Job Description

Job Summary 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. Facilitate effective communication between patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care and other associated healthcare agencies Job Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the reception 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 Patient Advisor/Practice Manager, dependent on current and evolving NHS requirements, practice workload and staffing levels: Care Navigation: Processing personal and telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations, and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional. Care navigate patient requests using the correct dispositions and guidelines to ensure all requests are dealt with correctly and in accordance with the patients medical needs. Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members and associated healthcare agencies and providers. Learn and adopt the process for sign posting/navigate patients to other services available to patients.

Administration:

Learn and adopt all practice protocols and polices. Process enquiries from patients, arrange appointments, explain practice procedures following practice process/protocols. Ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultation are processed accordingly. Explain Practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary registration and ensure procedures are completed.



Enter requests for home visits onto the system, ensuring careful recording of all required and relevant details and where necessary refer to Duty Doctor. Action prescription requests and ensure that they are processed or the patient within 72 hours. Advise patients of relevant charges if applicable for private (non-General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same (following a process). Ensure correct entry of patient information on to the computer.



Check patient ID before processing and giving out any form of documentation to patients/making appointments or collecting prescriptions. Book extended services for patients within the Service Hub e.g. flu/COVID appointments. Direct patients to consulting rooms when necessary and assist patient who require help.



Be conversant with the complaints procedure. Deal with incoming telephone calls, act accordingly, take accurate messages and pass on to the relevant person. Enter data into patients electronic EMIS record. Action daily tasks posted on the practice clinical system.



Book emergency ambulance where required. To be familiar with both practice appointment books, same day service and any day appointments, improved access, externally bookable appointments. To be familiar with the practice intranet. To check, read and respond when necessary to NHS emails / EMIS messages in a timely and professional manner.



To activate and promote self-service check outs to patients. To queue bust where necessary. Understand the different types of appointments available to patients and book accordingly. Familiarise oneself with the abilities/skills sets of nursing and PCN team and allocate appointments where applicable.



To book translators for patient appointments. To ensure that clinical calling in monitors are operating. Additional administration duties on behalf of the practitioners, Practice Manager, and Team Lead. Provide refreshments to GPs.



To promote the practice website to patients. Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Practice Manager. Premises: To open and lock the premises following the correct procedures for securing the premises. Know how to contact the alarm companies if required.



Ensure consulting rooms are cleared and kept tidy after each surgery and prepared for the next surgery. Ensure reception waiting areas are kept tidy and safe for patients. Place the clinician name plate on the door and rearrange as and when required. Report any necessary Health and Safety, Significant Event issues to management.



Keep the reception area, tidy and free from obstructions and clutter. Ensure patient leaflets are kept up-to-date and are easily accessible to patients. Ensure kitchen and waiting rooms are kept tidy. Training: Undertake training as directed by the Senior Patient Advisor/Practice Team Assistant and Practice Manager.



Attend staff, reception team meetings. Attend external training where applicable to role. Utilise protected time for learning sessions. To maintain mandatory modules of Blue Stream training within the required timeframes.



Ensure any other necessary training requirements is up to date. 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. To ensure the safety and security of patient records or data by storing them in a lockable cabinet or cupboard when no longer required or at the end of your working day.

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 and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will include: Follow protocol for responding to alarm notifications when alarm buttons pressed by members of staff. 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.



Make 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 report 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.



Report potential risks identified. Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults and children. Wear the appropriate PPE and uniform provided. Ensure recycling process is followed.



Know and understand how to locate and use the Business Continuity Plan. Understand the Fire Evacuation Policy. 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. Understand reasonable adjustments and know how to put them in place 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. Understand how to use Blue Stream for on line training. Understand how to use TeamNet for holiday and policy purposes. The above list of duties is not exhaustive and is liable to change in light of developments and changes within the practice and Government and is subject to review.