Job responsibilities
GENERAL PRACTICE ASSISTANT / HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT
Role Details
Job Title
General Practitioner Assistant/ Health Care Assistant
Salary / Grade
Dependent upon experience
Hours per week
20 hours (part time)
Reports to
Practice Manager
Responsible for
Infection Control
Primary Location/ Base
Latchford Medical Centre
Job Summary
As part of the wider team in general practice, General Practice Assistants (GPA) provide a support role, carrying out administrative tasks, combined in some areas with clinical duties.
GPAs are trained to undertake routine administration and clinical duties. They can help to free up GPs time and contribute to the smooth running of appointments, improving patients experience in the surgery;
- Sorting and prioritising clinical post
- improve patient access and release highly qualified staff to concentrate on treating and managing patients with more complex conditions.
- improve patient flow within surgery hours, increasing the time efficiency of appointments, and reduction of waiting times, supporting patient experience by translating or reiterating information from the GP.
- have a positive impact on GP retention and job satisfaction.
- reduce time spent by GPs on managing correspondence.
Job Responsibilities
- Sorting all clinical post and prioritising for the GP in terms of actions. Signposting some post to others such as clinical pharmacist etc.
- Dealing with routine clinical post directly e.g., DNA letters
- Extracting all information from clinical letters that needs coding and adding to notes.
- Arranging appointments, referrals, tests and follow up appointments of patients.
- Preparing patients prior to going in to see the GP, taking a brief history, observations, and basic readings in readiness for the GP appointment.
- Dipping urine, taking blood pressure, ECGs & phlebotomy
- Completing basic (non-opinion) forms and core elements of some forms for the GP to approve and sign such as insurance forms, mortgage, ESA113 benefits agency forms etc.
- Explaining treatment procedures to patients
- Assisting in LARC and Minor Surgery Clinics
- Helping the GP liaise with outside agencies e.g., getting an on-call doctor on the phone to ask advice or arrange admission while the GP can continue with their consultation(s)
- Support the GP with immunisations.
- Extracting information from clinical letters that requires coding.
- Arranging patient appointments, referrals and follow up appointments.
- Clinical observations, urinalysis, ECGs & phlebotomy.
- Conducting NHS Health Checks
Confidentiality:
- While 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 careers, 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, to 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
- Reporting potential risks identified
- Develop/Review Health & Safety policies and procedures and keep abreast of current legislation.
- Arrange appropriate insurance cover.
- Ensure that the Practice has adequate disaster recovery procedures in place.
- Arrange appropriate maintenance for Practice equipment.
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 recognizes 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:
- 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 recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively with other team members.
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
- Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
Contribution to the Implementation of Services:
- 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.
Safeguarding:
- Awareness and Training:
- Participate in safeguarding training to recognize and respond to signs of abuse, neglect, or harm.
- Stay informed about local and national safeguarding policies and procedures.
- Reporting and Documentation:
- Report any concerns about the well-being of patients promptly to the appropriate healthcare professionals or safeguarding leads.
- Maintain accurate and detailed records of safeguarding concerns and actions taken.
- Collaboration with Safeguarding Teams:
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and external agencies involved in safeguarding to ensure a coordinated approach to patient care and protection.
- Patient Advocacy:
- Advocate for the well-being and safety of vulnerable patients.
- Ensure that patients are aware of their rights and avenues for reporting safeguarding concerns.
- Confidentiality in Safeguarding Matters:
- Handle safeguarding information with the utmost confidentiality, sharing it only with individuals involved in the patient's care and protection.
- Comply with legal and ethical obligations related to confidentiality in safeguarding matters.
Information Governance and GDPR Compliance:
- Patient Data Handling:
- Adhere to strict information governance policies and procedures when handling patient data.
- Ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of patient information always.
- Familiarize yourself with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines and implement them in daily tasks involving patient data.
- Record-Keeping:
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date patient records while complying with information governance standards.
- Follow protocols for the secure storage and disposal of patient records in accordance with GDPR requirements.
- Consent and Communication:
- Obtain and document patient consent for data processing and sharing as per GDPR regulations.
- Communicate clearly with patients regarding the use of their data, ensuring transparency and understanding.
- Data Security Measures:
- Safeguard electronic and paper-based records through secure access controls and password protection.
- Report any breaches or unauthorized access promptly, following established procedures.
