Job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the practice reception team may include any or all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Reception Manager/Business Manager, dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:
• Processing personal and telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional. This may be for GP or nurse/HCA clinics, UTC or any other service as required.
• Processing and distributing incoming (and outgoing) mail.
• Taking messages and passing on information.
• Filing and retrieving paperwork.
• Processing repeat prescriptions in accordance with practice guidelines.
• Scanning of post, new patient notes, previously filed patient notes and other documents as required.
• Administrative duties.
• Chaperoning duties.
• Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures.
• Providing help and information to patients and visitors.
• Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members and associated healthcare agencies and providers.
• Clearing and re-stocking consulting rooms as required.
• Providing clerical assistance to practice staff as required from time to time, including word/data processing, filing, photocopying and scanning.
• Ordering, re-ordering and monitoring of stationery and other supplies. Re-stocking the stationery cupboard with these supplies.
• Provision of refreshments for staff and visitors as required; washing up afterwards and keeping the kitchen area clean and tidy.
• Keeping the reception area, notice-boards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free from obstructions and clutter.
• Ensuring off site external storage unit is kept organised, clean and accessible when instructed by the Reception Manager or Reception/Administrator Supervisor, retrieving, updating and filing of stored information as required.
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 & 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, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will 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.
• Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised.
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder’s role.
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually).
• Reporting potential risks identified.
Safeguarding:
It is the responsibility of all staff at Faversham Medical Practice to;
- Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
- Ensure their safeguarding adults and safeguarding children training is up to date at the level appropriate to their role.
- Ensure the safeguarding policies and procedures in place within the Practice are adhered to during employment.
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 people’s 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.
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 team’s 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 people’s 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.
Housekeeping duties
The post-holder will:
• Serve refreshments, clean and tidy away afterwards. Defrost fridge if appropriate.
• Ensure premises are kept clean and tidy between visits from cleaning staff.
• Replace and maintain indoor plants.
• Tidy and sort toys, magazines, leaflets etc. Discard old or damaged items.
It is important that all members of staff are prepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order to maintain the efficient running of the practice. The Partners reserve the right to redistribute duties and functions among members of staff from time to time, and requests for such changes shall not be reasonably refused.
