Receptionist/Administrator

Job description

Job responsibilities

The purpose of the role is to:

Offer general assistance to the practice team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone

Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way

Undertake a variety of administrative duties to assist in the smooth running of the practice, including the provision of secretarial and clerical support to 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 healthcare agencies

Duties and responsibilities:

The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the practice 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 senior receptionist/practice manager, dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:

Receptionist:

• Opening up/locking up of practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with practice protocols
• Manning front desk: greeting patients and respond to email queries
• Processing personal and telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations, and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional
• Maintaining and monitoring the practice appointments system
• Processing and distributing incoming (and outgoing) mail
• Taking messages and passing on information as appropriate and as necessary
• Filing and retrieving paperwork/ patients notes
• Processing repeat prescriptions in accordance with practice guidelines received either via the post box or via the prescription email account.
• Ensure computer data entry/data allocation and collation is completed in a timely fashion; processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures
• Communicate with patients messages messaging programmes such as AccurX, Mjog or Patient Access.
• Refer patients with minor illnesses to the Community Pharmacy Scheme as appropriate
• Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team member and associated healthcare agencies and providers
• Providing clerical assistance to practice staff as required from time to time, including word/data processing, filing, photocopying and scanning
• Provision of refreshments for staff and visitors as required, loading and emptying the dishwasher and keeping the kitchen area clean and tidy
• Keeping the reception area, noticeboards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free from obstructions and clutter

Administrator:

• Registration of new patients
• Deductions of inactive patients
• Summarising records of newly registered patients
• Scanning of paper documents
• Triaging, filing and forwarding of electronic communication received, as appropriate
• Manning and responding to the emails advice line
• Completing and processing of routine and urgent referrals to secondary care; informing the patients of the outcome of the referral and advising them of the appointment booking process, as appropriate
• Take part in the weekly referral meetings
• Responsible for the management of recall system for chronic disease patients Asthma, Diabetes and, in future, COPD patients.
• Collaborate in research projects, such as designing data searches, invite eligible patients for designated research studies and create and maintain a log of the studies Berinsfield Health Centre is taking part.

Confidentiality:

• While 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, free from 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 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 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, with 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
• Complete the mandatory training set in accordance to the role played and set by the organizations training platform (currently Bluestream).

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 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

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 and meetings where appropriate and requested

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Education:
• Must be educated to GCSE/A-level
• Experience:

Desirable

• Experience:
• Experience of Emis clinical system
• Docman to basic level
• Personal Situation :
• Ability to work extended hours on occasions when required.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 12 months experience of working in a busy reception environment
• Experience of telephone switchboard operation
• Experience of using Microsoft Office software, particularly Word and Excel, Internet and email
• Minimum of 12 months experience of dealing with the public/patients both on the phone and face to face

Desirable

• Experience of Emis clinical system
• Docman to basic level

Qualities/Attributes

Essential

• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
• Pleasant and articulate
• Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense
• Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to work in a changing environment
• Ability to use own initiative
• Ability to work extended hours on occasions when required.
• Self-driven with a positive outlook, and a clear focus on high quality customer service.
• Mature.
• Reliability, tolerant, and determined.
• Ability to see things from the other person's point of view.
• Well presented and businesslike.
• Keen for new experience, responsibility and accountability.
• Ability to get on with others and be a team-player

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

Berinsfield Health Centre

Address

Berinsfield Health Centre

Fane Drive

Berinsfield

Wallingford

Oxfordshire

OX10 7NE

Employer's website

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