Job responsibilities
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 duties/responsibilities:
Ensure an effective and efficient patient
service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the practice
Provide care navigation/signposting of patients
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.
Liaise with other clinical staff including
District Nurses, Health Visitors etc.,
Receive and make telephone calls as required.
Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt
appropriate delivery.
Enter requests for home visits into clinical
system, ensuring to carefully record all relevant details and referring to duty
doctor where necessary.
Advise patients of relevant charges for private
(non-General Medical Services) services.
Retrieve and re-file records as required,
ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to.
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 efficient running of appointment system
and monitor flow of patients into Treatment/Consulting rooms.
To work in accordance of written protocols
Fax and photocopy as requested
Be able to cover reception positions as
necessary
Process patients changes of address computer
data and medical records (have knowledge of practice area)
Have working knowledge of telephone/on call
system, during and after hours
Ensure building security have thorough knowledge
of doors/windows/alarm and report any concerns
Carry out any other tasks allocated by managers
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, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice
infection control policy and published procedures. This will 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
Actively reporting of health and safety hazards
and infection hazards immediately when recognised
Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas
generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of
cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role
Undertaking periodic infection control training
(minimum annually)
Reporting potential risks identified
Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and
promoting the welfare of children.
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 that 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, with 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
Responsible for undertaking own mandatory
training as per practice policy
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 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
Discuss with other members of the team how the
policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
Participate in audit where appropriate
Ensure they have a full and clean driving
license
