Practice Support Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES OF THE JOB:

Reception

Opening up and locking-up of Practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with Practice protocols

Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice ensuring appropriate check in

Deal with all general enquiries efficiently and courteously and when necessary, in private, explain procedures

Answering telephone calls and online consultations from patients and other contactors, signposting, taking messages, forwarding queries, and making appointments using the Practices appointments system as required or directed

Make and or re-arrange patients appointments at their request or at the request of colleagues working at the Practice

Using your own judgment and communication skills ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultations 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

Processing telephone, online and in person requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional

Take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery

File documents and images, send and receive emails and carry out other administrative tasks as requested.

Ensure that the waiting and reception areas are kept tidy and presentable throughout the day.

Scanning and uploading confidential information to patients records.

Enter requests for home visits onto the computer system, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details. Printing summary printouts for visits.

Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non-General Medical Services) services, accept payment and raise invoices and issue receipts as required

Enter/amend patient information as required

Retrieve patient paper notes as required, using numbered tabs, filing them away again ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to

Ensure that all new patients are registered promptly and accurately

Re-stock GP consulting rooms as required including appointment follow up slips

Completion of forms as necessary

Liaising with paramedics and local hospital etc as required

Administration

To ensure that all incoming and internal patient correspondence is stored in the patients medical record and relevant information is coded.

To carry out administrative related tasks within the administration including referrals, advice and guidance requests, adhoc letters.

Taking actions where appropriate, including forwarding it to another member of the team or passing to GP for action if clinically required

Read code accurately diagnosis, procedures and investigations, identifying and carrying out actions or passing actions to the relevant team member e.g. contacting patients to make appointments or completing referrals

Identify the complex or higher risk areas that require input or knowledge from the clinical team, including Safeguarding issues, working to the agreed Practice protocols.

Digital audio typing and administrative assistance generally with the administration of referrals including electronic referrals using eRS.

The distribution of letters and other documents including patient referrals and hospital clinic letters.

Carry out routine office tasks relating to patient care including making and receiving telephone calls with patients and hospitals, leaving voicemail and answering general queries.

Complete patient subject access requests

Management of practice email account, pathology inbox, document workflow and eRS including rejected referrals and 2WW appointments

Safeguarding administration and support

General

Always maintain patient and Practice confidentiality, only releasing confidential information when authorised to do so to those acting in an official capacity

Process tasks, prioritizing urgent tasks

Assisting other members of the team as required

Covering for absent colleagues as and when necessary

Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Reception Team Leader, Partners or the Practice Manager.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

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 carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to local practices. 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 the practice and other practices 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 Health & Safety Policy including:

• Maintaining a thorough understanding of health and safety protocol for oneself and others.
• Using security systems within the Practice as instructed.
• Immediate reporting of potential risks as identified.

Infection Prevention and Control

To comply with the Health and Social Care Act 2008: Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infection and related guidance, it is the responsibility of every member of staff to prevent and control the spread of infection and to follow the organisations' Infection Prevention and Control Polices. They will also ensure that they perform the correct hand hygiene procedures as described in the Hand Hygiene Policy. The person in charge of any patient area has direct responsibility for ensuring that cleanliness standards are maintained throughout a shift.

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 procedures and policies, and current legislation and also that of any practices you may be working in.
• 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.

Attending any external training course thought appropriate to the role.

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality 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.

Safeguarding

The post-holder will:

Comply with safeguarding training requirements as set out by employment terms and any relevant professional and national bodies.

Take prompt and timely action when there are any welfare or safeguarding concerns.

Form appropriate relationships with those they care for and maintains professional boundaries in their work.

Work within organisational policies, procedures and guidance.

Be committed to demonstrating the organisations values and behaviours in their work.

Contribution to the Implementation of Services

The post-holder will:

• Apply the practice policies, standards and guidance and those of general practice where appropriate
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work.
• Participate in audit where appropriate.

Special Working Conditions

The post-holder will be part of Richmondshire PCN and will be expected to support the work of the PCN and its constituent practices as required.

ANY OTHER DELEGATED DUTIES CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE TO THE POST.

This job description covers the main duties that the post holder will be expected to undertake. These duties may be revised from time-to-time following consultation with the post holder.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• No essential criteria

Desirable

• GP Practice Experience

Experience

Essential

• No essential criteria

Desirable

• 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

Leyburn Medical Practice

Address

Brentwood

Leyburn

North Yorkshire

DL8 5EP

Employer's website

http://leyburnmedicalpractice.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)