Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

To be the first point of contact for patients and families and service users in a clinical environment.

To provide an efficient and effective patient reception/administration function within the primary care setting.

General Requirements

As part of a reception team supporting a busy practice you will be the first point of call, either over the telephone or face to face on reception, for patients/ service users; families and visitors to the practice, using appropriate communication skills to support access to the practice and the booking of appointments.

Principal Duties

Operating the administrative functions of the services telephone booking system.

Front of house, welcome role, meeting and greeting patients coming into the practice.

Work as a member of the reception team providing all aspects of reception duties including taking & recording messages, booking of appointments for patients and answering telephone enquiries.

Process new patient registrations and temporary registrations.

Respond appropriately to verbal complaints and refer any unresolved issues to support/operational management when necessary.

Use appropriate methods to communicate effectively within a team i.e. email, attending meetings.

Carry out a variety of clerical duties as and when required i.e. scanning, filing, faxing and photocopying.

Chaperone for a clinician if requested.

Open post received on site(s) and deal with it appropriately, scanning into SystemOne where required. To record episodes from incoming items of post and log correctly. Provide administrative support for data quality.

To assist with the daily production of prescriptions, nomads & repeat dispensing.

To assist the support manager and other practice staff with the induction of any new or temporary receptionist staff.

Act upon Doctors requests to follow up patients i.e. liaise with other agencies, secondary care, patients, families and carers on the practices behalf (Tasks).

Deal with incoming telephone calls and act upon each appropriately i.e. offer and book an appropriate appointment, refer for further clinical advice.

Take and record messages for clinical staff e.g. home visits and further medical advice.

Shared responsibility for reception, waiting room and consultation rooms upkeep and tidiness including leaflets and posters.

Reporting of faults, equipment breakdown or failure, building maintenance to the support manager.

Process and acknowledge receipt of monies from patients, as required.

Be aware of Health & Safety policies and procedures and report any occurrences of incidents to management, using the incident reporting procedure.

Opening and securing of premises as required.

Other

To be responsible for continuing personal development

To have an annual PDR with line manager.

Support, network and provide cover for sites across the Clover Group, as required.

Service Development

Assist in development of practice policies and procedures.

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 implement and lead on the full range of promotion and management of 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 (but will not be limited to):

Ensure job-holders across the practice adhere to their individual responsibilities for infection control and health and safety, using a system of observation, audit and check, hazard identification, questioning, reporting and risk management.

Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of health and safety and infection control statutory and best practice guidelines and ensure implementation across the business

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 across the business

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards, and initiation of remedial/corrective action where needed

Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, identifying issues and hazards/risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other senior managers

Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)

Routine management of own team/team areas, and maintenance of work space standards

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

General

The main duties and responsibilities shown above are not exhaustive but should merely be regarded as a guide. The post-holder will be expected to conduct any reasonable activities according to the service needs at that time. These will be subject to periodic review and may be amended to meet thechallenging needs of the service. The post-holder will be expected to participate in this process and the organisation would aim to reach agreement to changes.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• - Knowledge of office/reception procedures
• - Good understanding of equality & diversity
• - Excellent organisational skills
• - Excellent communication skills
• - Methodical approach to work
• - Excellent interpersonal skills
• - Excellent keyboard skills

Desirable

• - Clinical System Use (SystmOne)

Qualifications

Essential

• - GCSE or equivalent English and Maths at grade C or above.

Desirable

• - Receptionist or Medical Terminology Qualifications

Other Requirements

Essential

• - Approachable and helpful
• - Have flexible approach to work
• - Trustworthy
• - Able to multi-task and remain calm when faced with conflicting priorities
• - Ability to work well with other members of the practice team

Experience

Essential

• - Experience of working in a reception environment dealing with patients/general public in person and by phone
• - IT experience using Microsoft Office and E-mail
• - Experience of working in a reception environment dealing with patients/general public in person and by phone
• - IT experience using Microsoft Office and E-mail

Desirable

• - Previous experience of working within the NHS
• - Previous experience of working in a GP practice

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Primary Care Sheffield

Address

722 Prince of Wales Road

Sheffield

South Yorkshire

S9 4EU

Employer's website

http://www.primarycaresheffield.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)