Job summary
Bay Medical Group is a large and busy general practice providing service
to the population of Morecambe and Heysham. We are currently looking for
enthusiastic, customer focused Patient Advisors to join our friendly team
working on reception and in our phone room. This is a vital role and requires
strong customer service skills. Previous NHS experience is not necessary, but
you should have a real interest in being part of team working to improve
patient outcomes.
We are happy to consider applications for full (37.5 hpw) or part time
hours. As a Patient Advisor you will work flexibly between 7.30am - 8pm, Monday to Friday. The working patterns are set shifts and floating shifts on a 2 week rota.
We operate out of 5 sites across Morecambe and as a Patient Advisor
whilst you will have one site identified as your main site, you may be asked to
work in any of these. You will also be rota'd to work some of your shifts in
the phone room at West End.
If you have a particular interest and experience in a call centre, it
may be possible to just work in the phone room. You should register this in
your application.
We are keen to hear from you if you enjoy providing outstanding customer
service, and have excellent communication and IT skills. We are looking for a
flexible approach and good team work.
Main duties of the job
Be the first point
of contact for all patients attending and/or contacting the Practice via
telephone.
Optimise the
patients journey and be an ambassador for the Practice.
Project a positive
and friendly image to patients and other visitors,
Work as part of the
Practice team and provide a key point of contact for communication between all
patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care and other
associated healthcare professionals and voluntary services
Receive, assist and direct patients in
accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous,
efficient and effective way
Undertake a variety of administrative
duties to assist the smooth running of the practice.
Working for us we can offer you:
- A comprehensive induction to the role and training plan
- Access to the NHS Pension Scheme
- Possible career development in customer service, health care and administration
- Incremental annual leave scheme starting at 20 days annual leave plus 8 Bank Holidays, and increasing by 1 day each year to 25 days annual leave 8 plus Bank Holidays after 5 years service (all pro rata)
- Access to Occupational Sick Pay scheme after one year.
- Access to NHS discount scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
About us
Bay Medical Group is proud to be the general practice serving the
population of Morecambe and Heysham. We operate out of 5 sites and deliver
general medical services to c54,000 patients.
Formed in 2016/17 by established legacy practices in the town, we are
fortunate to be a single at scale provider in a distinct geographical area and
as such were able to establish the Primary Care Network (PCN) for Morecambe and
Heysham in July 2019, with Bay Medical Group as the only Practice in the PCN.
Our patients are at the heart of everything we do. We have been
successfully diversifying our workforce over the past few years and developing
pathways which enable our patients to see the right person, at the right time
in the right place. As a Practice and PCN we work closely with our Integrated
Care Community and other local health, social care and third sector providers
to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population.
Bay Medical Group - for happier, healthier people.
Job description
Job responsibilities
MAJOR
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST
The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members
of the Patient Advisor Team may include any or all of the items in the
following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of
the Practice Operations Manager, dependent on current and evolving practice
workload and staffing levels:
Provide clear concise information to patients
Acknowledge all visitors on arrival
- Registration of new/temporary
patients to be in accordance with the Practice Protocol, ensuring the
patients reside within the Practice boundaries, and explaining all
relevant practice procedures to these patients
- Arrange all routine appointments
for patients including: GP, Nurse, HCA, Phlebotomy and all other service
providers for whom we run appointment systems.
- Patients requiring urgent medical
assistance on the day are to be assessed appropriately, ensuring the UC
Protocol/SDS/Triage protocols are referred to and followed at all times.
- Respond to all queries and
requests for assistance from patients and other visitors either via desk
or telephone.
- Be aware of the clinicians
currently working in the building, observe clinics running late and advise
patients who are waiting and apologise
- When accepting any specimen
samples - ensure that this is documented on patients records and relevant
clinician is notified as necessary.
- Communicate test results to
patients
- Advise patients of relevant
charges for Private Services. Take
payment and issue receipts in accordance with the Reports/Private work
Protocol.
- Deal with medication requests. Liaise closely with the Practice Medicine
Management Team
- Distribute prescriptions to
patients/chemists ensuring the signing out book on reception is completed
correctly.
- Arrange urgent ambulance
transportation at the request of a clinician; ensuring a booking reference
is obtain and documented on the patients records.
- Provide an efficient and detailed
handover to the colleague taking over from your shift
- Liaise with service providers such
as District Nurses, Practice Nurses, Health Visitors, Midwife and other
service providers.
- Individual staff folders to be
maintained and kept up to date at all times.
- Complete Tasks and Workflows on a
daily basis; ensuring individual task/workflow sheet completed and passed
to senior receptionist at the end of each shift.
- Outlook Emails to be read
carefully/daily and Outlook to be kept open during each shift, with
attention paid to updates
- Provide administrative support to
the Practice such as opening, dating and distributing mail, faxing/
photocopying and other general admin tasks
- Ensure all doors to the building,
all windows and our rooms are closed and locked at the end of each working
day.
- Alarm to be set when you are the
last members of the Practice to leave the building.
- Provide infection control services
such as cleaning after spills or accidents, which may include bodily
fluids
- Provide chaperone duties for
patients.
Practice
Appointment Systems:
- Ensure total familiarity with all
appointment systems in effect including any variations.
- Follow Practice Protocols for
booking appointments e.g. Nurse Matrix, UC Protocol, Same Day Service
Protocol
- Task Admin staff to arrange
medicals i.e HGV, Taxi etc.
Prepare
Consulting Rooms:
- Ensure that consulting rooms are
prepared in readiness for each consulting session, checking full range of
forms and equipment, restocking where required.
- Ensure that the consulting rooms
are checked at the end of each consulting session and left tidy and
secure. Checklist on sites to be
completed daily.
Urgent
Care phone room:
- Be available and logged on your
computer/telephones at start of each shift.
- Receive calls and manage all
enquires as required ensuring patient confidentiality is upheld at all
times.
- Make every contact count - ensure
calls cleared fully at the time, removing the need for unnecessary call
backs.
- Liaise closely with Duty Team
ensuring UC protocol is followed at all times.
- Complete EMIS/Same Day Service
Templates fully for all Urgent Care appointments.
- Report any problems with phone/IT
systems to Urgent Care Manager
- Telephone calls must be answered
swiftly and processed efficiently and courteously
- Ensure UC Protocols are referred
to; and if unsure liaise with UC or Site Manager/Duty Doctor/Advanced Practitioner
- All staff to notify the Urgent
Care Manager prior to logging out of the phones for any reason/end of
shift.
- Work station/headsets to be kept
clean, tidy and in good state of repair
- Actively participate in regular
telephone call review monitoring with line manager to improve quality of
the patient experience
Communication
The post-holder 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,
recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome
different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways
of communicating
- Communicate effectively with outside agencies.
Team working
- Understand own role and scope, and
identify how this may develop over time
- Work as an effective and
responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to
develop new ways of working
- Participate in team activities
that create opportunities to improve patient care
- Participate in and support local
projects as agreed with the practice management team
Learning and Development
The post-holder will participate in any
training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such
training to include:
- Take part in the appraisal and performance
review, including taking responsibility for assessing own development
needs and maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional
development
- Make effective use of learning
opportunities evaluating their effectiveness and feeding back relevant
information
- Taking responsibility for own
development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and
activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
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, 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.
Confidentiality
- Understand the responsibility of
self and others regarding the Freedom of Information and Data Protection
Act (and from May 2018 the GDPR)
- 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 health care 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 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-judgmental and respects their
circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Job description
Job responsibilities
MAJOR
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST
The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members
of the Patient Advisor Team may include any or all of the items in the
following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of
the Practice Operations Manager, dependent on current and evolving practice
workload and staffing levels:
Provide clear concise information to patients
Acknowledge all visitors on arrival
- Registration of new/temporary
patients to be in accordance with the Practice Protocol, ensuring the
patients reside within the Practice boundaries, and explaining all
relevant practice procedures to these patients
- Arrange all routine appointments
for patients including: GP, Nurse, HCA, Phlebotomy and all other service
providers for whom we run appointment systems.
- Patients requiring urgent medical
assistance on the day are to be assessed appropriately, ensuring the UC
Protocol/SDS/Triage protocols are referred to and followed at all times.
- Respond to all queries and
requests for assistance from patients and other visitors either via desk
or telephone.
- Be aware of the clinicians
currently working in the building, observe clinics running late and advise
patients who are waiting and apologise
- When accepting any specimen
samples - ensure that this is documented on patients records and relevant
clinician is notified as necessary.
- Communicate test results to
patients
- Advise patients of relevant
charges for Private Services. Take
payment and issue receipts in accordance with the Reports/Private work
Protocol.
- Deal with medication requests. Liaise closely with the Practice Medicine
Management Team
- Distribute prescriptions to
patients/chemists ensuring the signing out book on reception is completed
correctly.
- Arrange urgent ambulance
transportation at the request of a clinician; ensuring a booking reference
is obtain and documented on the patients records.
- Provide an efficient and detailed
handover to the colleague taking over from your shift
- Liaise with service providers such
as District Nurses, Practice Nurses, Health Visitors, Midwife and other
service providers.
- Individual staff folders to be
maintained and kept up to date at all times.
- Complete Tasks and Workflows on a
daily basis; ensuring individual task/workflow sheet completed and passed
to senior receptionist at the end of each shift.
- Outlook Emails to be read
carefully/daily and Outlook to be kept open during each shift, with
attention paid to updates
- Provide administrative support to
the Practice such as opening, dating and distributing mail, faxing/
photocopying and other general admin tasks
- Ensure all doors to the building,
all windows and our rooms are closed and locked at the end of each working
day.
- Alarm to be set when you are the
last members of the Practice to leave the building.
- Provide infection control services
such as cleaning after spills or accidents, which may include bodily
fluids
- Provide chaperone duties for
patients.
Practice
Appointment Systems:
- Ensure total familiarity with all
appointment systems in effect including any variations.
- Follow Practice Protocols for
booking appointments e.g. Nurse Matrix, UC Protocol, Same Day Service
Protocol
- Task Admin staff to arrange
medicals i.e HGV, Taxi etc.
Prepare
Consulting Rooms:
- Ensure that consulting rooms are
prepared in readiness for each consulting session, checking full range of
forms and equipment, restocking where required.
- Ensure that the consulting rooms
are checked at the end of each consulting session and left tidy and
secure. Checklist on sites to be
completed daily.
Urgent
Care phone room:
- Be available and logged on your
computer/telephones at start of each shift.
- Receive calls and manage all
enquires as required ensuring patient confidentiality is upheld at all
times.
- Make every contact count - ensure
calls cleared fully at the time, removing the need for unnecessary call
backs.
- Liaise closely with Duty Team
ensuring UC protocol is followed at all times.
- Complete EMIS/Same Day Service
Templates fully for all Urgent Care appointments.
- Report any problems with phone/IT
systems to Urgent Care Manager
- Telephone calls must be answered
swiftly and processed efficiently and courteously
- Ensure UC Protocols are referred
to; and if unsure liaise with UC or Site Manager/Duty Doctor/Advanced Practitioner
- All staff to notify the Urgent
Care Manager prior to logging out of the phones for any reason/end of
shift.
- Work station/headsets to be kept
clean, tidy and in good state of repair
- Actively participate in regular
telephone call review monitoring with line manager to improve quality of
the patient experience
Communication
The post-holder 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,
recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome
different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways
of communicating
- Communicate effectively with outside agencies.
Team working
- Understand own role and scope, and
identify how this may develop over time
- Work as an effective and
responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to
develop new ways of working
- Participate in team activities
that create opportunities to improve patient care
- Participate in and support local
projects as agreed with the practice management team
Learning and Development
The post-holder will participate in any
training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such
training to include:
- Take part in the appraisal and performance
review, including taking responsibility for assessing own development
needs and maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional
development
- Make effective use of learning
opportunities evaluating their effectiveness and feeding back relevant
information
- Taking responsibility for own
development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and
activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
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, 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.
Confidentiality
- Understand the responsibility of
self and others regarding the Freedom of Information and Data Protection
Act (and from May 2018 the GDPR)
- 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 health care 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 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-judgmental and respects their
circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Person Specification
Characteristics
Essential
- Focussed on delivering a quality service
- Can function under pressure.
- Understanding of confidentiality.
- Confident with delegated responsibility.
- Good attendance/ time keeping record.
- Physically able to undertake responsibilities of the role
- Presentable and tidy appearance
Other
Essential
- Reliable transport.
- Flexible to work across sites and early mornings/ evenings in line with business needs.
Desirable
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
- GCSE English and Maths
- NVQ in Customer Service or prepared to undertake NVQ
Experience
Essential
- Proficient in use of Microsoft Word, Outlook.
- Operating as part of a team.
Desirable
- Working in a Primary Care setting.
- Customer Service.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills.
- Confident working with people face to face and over the telephone.
- Keyboard skills for regular use of computer systems.
- Organisational skills.
- Accuracy.
- Mentally and emotionally able to deal with the demands of the role e.g. distressed patients/ pressurised environment.
Desirable
- Knowledge of medical terminology.
- Use of EMIS system.
Person Specification
Characteristics
Essential
- Focussed on delivering a quality service
- Can function under pressure.
- Understanding of confidentiality.
- Confident with delegated responsibility.
- Good attendance/ time keeping record.
- Physically able to undertake responsibilities of the role
- Presentable and tidy appearance
Other
Essential
- Reliable transport.
- Flexible to work across sites and early mornings/ evenings in line with business needs.
Desirable
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
- GCSE English and Maths
- NVQ in Customer Service or prepared to undertake NVQ
Experience
Essential
- Proficient in use of Microsoft Word, Outlook.
- Operating as part of a team.
Desirable
- Working in a Primary Care setting.
- Customer Service.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills.
- Confident working with people face to face and over the telephone.
- Keyboard skills for regular use of computer systems.
- Organisational skills.
- Accuracy.
- Mentally and emotionally able to deal with the demands of the role e.g. distressed patients/ pressurised environment.
Desirable
- Knowledge of medical terminology.
- Use of EMIS system.
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.
