Job responsibilities
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Correspondence
To provide an efficient audio, copy typing and word processing service for GPs and Health Professionals as required. This includes the typing of letters, reports, patient referrals, minutes, memorandums, etc. in an accurate and quality manner.
Assess the urgency of incoming and outgoing correspondence (consulting where appropriate) and act accordingly.
Co-ordinate and despatch outgoing correspondence (internal mail, external mail and faxes)
Ensure that outgoing external mail is posted to catch the last collection on each working day. This also entails ensuring the correct postage is applied and that special action (such as recorded delivery) is taken when necessary.
To establish and maintain filing and administrative systems so that written or computer information is easily accessible and secure.
Referrals
Send all referrals via Choose & Book or as appropriate.
Monitor choose and book referrals, co-ordinating rejected referrals and maintaining data on referrals sent.
Maintain up-to date data on referrals sent, logging/ coding referrals as appropriate.
Amend patient address/details when necessary
Contact patients regarding any missing information, arranging practice appointments when necessary.
Provide support for practice delivered services, typing and sending any onward referrals including IPT (Inter-Provider Transfers).
Non-NHS Business
Responsible for all requests for non-NHS medical reports from GPs and copies of medical records and to record details of payments received.
Photocopy medical records and reports to satisfy reasonable requests from external organisations.
To retrieve medical records and assist the completion of medical/insurance records.
Maintain accurate records of invoices raised for non-NHS work and update payments received.
Non-NHS arrange appointments for PTs to view notes and medical reports prior to dispatch.
Monitor over-due payments and liaise with Finance Assistant to ensure appropriate steps are taken to recover fees.
Liaise with the external compliers of private medical attendance reports.
External Liaison
Liaise with patients and external organisations as necessary.
Act as the first point of contact for GP and hospital queries.
Miscellaneous
Undertake other administrative tasks as required. Secretaries will be responsible for the incoming and outgoing mail within their area of responsibility.
Minute taking for meetings as requested.
Amend patient address/details when necessary
Non-NHS arrange appointments for Patients to view notes and medical reports prior to dispatch.
To provide cover for other members of the secretarial team during periods of sickness and annual leave, this may require cross-cover working at another site.
In liaison with the clerk responsible, maintain adequate supplies of office stationery in order to perform your secretarial duties.
To assist in the training of any secretarial staff
Provide administrative support for any in-house services
Confidentiality
- The post holder must maintain confidentiality, security and integrity of information relating to patients, staff and the business.
In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the postholder 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.
Equality and Diversity
The postholder 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-judgemental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Personal/Professional Development
The postholder 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 simiar work.
Health and Safety
The postholder 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.
Communication
The postholder 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.
Quality
The postholder 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.
Contribution to the implementation of services:
The postholder 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.
The details contained in this Job Description are not exhaustive and may change as the post develops.
