Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Overview

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 appropriate services or healthcare professionals 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 front of house reception duties and clerical support to clinical staff and other members of the practice team.
• Facilitate effective communications between patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care, and other associated agencies.

Key Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the reception team may include any or all the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the senior receptionist/management team, dependent on the current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:

• Opening/locking up procedures and maintaining security in accordance with practice protocols
• Processing personal and telephone requests of appointments, visits, and telephone consultations, and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional.
• Processing and distributing incoming (and outgoing) mail.
• Taking message and passing on information
• Filing and retrieving paperwork
• 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 and social care agencies and providers
• Reading and responding to emails both internal and NHS.net mail
• Processing internal practice notes on the clinical systems
• Clearing and re-stocking of consulting rooms as required.
• Dealing with clinical waste
• Acting as a chaperone for clinicians if appropriately trained (training is provided)
• Booking of patient transport in line with practice protocols
• Registering patients with the practice in line with practice protocols
• Provision of refreshments for staff and visitors as required, emptying and loading the dishwasher and keeping the kitchen area tidy.

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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• - Good standard of general education

Desirable

• - GCSE English and Mathematics
• - Professional qualification e.g., AMSPAR Receptionist cert. or NVQII in Customer Care

Knowledge

Essential

• A knowledge and understanding of primary care.

Experience

Essential

• - Experience of working with general public
• - Experience of dealing with stressful and demanding situations

Desirable

• - Experience of reception work
• - Experience of working within general practice or a medical environment

Skills

Essential

• - Good basic computer skills
• - Excellent customer service skills both verbally and in writing
• - Good telephone manner
• - Ability to use own initiative

Desirable

• Knowledge of EMIS Web clinical system

Personal Attributes

Essential

• - Good team working skills.
• - Enthusiastic, discreet, conscientious, positive, committed, and reliable
• - Ability to work under and deal with pressure.
• - Ability to grasp new concepts and work on a self-directed basis.
• - Ability to prioritise workload.
• - Ability to communicate positively with patients and all members of the practice and wider NHS team.
• - Flexible and adaptable particularly to cover shifts and on occasion the ability to work extra hours at short notice.
• - A demonstrable commitment to professional development.
• - Training and development
• - Adhering to PCN Core values

Desirable

• A sense of humour

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

Sutton Primary Care Networks

Address

Sutton Primary Care Networks

Railway Approach

Wallington

Surrey

SM6 0DZ