GP Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Knightsbridge Medical Centre

71-75 Pavilion Road, London, SW1X 0ET

Telephone No: 020 3961 5260

JOB TITLE: RECEPTIONIST

REPORTS TO: PRACTICE MANAGER

HOURS: FLEXIBLE MONDAY FRIDAY BETWEEN 8.00AM & 18.30PM

Job Summary: Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way. Provide general assistance to the practice team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone or website.

Job Responsibilities:

Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the practice.

Deal with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments.

Using your own judgment and communication skills ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultation are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner.

Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed. Receive and make telephone calls as required.

Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery.

Enter requests for home visits into the visit book, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to Duty Doctor.

Enter patient information on to the computer as required.

Patient notes and correspondence: Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to.

Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc are scanned promptly and in the correct records, ensuring that all recent correspondence is available when patients are seen.

Ensure consulting areas are always kept ready for next use.

Ensure waste is collected from the rooms and dealt with appropriately according to Staff Handbook.

Ensure safe and efficient use of the building according to the procedures outlined in the Staff Handbook.

Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately.

Assist patients with special needs to access the services. Liaise with outside agencies.

Support visiting staff to ensure welcome and observation of practice procedures.

Attend Practice Meetings and Away Days.

Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Practice Manager.

Opening & Closing surgery, which includes: switching on/off all PCs, ensuring that the caller display is operational, and opening/closing the blinds. The prescription box should be taken out of the rolodex when opening and back in when closing;

Confidentiality

In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder will have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, Practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Practice 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 Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice 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

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards

Reporting potential risks identified

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 recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice 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 Practice 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
• Training sessions when necessary

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, 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

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
• Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the Implementation of Services

The post-holder will:

• Apply Practice 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

Equal Opportunities

Knightsbridge Medical Centre is an equal opportunities employer and you will be expected to comply with all relevant policies and procedures in this area together with all other policies and procedures as initiated by the practice.

Work Visa/ Permits/Leave To Remain

If you are a non-resident of the United Kingdom or European Economic Union, you are required to have a valid work visa and leave to remain in the UK, which is renewed as required. The Practice is unable to employ or continue to employ you if you require but do not have a valid work visa and/or leave to remain in the UK.

Code of Conduct

All staff are required to work in accordance with the code of conduct for their professional group (e.g Nursing and Midwifery Council, Health Professions Council, General Medical Council, NHS Code of Conduct for Senior Managers).

Infection control

It is the responsibility of all staff, whether clinical or non-clinical, to familiarise themselves with and adhere to current policy in relation to the prevention of the spread of infection.

Clinical staff, on entering and leaving clinical areas and between contacts with patients, must apply alcohol gel to their hands and also wash their hands frequently with soap and water. Staff are required to communicate any infection risks to the Infection Control lead.

Complaints

From time to time, complaints may occur, no matter how professional the approach of our staff. All complaints are investigated promptly, and the full co-operation of staff is required. The current guidelines amplify the above points with policies and procedures explained.

Clinical Governance and Risk management

The Practice believes everyone has a role to play in improving and contributing to the quality of care provided to our patients. As an employee of the practice you are expected to take a proactive role in supporting the Practices clinical governance agenda by:

Taking part in activities for improving quality such as clinical audit

Identifying and managing risks through incident and near miss reporting and undertaking risk assessments

Following polices, guidelines and procedures

Maintaining continued professional development

Clinical staff making entries into patient health records are required to follow any Practice standards of record keeping

Information Quality Assurance

As an employee of the Practice it is expected that you will take due diligence and care in regard to any information collected, recorded, processed or handled by you during the course of your work and that such information is collected, recorded, processed and handled in compliance with Practice requirements and instructions.

Freedom of Information

The post holder should be aware of the responsibility placed on employees under the Freedom of

Information Act 2000 and is responsible for helping to ensure that the Practice complies with the Act when handling or dealing with any information relating to Practice activity.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE (or equivalent in English)
• Experience of working in a reception team.
• Experience of working with the general public
• Professional telephone manner
• Confident with IT systems
• Living within 6 miles of the practice
• Must be able to work mornings 8am - 2pm and occasional closing at 18.30

Desirable

• Experience of working in the NHS
• Experience of working with Systemone Clinical system

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Knightsbridge Medical Centre

Address

Knightsbridge Medical Centre

Pavilion Road

London

SW1X 0ET

Employer's website

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