Practice Administrator/Medical Secretary

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job summary:

To provide general administrative support to the practice manager, doctors and health professionals, involving word processing and computer tasks, with general clerical work. To administer referrals and liaise with hospitals and patients to facilitate these and resolve queries. To deal with insurance reports and other related tasks. To support and cover reception as required.

Job responsibilities:

• To be responsible for the administration of referrals and e-referrals.
• To provide an efficient word processing service for GPs and the practice team as required. This includes the typing of letters, reports, patient referrals, minutes, memorandums, etc. in an accurate and quality manner.
• To audit referrals and ensure that they are followed up, particularly for two week wait referrals.
• To facilitate patients to book their hospital appointments after referral.
• To assist the practice manager with clerical and administrative duties as requested.
• To make appointments and chase hospital bookings as required.
• To liaise and arrange meetings (to include the booking of rooms) as required and to attend meetings and take minutes when required.
• To maintain filing and administrative systems so that written or computer information is easily accessible and secure.
• To assist the completion of medical/insurance records as required.
• To receive incoming and initiate outgoing telephone calls and emails in order to facilitate timely and appropriate communications with others, taking messages and dealing with appropriate queries.
• To provide administrative cover for members of the practice team during periods of sickness and annual leave.
• To maintain an adequate call and recall system for patients, for example for diabetic reviews and immunisations.
• To support the Practice Manager in achieving QOF and enhanced services targets.
• To support and help cover the reception team as needed

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

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Alevels, plus GCSEs at grade 4-9 ( including English and Maths)

Desirable

• Training in administration/clerical duties at NVQ level or above
• NVQ Level 2/3 in Customer Services or Health Care or related discipline
• Typing qualification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a medical or primary care setting
• Computer literate with an ability to use the required GP clinical systems
• General office skills, photocopier, scanning, shredding
• Awareness of Data Protection Act and need for confidentiality of Information
• Attention to detail, able to work accurately, identifying errors quickly and easily
• Has a planned and organised approach with an ability to prioritise their own workload to meet strict deadlines
• Excellent understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with team members, patients, carers, and other healthcare professionals, with the ability to adjust communication style
• Committed to own continuing personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress

Personal skills

Essential

• Works effectively independently and as a member of a team
• Flexible approach to meet service needs and ensure a stakeholder focused response
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Continued commitment to improve skills and ability in new areas of work
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Commit to a DBS Check
• Able to undertake the demands of the post with reasonable adjustments if required

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

Park Road Surgery

Address

37 Park Road

Teddington

TW11 0AU

Employer's website

https://www.parkroadsurgeryteddington.co.uk (Opens in a new tab)