Job responsibilities
Job Summary:
To receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.
Provide 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
Job Responsibilities:
- Answering telephone calls and dealing with face to face enquiries.
- Politely greeting patients and visitors to the surgery.
- Explaining the practice procedures to new patients.
- Dealing with all requests in an efficient and courteous manner.
- Opening post and forwarding it onto the relevant parties.
- Scheduling appointments for patients.
- Updating the surgeries computer system with appointments and personal details.
- Maintaining a clean reception are to show a professional image.
- Making sure that the appointments system runs smoothly.
- Receiving urine and blood samples and sending them off to hospital laboratories.
- Screening enquiries for the doctors and medical staff.
- Registering new patients at the surgery.
- Checking patients in and out.
- Accurately collecting information and personal details about patients.
- Updating any change of details for patients i.e. change of address.
- Arranging any necessary follow up appointments for patients with hospitals or with other healthcare professionals.
- Ensuring that all medical samples are correctly labelled.
- Filing away the results of tests.
- Liaising with couriers and delivery companies.
- Arranging prescriptions for patients.
- Filing prescriptions and recording those prescriptions that are being collected by Pharmacies.
- Photocopying notes for Insurance/medical reports.
- Responsible for the opening up and locking up of the surgery.
- Scanning documents.
- Giving test results to patients.
- Chaperoning.
- Actioning practice notes sent by Medical staff.
- Sending emails.
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, to 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
- 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 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.
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
Cover:
- It is an essential part of the Receptionists role to be able to cover holidays and sickness.
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 where appropriate