Medical Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

To provide a point of contact for patients and act as a focal point of communication between patients, doctors and other medical staff.

Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare in a 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.

To provide efficient, helpful, informative and supportive reception and administration services to patients and members of the primary health care team.

Reception Duties

(a) Ensure efficiency of the appointment system and monitor flow of patients into consulting and treatment rooms.

(b) Ensure that patients without appointments but who need urgent consultation are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner.

(c) Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover, ensure procedures are completed.

(d) Advise patients of relevant charges for private services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.

(e) Respond to all general enquiries and requests for assistance from patients and other visitors.

(f) Record requests for home visits on the appointment system providing careful recording of all relevant information and where necessary refer to the Duty Doctor. Print out home visit sheet and patient summary in line with practice protocol.

(g) Ensure that requests for prescriptions are actioned where possible within two working days

(h) Ensure reception and waiting areas are kept neat and tidy. Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provide to patients and any other visitors to the Practice.

2. Management of Appointment Systems

(a) Ensure total familiarity with all appointment systems in effect

including regular and incidental variations.

(b) Book appointments and recalls ensuring correct patient information is taken.

(c) Monitor effectiveness of the system and report any problems or

variations required.

3. Management of Medical Records

(a) Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc., are scanned in correct record.

(b) Enter any administrative information into the patient notes as required by the practice.

4. Operation of Telephone Systems

(a) Receive and make calls as required. Divert calls and take messages

Ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery.

(b) Ensure that system is operational at the beginning of each day and

the answerphone operational at the end of each day.

5. Management of Repeat Prescription System

(a) Receive patients request for authorised repeat prescriptions

in writing. Advise patients requesting prescriptions verbally of the correct procedure (except where prior authorization to take telephone requests has been given for particular patients in exceptional circumstances, ie TLC patients, housebound, etc)

(b) With the exception of controlled and close monitoring drugs prepare a prescription ready for doctors signature.

(c) Ensure that problems and queries regarding repeat prescriptions are

brought to the attention of the appropriate doctor and that follow-up

action is taken to resolve such matters.

1. Administrative Duties

   (a) All reception staff will have individual and collective administrative duties

   that need to be performed alongside all other duties. Each member of staff is responsible for undertaking these tasks and managing their workload so that there is no backlog.

   (b) Take action on clinicians requests for further information / patient contact information etc, ensuring completion of all paperwork or computer tasks.

   Computer System

   Ensure the computer is up and running in the Practice in time for the start of each working day and if not liaise with EMIS to resolve any problems.

   9. Other Duties.

(a) Cover colleagues holidays and sick cover as required

(b) Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Management.

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:

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

• Prioritise own work and work effectively with others to prioritise team and practice workload.

• Undertake training needed to ensure competencies for delivering all responsibilities.

• Attend and contribute to in-house training events.

• Undertake regular mandatory training

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

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 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 and Safety:

In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and other supplementary legislation, you are required to take reasonable care to avoid injury during the course of work and co-operate with Weaver Vale Practice and others in meeting statutory regulations. You are also required to attend statutory training as required to fulfil your duties.

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 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.

Communication

• Communicate effectively, promptly and appropriately with patients and team members.

• Modify method of communication with patients to suit the situation, recognise problems/barriers and take action or seek help at an early stage when they arise.

• Contribute to management and staff meetings.

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

Postscript:

The post holder may be required to undertake other related duties not specifically mentioned above. Any changes to this role specification will be made in consultation with the post holder.

Weaver Vale Practice operates a No Smoking Policy and is an equal opportunities employer.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Working knowledge of Microsoft office
• Experience of working with the public
• Educated to GCSE in Maths
• Educated to GCSE in English

Desirable

• Experience of working in primary care
• Experience of working in a GP practice
• Experience of EMIS
• Experience of working in an office environment
• An understanding of confidentiality and GDPR

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Weaver Vale Practice

Address

Hospital Way

Runcorn

Cheshire

WA7 2UT

Employer's website

http://www.weavervalepractice.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)