Job responsibilities
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
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.
- Take
requests for home visits recording as per practice protocol, ensuring
careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to
Duty Doctor.
- Action
repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection
by the patient within 48 hours, either on the computer or manually.
- Advise
patients of relevant charges for private (non General Medical Services)
services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.
- 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 in the correct
records, ensuring that all recent correspondence is available when patients are
seen.
Ensure
records are kept in good repair with all necessary information on the outside
cover clearly visible.
- Make
and serve refreshments, ensure the kitchen is kept clean and tidy and air
and tidy the waiting room in turn with other staff.
- Premises:
Open
up premises at the start of the day when first to arrive, de-activate alarm and
make all necessary preparations to receive patients.
When
last to leave at the end of the day, ensure that the building is totally
secured, internal lights are off and the alarm activated.
- Ensure
that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and
accurately
- Undertake
any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the
Partners or the 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 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 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.
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 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