Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Leadership & Staff Management
1. Administer the systems for annual leave, sickness absence, TOIL and overtime, and maintain appropriate records ensuring accurate information is submitted in time for payroll.
2. Oversee the reception team in line with practice HR policies, protocols and service standards.
3. Manage and record holiday absences for all reception staff and organise appropriate holiday cover for staff.
4. Authorise and arrange staff overtime to meet gaps in staff rotas and agreed increases in activity/work load.
5. Undertake 6 monthly one to one meetings with staff to review their development objectives, performance and any other work based issues.
6. Identify, organise and deliver training identified from staff personal development objectives.
7. Monitor reception staff sickness in accordance with the practice sickness policy and provide timely records to the Practice Manager.
8. To oversee the accuracy of records for staff holiday, overtime, sickness and other leave and update on the HR platform.
9. Interview and appoint new reception staff members when appropriate, support to be provided by the Office Manager, reception Team Leader and/or Practice Manager where appropriate.
10. To co-ordinate the induction and training of reception staff.
11. Organise and host twice monthly meetings with reception team. The post holder will prepare agendas and distribute minutes/action points from these meetings
12. Attend protected learning times
13. Manage and support the Receptionists, ensuring consistent leadership across all reception functions.
14. Oversee day-to-day operations of the reception team, ensuring adequate cover and fair task allocation.
15. Act as first point of contact for Receptionists regarding daily operational queries or team issues.
16. Lead on staff rotas, absence cover, and coordination of breaks and shifts.
17. Administration of Reception holidays
18. Provide clear guidance and direction to the team, ensuring expectations are understood and upheld.
19. Support the Receptionists to handle patient and staff queries, escalating to management only when necessary.
20. Conduct 1:1s, return to works, informal reviews and contribute to the appraisal process for reception staff.
21. Support recruitment, induction, and ongoing training of new reception staff.
22. Identify performance concerns early and address them constructively with staff, with support from management where required.
23. Deputise and support during periods of absence.
24. Deal with all reception complaints and escalate to senior management if required.
25. Rota management for clinical and reception teams.
26. Document management support.
27. Assisting with car parking issues.
28. Friends and family feedback reporting.
29. Ensure baby and postnatal appointments are arranged
30. Recalls for Long term conditions.
Reception Team
1. Co-ordinate reception duties and weekly staff rotas to ensure the provision of a safe, effective service.
2. To ensure that existing reception and administrative systems are functioning efficiently and monitor these systems and make suggestions for improvement.
3. To provide support and guidance to the reception team, other practice staff and visitors on patient service issues.
4. Oversee that all reception workflows are kept up to date and processed correctly and in a timely manner.
5. Ensure that the registration processes for new patients (including the provision of appropriate information to patients) are followed and to review and make suggestions for changes to this system.
6. Liaise with external services for room booking within the surgery, organise courier deliveries and co-ordinate trades/work services for site maintenance work.
7. Co-ordinate incoming and outgoing post ensuring accurate receipt recording and timely delivery.
8. To assist cover for medicines management, maintaining knowledge and understanding of process.
Patient Services
1. Co-ordinate session planning, building appointment sessions and setting up GP and ANP sessions on EMIS to ensure the provision of a safe, effective service.
2. Co-ordinate GP and Nurse leave, highlighting gaps in provision and source locum support in liaison with Practice Manager.
3. To adopt a strategic approach to the development and management of patient services
4. To disseminate information to the whole practice team in relation to patient services including appointment availability and any agreed system changes.
5. To oversee and ensure the smooth running of repeat prescribing systems in the practice. To review these systems working closely with the practice prescribing team, implementing agreed changes as necessary.
6. Ensure patient satisfaction is maintained at every opportunity and to provide opportunities for regular feedback including the implementation of patient surveys. Ensure staff are trained to deliver excellent customer service and this is managed with regular training and monitoring.
7. To manage informal patient complaints received direct from the patient, ensuring the Practice Manager is briefed.
8. To cascade upwards, without delay, any unresolved informal complaints or compliant which require formal documentation and carry out any request for investigation in a timely manner.
9. To ensure that the notice boards in the waiting areas are kept up to date and that a regular rotation of appropriate displays takes place during the year.
10. Lead on patient online services
11. Management of patient text messaging service, e.g. reminders & DNAs.
ICT
1. Lead on ICT for Reception and clinical rooms, ensuring issues with telephones, PCs and printers, are raised with the appropriate support team (e.g. EMIS, Docman, Egton, Envisage etc) and followed up, or escalated if required.
2. Dealing with any IT issues that may arise.
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:
1. Fulfil the role of Fire Marshall including responsibility for carrying out monthly planned fire alarm testing and ad-hoc unplanned fire drills.
2. Ensure that safe working practices are followed in respect of COSHH and other Risk Assessment control measures. Follow Health & Safety policies and guidelines, reporting incidents using appropriate reporting systems.
3. Monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and carry out periodic inspections to ensure buildings are safe and well maintained, providing a written report and liaise with Practice Manager to resolve problems.
4. Liaise with staff to ensure any required assessments are made (e.g. Display Screen Equipment, Eyesight Tests for Computer use, Occupation Health assessments) and any required actions are carried out or reasonable adjustments are made (e.g. for disabled staff).
5. Employees must comply with the provisions of The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and must take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts of omissions whilst at work. Employees are also required to cooperate with their employer to enable them to perform or comply with any statutory provisions. The Practices efforts to promote a safe and healthy working environment can only succeed with the full cooperation of its employees.
Compliance, Governance & Confidentiality
1. Ensure reception services comply with NHS Regulations, CQC Standards, GDPR, and practice policies.
2. Maintain strict confidentiality of patient and practice information.
3. Support audits, inspections, and quality improvement initiatives relevant to reception services.
4. Ensure health & safety procedures are followed within reception areas.
5. Perform weekly fire drills and ensure documentation is up to date.
Operational Oversight
1. Ensure reception operates efficiently, providing a high-quality, patient-centred service.
2. Monitor call response times, appointment bookings, and front desk activity to maintain standards.
3. Maintain and update reception processes and protocols.
4. Oversee inbox management, online consultation processing, and patient messaging workflows.
5. Ensure accuracy of triage categorisation, appointment types and clinician allocation.
6. Support communication and coordination between reception and clinicians.
7. Input weekly Clinical Sessions onto the computer.
8. Conduct system searches as requested.
9. Process repeat prescriptions when required/Deal with Prescription Queries.
Team Development
1. Provide coaching, mentorship and on-the-job support to all reception staff.
2. Organise and deliver team briefings and cascade important updates from management.
3. Promote teamwork, problem-solving and ownership of responsibilities.
4. Identify development opportunities and support training needs.
5. Develop monthly staff/patient newsletters
Service Improvement
- Contribute to practice clinical meetings and quality improvement projects.
