Job summary
We are looking for a confident individual that can join our supportive and forward-thinking practice. The role involves working on our busy reception and on our busy phone lines.
The job role is very patient focused where projecting a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors is at the heart of the practice. We expect a high level of care and pride to be shown in our chosen candidates work ethic.
The receptionist patient advisor will be the first point of contact for patients either attending the Practice or phoning the surgery. The role will involve optimising the patients journey by receiving, assisting and directing patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.
They will work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary general practice team to meet the patient needs and support delivery of policy and procedures.
The role will involve working at both Lytham and Freckleton sites. You will be expected to travel independently between our practice sites.
Our operating hours are Monday to Friday 07:45 to 18:30. Working hours will be within these times but will require flexibility to suit operational requirements. There maybe occasions when you need to work weekends particularly for vaccination clinics.
You maybe invited for a trial as part of the application/assessment process. Interviews and trials will be scheduled for week commencing 29 August.
Main duties of the job
Ideally the candidate will want a full time position although part time will be considered.
The main duties of the Receptionist Patient Advisor:
Be the first point of contact with patients who are making clinical and non-clinical requests.
To speak to all patients, visitors and colleagues in a courteous and professional manner.
To conduct telephone triage taking calls from patients and assign them to the most appropriate service or appointment
Ensure patient safety by following correct processes
To work with a multi-disciplinary team and understand their roles
To work calmly in a fast pace environment with varying and occasionally conflicting time demands
To be an effective communicator with an ability to listen and show empathy
To book, check-in, reschedule or cancel appointments as required
To utilise and become competent in a range of IT systems
To be able to pay attention to detail to ensure information received and patient records are accurate and up to date.
About us
Holland House Surgery is set across two sites with our other practice at Freckleton Health Centre. It is a busy practice which is made up of 6 partners, supported by a host of clinicians and non-clinical staff that form the foundation of our practice. Holland House strives to provide an exemplary primary health care service for all patients registered with the practice making use of all the services available. We are a supportive practice that encourages development and participation in improving services.
The successful candidate will have access to an NHS Pension.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Reception
- Ensure
an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and
any other visitors to the Practice
- Deal
with all general enquiries and explain procedures
- Checking
patients in for appointments and monitor patient waiting times
- Process
appointment requests for future appointments from patients.
- Handing
completed repeat prescriptions to patient and checking names and address.
- Advise
patient of relevant charges for private services (non-General Medical
Services), accept payment and issue invoices and receipts for these
services
- Explain
practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those
seeking temporary cover ensuring procedures are completed
- Action
requests for fit notes
- Assist
the team with responding to email queries or forwarding where appropriate to
the relevant Practice personnel.
- Deal
with any deliveries to front desk
Patient Advisor
This is a telephone triage role
involving talking calls from patients and assigning them to the most appropriate
service or appointment.
- Develop
and maintain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the services provided
by the Practice and the wider health community
- Put
patients at ease and give them the opportunity to explain their needs
through active listening
- Provide
clear and concise information to patients
- Employ
a variety of questioning techniques to develop a full picture of the
patients requirements
- Use
advanced communication, negotiation and probing skills across a wide range
of enquiries including emotive circumstances or caller aggression
- Quickly
and accurately record patient details, symptoms and enquires where further
contact is required
- Identify
potentially serious problems and bring those to the immediate attention of
the appropriate clinician
- For
less serious problems, identify and agree an appropriate timeframe for the
patient to be seen with the appropriate clinician
Appointments
- Ensure
total familiarity with the appointment system including regular and incidental
variations
- Book
all appointments and recalls ensuring sufficient information is recorded
to enable retrieval of the medical records
- Assisting
with the cancellation of clinics at short notice when required
- Assist
with contacting and booking patients for specific clinics
Administration
- To
have a thorough knowledge of all Practice procedures, working in
accordance with written protocols
- Action
tasks sent through EMIS Web in a timely manner
- Check
and complete Docman tasks including OOH
- Open
post as required and distribute
- Scan
and photocopy as requested.
- Process
patients change of address – computer data and medical records (have knowledge
of Practice area).
- Process
repeat prescription requests in accordance with Practice guidelines.
- To
assist with GP queries as requested
- To ensure information and patient records are accurate
- Assist and advice patients regarding online access to their patient records
- Process change of pharmacy address and ensure this is up to date
Other Tasks
- Clear
rooms after surgeries
- Check
and restock clinical rooms with clinical stock on a regular basis
- Ensure
building security – have thorough knowledge of doors/windows/alarm.
- Chaperone,
as requested.
- 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 role, the post-holder will 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
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 people’s 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 program implemented by the
Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:
- IT systems, Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Infection Control, customer service
- Assess own
performance and take accountability for actions, either directly or under
supervision.
- Participation in
an annual individual performance review, including maintaining a record of training undertaken, taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance,
- Assist colleagues by demonstrating
skills and activities who are undertaking similar work
- Actively contribute
to the development and service improvement within the Practice proactively
offering ideas and suggestions for improvements.
- Participate fully
in meetings with your Team Leader
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 team’s performance
- Work effectively
with individuals in other agencies to meet patients’ needs
- Effectively manage
their 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
- Recognize people’s
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
- Attend meetings
when required
Job description
Job responsibilities
Reception
- Ensure
an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and
any other visitors to the Practice
- Deal
with all general enquiries and explain procedures
- Checking
patients in for appointments and monitor patient waiting times
- Process
appointment requests for future appointments from patients.
- Handing
completed repeat prescriptions to patient and checking names and address.
- Advise
patient of relevant charges for private services (non-General Medical
Services), accept payment and issue invoices and receipts for these
services
- Explain
practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those
seeking temporary cover ensuring procedures are completed
- Action
requests for fit notes
- Assist
the team with responding to email queries or forwarding where appropriate to
the relevant Practice personnel.
- Deal
with any deliveries to front desk
Patient Advisor
This is a telephone triage role
involving talking calls from patients and assigning them to the most appropriate
service or appointment.
- Develop
and maintain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the services provided
by the Practice and the wider health community
- Put
patients at ease and give them the opportunity to explain their needs
through active listening
- Provide
clear and concise information to patients
- Employ
a variety of questioning techniques to develop a full picture of the
patients requirements
- Use
advanced communication, negotiation and probing skills across a wide range
of enquiries including emotive circumstances or caller aggression
- Quickly
and accurately record patient details, symptoms and enquires where further
contact is required
- Identify
potentially serious problems and bring those to the immediate attention of
the appropriate clinician
- For
less serious problems, identify and agree an appropriate timeframe for the
patient to be seen with the appropriate clinician
Appointments
- Ensure
total familiarity with the appointment system including regular and incidental
variations
- Book
all appointments and recalls ensuring sufficient information is recorded
to enable retrieval of the medical records
- Assisting
with the cancellation of clinics at short notice when required
- Assist
with contacting and booking patients for specific clinics
Administration
- To
have a thorough knowledge of all Practice procedures, working in
accordance with written protocols
- Action
tasks sent through EMIS Web in a timely manner
- Check
and complete Docman tasks including OOH
- Open
post as required and distribute
- Scan
and photocopy as requested.
- Process
patients change of address – computer data and medical records (have knowledge
of Practice area).
- Process
repeat prescription requests in accordance with Practice guidelines.
- To
assist with GP queries as requested
- To ensure information and patient records are accurate
- Assist and advice patients regarding online access to their patient records
- Process change of pharmacy address and ensure this is up to date
Other Tasks
- Clear
rooms after surgeries
- Check
and restock clinical rooms with clinical stock on a regular basis
- Ensure
building security – have thorough knowledge of doors/windows/alarm.
- Chaperone,
as requested.
- 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 role, the post-holder will 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
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 people’s 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 program implemented by the
Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:
- IT systems, Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Infection Control, customer service
- Assess own
performance and take accountability for actions, either directly or under
supervision.
- Participation in
an annual individual performance review, including maintaining a record of training undertaken, taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance,
- Assist colleagues by demonstrating
skills and activities who are undertaking similar work
- Actively contribute
to the development and service improvement within the Practice proactively
offering ideas and suggestions for improvements.
- Participate fully
in meetings with your Team Leader
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 team’s performance
- Work effectively
with individuals in other agencies to meet patients’ needs
- Effectively manage
their 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
- Recognize people’s
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
- Attend meetings
when required
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a customer facing role.
- Experience of answering telephones within a busy environment.
Desirable
- Experience of working in Primary Care or a Health Care setting
Qualifications
Essential
- GSCE English and Maths at a minimum of a grade C/4 or equivalent qualification,
- Strong IT Skills,
- Strong communication skills,
- Ability to be flexible,
- Good teamwork skills,
- Ability to effectively manage own time workload and resources
Desirable
- Knowledge of EMIS clinical system,
- Familiarity with Docman,
- Knowledge of medical terms,
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a customer facing role.
- Experience of answering telephones within a busy environment.
Desirable
- Experience of working in Primary Care or a Health Care setting
Qualifications
Essential
- GSCE English and Maths at a minimum of a grade C/4 or equivalent qualification,
- Strong IT Skills,
- Strong communication skills,
- Ability to be flexible,
- Good teamwork skills,
- Ability to effectively manage own time workload and resources
Desirable
- Knowledge of EMIS clinical system,
- Familiarity with Docman,
- Knowledge of medical terms,
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.