
- Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
- Ability to work under pressure
Desirable
- EMIS / Systmone user skills
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with the general public
- Experience of administrative duties
Desirable
- Experience of working in a health care setting
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
Desirable
- GCSE Mathematics & English (C or above)
- AMSPAR Receptionists Qualification
- NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care
Person Specification
Skills and Personal Qualities
Essential
- Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
- Strong IT skills
- Clear, polite telephone manner
- Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
- Effective time management (planning & organising)
- Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
- Good interpersonal skills
- Problem solving & analytical skills
- Ability to follow policy and procedure
- Personal Qualities
- Polite and confident
- Flexible and cooperative
- Motivated
- Forward thinker
- High levels of integrity and loyalty
- Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
- Ability to work under pressure
Desirable
- EMIS / Systmone user skills
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with the general public
- Experience of administrative duties
Desirable
- Experience of working in a health care setting
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
Desirable
- GCSE Mathematics & English (C or above)
- AMSPAR Receptionists Qualification
- NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care
