Receptionists

Job description

Job responsibilities

Post : RECEPTIONIST / PRACTICE ADMINISTRATOR

Hours: PT or FT

Accountable to: The Partners

Responsible to: The Practice Manager

Summary of the post

To act as first point of call for patients of the practice; receiving and directing them, answering their enquiries; filing and extracting records and documents; maintenance of the appointment system; receiving and passing messages for other members of the primary care team; prescriptions as appropriate; and other general office duties.

Assisting with a variety of administrative duties including:

Scanning, Clinical Coding, Secretarial support, Other regular practice administrative functions.

Principal Reception Responsibilities:

1. Receiving and Directing Patients

Receive and direct patients on arrival

Use of computerized appointment system

Receive and record requests for home visits as directed

Receive, record and direct messages for all clinical members of the Practice team using the agreed methods of waiting list, email, tasks.

Answer telephones promptly

Deal efficiently with general enquiries from patients, explain surgery procedures, appointment system and all other procedures for obtaining services, hand out patient pack / practice leaflet as appropriate.

Receive any other visitors to the practice and sign into the visitors book.

2. Preparation of Consulting Rooms

Ensure that the consulting rooms are prepared in readiness for each consulting session, checking full range of forms and requirements and re-stocking as required

Ensure that the consulting rooms are checked at the end of each consulting session and left tidy and secure.

3. Operation of Telephone System

Answer telephones promptly

Receive and make calls as required. Divert calls and take messages as appropriate

Ensure that system is operational at the beginning of each day and switched over to night service and that the answerphone is operational at the end of the day

4. Repeat Prescriptions

Understand and apply practice protocol for repeat prescribing

Print off prescription spool for the day, liasing with the duty doctor on all queries

Sort prescription spool ready for collection

Daily checking of prescription collection box for accuracy

5. Start and End of Day Procedures

Open up premises at the start of the day, make all necessary preparation to receive patients

Ensure consulting rooms are prepared in readiness for each session with correct nameplate on doors

Restock consulting rooms after each session as required

Ensure computer back up procedures are carried out at the end of the day

Secure premises at the end of the day, ensure the building is totally secured, internal lights off and alarm activated

6. Patient Records

Understand and apply practice protocol for registration of new patients

Distribute patients records to clinical staff as required

Scan clinical letters and results to patient records and file as necessary

7. Post

Open post daily as received and record with date and action stamps

Distribute post to relevant staff boxes using post protocol

Put all outgoing post in envelopes as required and affix stamps, take to post office at the end of the day

Advise office secretary when stationary supplies need replenishing

Fax correspondence as necessary and sort incoming faxes

8. New Patient Health Checks

Ensure health questionnaire completed accurately.

Take patients blood pressure measurement as per protocol

Carry out urine dip test as per protocol

Take measurements for height, weight, waist/hip ratio

Enter data onto computerised records, using protocol to ensure all required information entered.

Scan New patient sheet onto the patients records.

9. Sundry Administrative Duties

Acting as chaperone for clinicians as and when required

Carrying out any other administrative tasks as requested by clinical staff or administrative manager to assist in the day to day operation of the practice

Special Requirements of the Post:

An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.

An ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness, common sense and local knowledge to respond to patients enquiries and requests

Excellent communication skills

Need to be understanding and polite at all times

Attend suitable training

Attend Practice Meetings

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 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.

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 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, 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.

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

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 postholder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

Asses 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 postholder 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.

The practice also opens for extended hours sessions and the post-holder may be requested to staff these sessions on a rota basis.

In the autumn, the practice will also open on two Saturday mornings for flu clinics all staff are expected to work for one of these Saturdays.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• NHS Experience

Desirable

• Experience of working in a GP Practice
• System 1 Experience

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

Crown Street Surgery

Address

21-23 Crown Street, 2 Lombard Court

Acton

W3 8SA

Employer's website

https://www.crownstreetsurgery.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)