Reception/Admin

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB TITLE: RECEPTIONIST/ADMINISTRATOR

REPORTS TO: PRACTICE MANAGER

HOURS: 25 hours per week

Job summary:

The purpose of the role is to:

• Offer general assistance to the practice team and project an approachable, positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone

• 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 in the smooth running of the practice, including the provision of clerical support to the practice manager and other members of the practice team

• Facilitate effective communication between patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care and other associated healthcare agencies

  Duties and responsibilities:

  The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the practice reception/administration 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 manager, dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:

• Working in line with the Practice Handbook

• Opening up/locking up of practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with practice protocols
• Maintaining and monitoring the practice appointments system
• Processing telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations, and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional
• Taking complete messages and passing on meaningful information
• Processing repeat prescriptions in accordance with practice guidelines
• Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures
• Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team member and associated healthcare agencies and providers
• Dealing with clinical waste
• Responding to patient and practice needs to help in the smooth running of the practice

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. If not entirely clear do not divulge information without agreement from the practice manager or a doctor.

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 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, free from hazards
• Actively reporting 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
• 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, with such training to include:

• All mandatory training to be kept up to date
• 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
• Alert the practice manager to any backlogs of work or problems preventing work being done effectively

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 by use of the Staff Handbook
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate
• Participate in and offer ides for improvement

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• No Qualifications required
• Excellent communication skills needed both verbally and in writing

Experience

Essential

• Experience of dealing with the public in sensitive situations is desirable.

Interpersonal Skills

Essential

• You must be able to remain calm in stressful situations.
• Patients are already stressed and worried when they contact the practice. It is our job to make them feel reassured and helped.
• We understand that front line workers are in very stressful roles. The practice will support you in difficult situations

Desirable

• Your IT skills must be competent and confident.
• The NHS is charging ahead now with upgrades to its IT and we must keep up with it.

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

Garway Medical Practice

Address

Pickering House

Bishops Bridge Road

London

W2 6HF

Employer's website

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