GP Assistant

The Grove Medical Practice

This job is now closed

Job summary

We are looking for a GP Assistant to provide routine administrative and clinical support to GPs and other practice team members. This is a relatively new post and we are looking for a highly organised individual with excellent communication skills who will embrace this new role with flexibility and enthusiasm. The practice will provide formal training and supervision with a named GP lead supporting the new post holder. This is a part time post for 16-20 hours over three or four days (negotiable). Some home working (approx one day per week) will be necessary some weeks with remote access provided due to limited space at the practice.

Main duties of the job

The role of the GP Assistant is relatively new in the NHS. The aim of the role is to provide administrative and clinical support to GPs to free up more of their time for direct patient care. Key responsibilities will include communication with patients prior to and following appointments, liaising with external health care organisations, completing referral forms and other paperwork and supporting the practice to achieve targets relating to patient care. This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic individual to support the development of a new role in general practice which we anticipate will develop over time. Applicants should include their reasons for applying and the qualities and experience they can bring to the role within their application.

About us

We are a training practice in Northolt with just over 7,000 patients. We have a team of approximately 20 staff including six GPs and two junior doctors. We have an excellent reputation within the local area and high levels of patient and staff satisfaction. Our waiting time for routine appointment with a doctor is usually 2-5 days. We have significant experience in staff training and development and are looking forward to supporting the post holder in this new role.

Date posted

15 May 2024

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£27,923 a year Annual salary pro-rata, equivalent to £14.28 per hour

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

A1554-24-0003

Job locations

81 Danemead Grove

Northolt

Middlesex

UB5 4NY

Job description

Job responsibilities

Regular duties (usually daily or weekly)

To provide support to GPs in the running of their surgeries including preparation of information prior to the consultation, communication with patients and follow-up as required. There will be minimal clinical interventions.

To liaise with external organisations including hospitals and community services as required on behalf of GPs. This will include a variety of administrative type tasks (e.g. helping with admissions, following up replies) while the GP can continue with his/her consultation(s).

To complete basic (non-opinion) forms and core elements of some forms for a GP to approve and sign such as insurance, mortgage and benefits agency forms etc.

To support GPs in creating guided blood tests request forms, referral forms and letters.

To review appointment bookings to ensure bookings are appropriate to that GP and all necessary information has been requested. This will include checking reports/investigations are available if needed and urine samples/photographs have been received from patients for telephone consultations where appropriate.

To improve efficiency of bookings by running daily searches identifying patients with more than one GP appointment booked or where a GP appointment could be postponed until blood test results are available.

To oversee childhood vaccination recall within the practice, ensuring children are invited promptly for their vaccinations and followed up if they do not attend. This will involve running weekly or fortnightly searches.

To support the reception team in the management of tasks and referrals. This will require familiarity with referral pathways and use of eRS.

To become familiar with the practices repeat prescribing procedure and process prescriptions as required. This may include further training to enable the post holder to undertake basic checks prior to prescriptions being issued. To contact patients for more information or other communication.

To send invitations to patients with diabetes and pre-diabetes who are due blood tests and/or annual checks with the nurse.

To stock clinical rooms on a weekly basis, ensuring all rooms are stocked appropriately.

Ad hoc duties

To follow up missed appointments with vulnerable patients (this may include children and people with mental health problems).

To book annual learning disability health checks and care plans for patients with moderate to severe frailty, explaining to what these entail to patients prior to the appointment.

To book extended appointments for patients with mental health problems and to check all requirements of the local contract are being met.

To keep the practices handbook for doctors and staff up to date.

To keep a record of doctors mandatory training (ie safeguarding, basic life support, anaphylaxis etc) and remind individual GPs when this is due.

To become familiar over time with coding of medical records and support the practices summariser if required.

To undertake audits including identifying patients with high DNA rates and frequent attenders who may require further support including, for example, referral to a social prescriber.

To support the practice to achieve national and local clinical targets including QOF and the local Ealing Standard.

Clinical duties (full training will be provided)

To undertake analysis of urine samples under the guidance of a GP or nurse.

To undertake blood pressure checks, demonstrate blood pressure machines to patients for home monitoring and check weight and height if requested

Further development in other clinical areas may be agreed as part of training.

Other

To maintain a professional and helpful manner towards patients, practice staff and other visitors to the practice at all times.

To attend and contribute to reception and clinical team meetings as required.

To become familiar with reception procedures, providing guidance to staff as required and covering for absence occasionally when the practice is short-staffed.

To undertake any other administrative task reasonably delegated to you by doctors or managerial staff.

To participate in a rota for Saturday mornings (currently the practice has agreed to be open 5-6 Saturdays a year only).

General

The post holder must familiarise him/herself with all practice policies and procedures and comply with these at all times.

The post holder must maintain the confidentiality of information regarding patients, members of staff and other health service business. He/she must be fully aware of and compliant with Data Protection legislation and the practices code of conduct in relation to patient confidentiality.

Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the practices Health & Safety Policy (and Health & Safety at Work Act 1974) to ensure safety procedures are followed to maintain a safe environment for patients and members of staff.