Job responsibilities
Job Summary
The purpose of this role is to:
Provide general assistance to the practice team and project a professional, positive and friendly image to patients and visitors, either in person or on the telephone
Receive and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous and effective way
Undertake a variety of administrative duties to assist in the smooth running of the practice including the provision of clerical and administrative support to the clinical staff and other members of the practice team
Facilitate effective communication between patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care and other associated health care 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 reception manager /practice manager dependent on current and evolving practice
Workload and staffing levels:
Opening up/locking up of the practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with practice protocols
Maintaining and monitoring the practice appointment system
Processing personal and telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations, and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional
Taking messages and passing on information
Filing and retrieving paper work
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 members and associated health care agencies and providers
Clearing and re-stocking of consulting rooms as required
Providing clerical assistance to practice staff as required from time to time using the relevant applications and equipment such as Microsoft Word(data processing ), Excel , Emis and Docman, filling, photocopying scanning, and work flowing documents
Any Administration relating to on line services
Promoting practice services
Keeping the reception area, notice boards and leaflets tidy and free from obstruction and clutter
Assist with and contribute to the practices participation in enhanced services and QOF requirements
Any other tasks assigned to you which are deemed reasonable and within your capability.
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 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 and Safety
The post holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health and safety and security as defined in the health and safety policy and procedures. This will include:
Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
Identifying the risks involved in work activities and understanding 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 form 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 post holders role
Undertaking periodic infection control training
Reporting potential risks identified
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 the 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-judgemental 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:
Participation in 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 won 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 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