Job responsibilities
BRANKSOMEWOOD HEALTHCARE CENTRE
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: PERMANENT RECEPTIONIST
REPORTS TO: RECEPTION TEAM LEADER
HOURS: Part time
PAY: dependent upon experience
Job summary:
Receive, assist and direct patients in
accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous,
efficient and effective way.
Provide general assistance to the practice
team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors,
either in person or via the telephone.
Job responsibilities:
- Ensure an
effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any
other visitors to the practice.
- Deal with all
general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up
appointments.
- Using your own
judgment and communication skills, ensure that patients with no prior
appointment but who need urgent consultation 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.
- Receive and
make telephone calls as required.
Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and
prompt appropriate delivery.
- Enter requests
for home visits into the clinical system, ensuring to carefully record all
relevant details and referring to the rota doctor where necessary.
- Action repeat
prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the
patient within 5 working days.
- Advise patients
of relevant charges for private (non General Medical Services) services,
accept payment and issue receipts for same.
- Enter patient information
on to the computer as required.
- Photocopy
and shred documentation
- Open
up premises at the start of the day when first to arrive, de-activate alarm and
make all necessary preparations to receive patients.
- When
last to leave at the end of the day, ensure that the building is totally
secured, internal lights are off and the alarm activated.
- Any
other delegated duties considered appropriate to the post.
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
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 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, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control
policy and published procedures. This will 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
- Actively
reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately
when recognised
- Keeping own
work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the
maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope
of the job holders role
- Undertaking
periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
- Reporting
potential risks identified
- Demonstrate
due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
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 practice procedures and policies, and current
legislation
- Respecting the
privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
- Behaving in a
manner that 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 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
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
- Participate in
audit where appropriate