Job responsibilities
JOB
DESCRIPTION
Job
Title: MEDICAL SECRETARY
Grade: AFC Band 3
Reports to: Practice Manager
Job
summary:
To
provide secretarial support and services to the Doctors and other members of
the practice team and to act as a focal point of communications between
patients, nurses, G.P.s and other medical staff including other organisations
and agencies.
Duties:
- On
behalf of the Doctors provide the secretarial and administrative
assistance in order to process patient referrals. Maintain accurate and
appropriate records of such referrals, examinations, and reports.
- Provide
secretarial and clerical assistance to the Practice Manager when necessary
involving the typing of practice protocols, routine letters, photocopying,
distribution of circulars, filing etc.
- Any
other delegated duties appropriate to this post.
Special
requirements:
An understanding, acceptance, and adherence to
the need for strict confidentiality
A good working knowledge of computer systems
and word processing. A logical
systematic approach to tasks
An ability to use own judgment,
resourcefulness, common sense and local knowledge to respond to enquiries and
requests from patients and others
All colleagues are expected to work with their
colleagues in a co-operative and mutually supportive manner to create a
cohesive team. Staff should bring
problems or issues in the workplace which they cannot resolve or which keep
reoccurring to the attention to the Practice Manager.
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 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 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 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
- Recognize 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