Job responsibilities
Main purpose of role
To work with the Assistant Manager to lead, train and encourage the care navigation Team and ensure that at all times it projects a positive, friendly and professional image of the practice to patients, carers, visitors and other contacts both in face to face and via the telephone.
To ensure the Care navigator Team receives, assists and directs patients in a courteous and efficient manner, helping patients assess the primary care services and/or health professional they need in a timely fashion.
To support and encourage care navigator colleagues and the wider practice team and to undertake duties that contributes to the smooth running of the practice.
To proactively facilitate efficient and effective communication between patients, clinicians, secondary care and other associated healthcare professionals/agencies.
Key relationships
Partners, salaried GPs, trainees, Assistant Practice Manager, Managing partner, care navigators, all other Lingwell Croft Surgery Practice staff, patients, Patient Participation Group members, local pharmacies and other community providers.
Key Objectives:
To assist and support the Assistant Practice Manager in maintaining and developing the efficient and effective running of the Reception to meet the required standards and targets, in particular to deliver continuous improvement of:
Reception services, procedures and performance in order to best meet the needs of patients, carers, clinicians and community colleagues.
Job duties and responsibilities:
1. Working with the Assistant Practice Manager, to deliver the continuous improvement of a high quality reception service to patients, carers, visitors and other contacts, particularly;
To support, train and mentor care navigation team members.
Provide first line support to all staff in order to promote excellence in customer service.
Maintain a high quality patient experience at the surgery and offer timely and appropriate information and advice to patients.
To agree and communicate weekly rota, reviewing and updating as and when required.
To review, update and document reception procedures and communicate changes in a timely manner.
To support colleagues in dealing with difficult or unpleasant patients or situations. To be the first point of contact for complaints and report to Operations Manager.
To contribute to the recruitment, appraisal and, when necessary, discipline of direct reports with the support of the Assistant Practice manager.
To contribute to probationary reviews and annual appraisals for direct reports with the Assistant Practice Manager.
To lead the signposting initiative, as the Signposting Champion, by delivering continuous training for Patient Coordinators and informing management of any updates.
Signposting patients to appropriate services and managing Triage and Duty team appointments.
To lead the digital triage patient communication project, as the Patchs Champion, and leading on the further development or electronic patient systems.
Run audits of patient activity to ensure staffing is correct.
Assist with planning and delivery of additional reception training in order to maximise the potential of individual members of staff and their teams.
2. Working with the Assistant Practice Manager, to agree, review and improve Patient Coordinator Team standards for:
Meeting and greeting patients; dealing with front and back office enquiries; explaining procedures; making new and follow-up appointments and cancelling appointments when necessary.
Explaining practice services and procedures to new patients and those seeking registration as a temporary resident; ensuring all required documentation is complete prior to hand over.
Processing requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations and ensuring callers are directed to the most appropriate healthcare professional. Taking messages and passing on information.
Contacting patients to rearrange appointments if clinical session is amended.
Responding promptly and appropriately to patient needs e.g. queues, confusion, sickness, calling for help as and when required to do so.
Opening and closing the surgery and all procedures relating to this.
Advising patients of charges for non-NHS services accept payment and issue receipts.
Checking and signing for deliveries made to the Practice.
3. To use the Practice clinical system (SystmOne) to process and record information in an accurate and timely fashion in accordance with Practice policies and procedures and to ensure all members of the care navigation Team are appropriately trained and confident to do the same.
4. To ensure the reception area and waiting rooms, notice boards and leaflet dispensers are kept clean, tidy and free from obstructions and clutter.
5. To provide cover for members of the care navigation Team during periods of sickness and annual leave.
6. To communicate politely and effectively with patients, carers, colleagues and other contacts, recognising peoples needs for alternative methods of communication e.g. translation services and responding accordingly. In this way, through good communication and working collaboratively with colleagues and other agencies to support the provision of a seamless co-ordinated multidisciplinary service.
7. To highlight any potential problems i.e. complaints, significant incidents, disciplinary issues, grievances, broken or damaged equipment, health and safety risks to patients, staff or visitors to the Assistant Practice Manager as and when they become apparent. Taking or recommending corrective action as appropriate to minimise impact of problems/risks identified.
8. At all times, to maintain the highest standards of behaviour, to comply with and follow practice and CQC policies, protocols and procedures, including information governance, confidentiality, health and safety, infection control, equality and diversity and to report any breach or suspected breach immediately.
9. To undertake regular training and development, to keep personal development plan up to date and to attend staff meetings.
10.To undertake any other activities that may from time to time be reasonably requested by the Managing Partner, Assistant Practice Manager or Partners.
This job description is not exhaustive. You are required to carry out all duties and obligations of which you have been advised, and also to comply with any rules, instructions, directions, policies, protocols and procedures as may from time to time relate to your employment. You will also be provided with oral instructions as to your job duties and responsibilities, and you should follow such instructions.
You should understand that your job title and job description may be amended from time to time, and that you may be called upon to carry out additional or other duties as may reasonably be required. There may also be times when you are asked to transfer to an alternative job either on a temporary or permanent basis. You will not be assigned to duties or required to perform services which you cannot reasonably be expected to perform.
The nature of our business and the changing needs of the National Health Service mean that you must be flexible in your approach to your work and in the duties that you may be required to undertake in order to provide service to our patients, and that the obligations upon you will inevitably vary and develop.
11. 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 health care 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
12. 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 work place 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
13. 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 which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.