Medical Secretary

St James’s Practice

The closing date is 30 May 2024

Job summary

St James' Practice Partners are looking for an organised, hardworking, and enthusiastic Secretary to join our Medical Secretary Admin team. Experience in of medical secretary duties or in a medical field is preferable, but training will be given. Experience with Emis Web is also desirable and essential.

This role would suit someone with experience in general practice who is looking for a new challenge in a part time role.

Main duties of the job

Main purpose of the post:

The secretarial team is responsible for dealing with all clinical correspondences referrals and related queries.

At all times total confidentiality must be maintained in that no information about patients, or the practice, either medical or non-medical, is disclosed to persons other than those employed or attached to the practice for whom such information is relevant.

Main duties of the job include:

To provide an efficient audio, copy typing and word processing service for GPs as required. This includes the typing of letters, reports, patient referrals, in an accurate manner.

Checking Lexacom daily for dictations.

Book appointment on eRS (Choose & Book).

Checking Task list for new referrals and those awaiting results or reports.

Checking workflow and processing incoming letters.

Checking eRS worklist for rejections and redirections and deal with all related queries from patients and hospitals.

Ensuring that all patient correspondence to hospitals has their NHS number.

To receive incoming and initiate outgoing telephone calls to facilitate timely and appropriate communications with others, taking messages and dealing with appropriate queries.

Provide occasional holiday and sickness cover for colleagues as required.

Being adaptable, amiable and willing to take on new tasks.

Any other tasks as requested by the Practice Manager and the Partners.

About us

St James is welcoming Practice where every staff is valued. We expect all our staff to be team players and support each other while rendering services to our patients.

You will join a team of friendly supportive staff working in a busy but happy practice.

St James Practice is an equal opportunities employer.

Date posted

25 January 2024

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Job share

Reference number

A1390-24-0000

Job locations

138 Croydon Road

Beckenham

Kent

BR3 4DG


Job description

Job responsibilities

ST JAMES PRACTICE JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE Medical Secretary

REPORTS TO Practice Manager and GPs

RESPONSIBLE FOR All GP correspondence, urgent hospital appointments etc and the secretarial work for GPs and Practice Manager

LIAISES WITH All GPs and staff, visiting consultants, their secretaries and patients.

JOB SUMMARY Ensure that the throughput of medical secretarial work meets practice standards of accuracy and timelines.

  1. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Audio typing of GP correspondence, using a digital dictation system, to ensure that routine referral letters are distributed efficiently within a 5 day period, using the Choose and Book programme as appropriate and attaching enclosures as necessary.

Accurate typing of medical reports, liaising with patients where they wish to read reports prior to dispatch and generating invoices.

Ensure 2 week wait proformas are dealt with efficiently and promptly and contain all relevant information. Follow up all proformas ensuring appointments are made within a 2 week period.

Keep up to date with changes in referral systems and new proformas by reading e-mails sent to the practice.

Undertake queries on behalf of patients, trying to establish their concerns and trying to resolve, keeping the patient informed at all times.

Ensure that the hospital is aware of all clinic patients listed for surgery and, where necessary, forward results or notes.

Liaise with consultants secretaries to arrange clinic dates on an annual basis and organise any alterations to the dates when necessary.

Use E Referral System, Choose and Book to chase or follow up patient queries.

Take calls from patients wishing to make appointments with the provider services clinics through the Choose & Book system. Register the patients and process their requests.

Attend meetings within the Medical Centre, take and transcribe accurate minutes and distribute as required.

Be an effective member of the Practice team, supporting colleagues as required.

Provide cover for colleagues absence and annual leave.

Ensure that all responsibilities to staff, patients and other Medical Centre visitors under the Health and Safety at Work Act are met.

Such other duties as are delegated from time to time.

Maintain confidentiality in line with NHS Patient confidentiality.

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 is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and recognises the importance of peoples circumstances, feelings, priorities and 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;

Personal/Professional Development

In addition to maintaining continued education through attendance at any courses and/or study days necessary to ensure that professional development requirements are met, 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, annual Appraisal 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 Clinical Governance issues, quality and risk; participate in Significant Event Analysis reviews

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. The post holder will also contribute to the overall team-working of the Practice putting the needs of the Practice first.

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.

Flexibility

This role profile is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The post holder will be expected to be flexible in relation to duties undertaken and location of work where required by the Practice.

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.

Work with the partners and management team to achieve standards of quality, performance standards, budgets and targets without compromising levels of patient healthcare

Contribute towards the development and implementation of new standard policies and procedures that are/will be required by GP practices now and in the future.

This job description is subject to regular review.

Job description

Job responsibilities

ST JAMES PRACTICE JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE Medical Secretary

REPORTS TO Practice Manager and GPs

RESPONSIBLE FOR All GP correspondence, urgent hospital appointments etc and the secretarial work for GPs and Practice Manager

LIAISES WITH All GPs and staff, visiting consultants, their secretaries and patients.

JOB SUMMARY Ensure that the throughput of medical secretarial work meets practice standards of accuracy and timelines.

  1. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Audio typing of GP correspondence, using a digital dictation system, to ensure that routine referral letters are distributed efficiently within a 5 day period, using the Choose and Book programme as appropriate and attaching enclosures as necessary.

Accurate typing of medical reports, liaising with patients where they wish to read reports prior to dispatch and generating invoices.

Ensure 2 week wait proformas are dealt with efficiently and promptly and contain all relevant information. Follow up all proformas ensuring appointments are made within a 2 week period.

Keep up to date with changes in referral systems and new proformas by reading e-mails sent to the practice.

Undertake queries on behalf of patients, trying to establish their concerns and trying to resolve, keeping the patient informed at all times.

Ensure that the hospital is aware of all clinic patients listed for surgery and, where necessary, forward results or notes.

Liaise with consultants secretaries to arrange clinic dates on an annual basis and organise any alterations to the dates when necessary.

Use E Referral System, Choose and Book to chase or follow up patient queries.

Take calls from patients wishing to make appointments with the provider services clinics through the Choose & Book system. Register the patients and process their requests.

Attend meetings within the Medical Centre, take and transcribe accurate minutes and distribute as required.

Be an effective member of the Practice team, supporting colleagues as required.

Provide cover for colleagues absence and annual leave.

Ensure that all responsibilities to staff, patients and other Medical Centre visitors under the Health and Safety at Work Act are met.

Such other duties as are delegated from time to time.

Maintain confidentiality in line with NHS Patient confidentiality.

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 is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and recognises the importance of peoples circumstances, feelings, priorities and 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;

Personal/Professional Development

In addition to maintaining continued education through attendance at any courses and/or study days necessary to ensure that professional development requirements are met, 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, annual Appraisal 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 Clinical Governance issues, quality and risk; participate in Significant Event Analysis reviews

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. The post holder will also contribute to the overall team-working of the Practice putting the needs of the Practice first.

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.

Flexibility

This role profile is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The post holder will be expected to be flexible in relation to duties undertaken and location of work where required by the Practice.

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.

Work with the partners and management team to achieve standards of quality, performance standards, budgets and targets without compromising levels of patient healthcare

Contribute towards the development and implementation of new standard policies and procedures that are/will be required by GP practices now and in the future.

This job description is subject to regular review.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general education.
  • GCSE O Level standard for Maths and English or equivalent.
  • RSA or Word Processing or equivalent.
  • Experience of Microsoft Word/Excel, Emis Web
  • Qualified to NVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care

Desirable

  • AMSPAR Medical Secretarial Diploma or equivalent
  • Shorthand
  • Qualified to NVQ level 3

Knowledge and skills

Essential

  • Ability to provide quality care
  • Good interpersonal and communication skills

Desirable

  • Flexible and able to manage a range of tasks competing for attention.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills - with ability to manage confidential information appropriately

Experience

Essential

  • Use of patient administration database
  • Minute taking as action notes, not transcription

Desirable

  • Experience of working in primary care
  • Experience of working in a GP practice
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general education.
  • GCSE O Level standard for Maths and English or equivalent.
  • RSA or Word Processing or equivalent.
  • Experience of Microsoft Word/Excel, Emis Web
  • Qualified to NVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care

Desirable

  • AMSPAR Medical Secretarial Diploma or equivalent
  • Shorthand
  • Qualified to NVQ level 3

Knowledge and skills

Essential

  • Ability to provide quality care
  • Good interpersonal and communication skills

Desirable

  • Flexible and able to manage a range of tasks competing for attention.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills - with ability to manage confidential information appropriately

Experience

Essential

  • Use of patient administration database
  • Minute taking as action notes, not transcription

Desirable

  • Experience of working in primary care
  • Experience of working in a GP practice

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

St James’s Practice

Address

138 Croydon Road

Beckenham

Kent

BR3 4DG


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

St James’s Practice

Address

138 Croydon Road

Beckenham

Kent

BR3 4DG


Employer's website

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

For questions about the job, contact:

Practice Manager

Mrs Jane Ibe

jane.ibe@nhs.net

02086500568

Date posted

25 January 2024

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Job share

Reference number

A1390-24-0000

Job locations

138 Croydon Road

Beckenham

Kent

BR3 4DG


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