Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Description

Job Title: Receptionist

Reports to: Reception Manager

Hours: Part time

Job Summary:

To assist with the smooth running of the reception area and waiting room.

To provide good customer service at all times.

To ensure that the highest standards of service are given to patients, maintaining confidentiality and being aware of the Data Protection Act at all times.

Reception Duties:

To welcome patients and mark them on the system as arrived.

To book appointments for patients with doctors and other members of the primary care team.

To answer and deal with face to face and/or telephone queries and liaise with hospitals/community services as appropriate.

To process repeat prescriptions.

To process e-consultation requests in Engage Consultations.

To ensure the waiting room is tidied between surgeries.

To ensure consulting rooms are kept tidy and stationery replenished.

To raise invoices and receive cash, cheques and take card payments over the counter from patients and record details, passing money securely to Practice Manager.

To receive specimens from patients, ensuring that they are properly labelled and given to the nurse to despatch to the Path Laboratory within timescales.

To take, record and pass on messages accurately, including home visits.

To open, stamp and sort all post.

To deal with faxes and emails received.

To scan letters and documents onto the patients electronic records.

To send referrals forms via email or online according to the hospital/community services requirements

To put out and file away patients notes.

To deal with registering new patients and deducting leaving patients, including temporary residents.

To know how to operate all office equipment.

To sort and tag new patient notes.

To enter data on to the patients electronic records as required.

To photocopy patient notes as requested by patients or insurers, solicitors etc with the patients permission.

To carry out general office administration including processing data on the patient computer system.

To support patients with online patient services including helping them to log on and answering queries.

To deal with problems as they arise, including liaising with IT or telephone helpdesks, or using the specialist spillage/cleaning packs depending upon the problem and solution required.

To work additional hours to cover other members of staff for annual leave and periods of sick or other leave.

To be prepared to work additional hours on an ad hoc basis to complete specific pieces of work, as appropriate.

To ensure all appropriate colleagues are aware of any information which needs to be passed from one shift to another.

To take part in internal and external training, courses and meetings, as required.

Any other duties commensurate with skills and experience.

Confidentiality:

To keep all information on patients, staff and the practice as a business strictly confidential. All new staff are required to sign our confidentiality statement: in the course of your employment or associated work with the Practice, you may have access to, see or hear, confidential information concerning the medical or personal affairs of patients, staff or associated healthcare professionals. Unless acting on the instructions of an authorised officer within the practice, on no account should such information be divulged or discussed except in the performance of your normal duties. Breach of confidence, including the improper passing of registered computer data, will result in disciplinary action, which may lead to your dismissal.

Disclosures of confidential information or disclosures of any data of a personal nature can result in prosecution for an offence under the Data Protection Act 1998 or an action for civil damages under the same Act in addition to any disciplinary action taken by Practice.

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:

o Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines

o Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks

o Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills

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

o 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

Quality:

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

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 recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members

Communicate effectively with patients and carers

Recognise 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

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Dealing with members of the public face to face and on the telephone
• Good office/clerical skills

Desirable

• Experience of working in a GP surgery or similar
• Experience of booking appointments

Knowledge/Skills

Essential

• Understanding the need for professional confidentiality
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships
• Effective communication skills both verbal and written including the ability to be sensitive and to extract relevant information from conversations and pass on
• Good customer service skills
• Good computer skills
• Use of Microsoft Office, email and Internet
• Accurate recording skills
• Calm disposition
• Ability to deal with difficult people in a professional and appropriate manner

Desirable

• Use of GP IT system, particularly EMIS Web

Other attributes

Essential

• Friendly and approachable
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Flexible and collaborative approach including flexibility to work late and weekends if necessary
• Ability to work extra hours and provide holiday cover, including in the school holidays
• Team worker
• Responsive to and an ability to work in a changing and demanding environment and work under pressure
• Ability to multi-task, prioritise appropriately and organise own workload
• Reliable
• Commitment to own professional development
• Interest in working for the health sector

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE grades A-C including English and Mathematics or equivalent qualification or level of experience

Desirable

• A Levels or equivalent qualification or level of experience
• NVQ Level 3 Customer Service or equivalent qualification or level of experience

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

Oldwood Surgery

Address

Station Road

Robertsbridge

East Sussex

TN32 5DG

Employer's website

https://www.oldwoodsurgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)