Practice Receptionist

Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way. Provide general administrative assistance to the Practice team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone at either of the two sites.

Job Responsibilities:

• Opening / locking of Practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with Practice protocols.
• Ensuring a professional, effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice.
• Dealing with all general enquiries efficiently and courteously including where necessary explaining policy and procedures.
• Explaining practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed.
• Processing telephone requests and face to face requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional following internal pathways.
• Take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery to the correct member of staff.
• Process internal electronic and non-electronic tasks.
• Enter requests for home visits onto the computer system, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details.
• General photocopying.
• Checking the generic practice email and dealing with requests / forwarding to the appropriate member of the team in an accurate and prompt manner.
• Printing blood test request forms.
• Advising patients of relevant charges for private (non-General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts.
• Enter/amend patient information onto the computer as required.
• Filing of patient notes as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to.
• Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately.
• Process samples received from patients following internal protocol.
• Liaising with external health care providers as required / requested by members of the clinical team.
• Assisting other members of the Primary Health Care Team as required.
• Covering for absent colleagues as and when necessary.
• Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Management Team.

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. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Health and Safety:

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health and Safety Policy, and the Practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• 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.
• Actively reporting of 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 (annually).
• Reporting potential risks identified.

Equality and Diversity:

Acting in a way that recognizes 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-judgemental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional Development:

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.

Communication:

Communicate effectively with other team members. Communicate effectively with patients and carers. Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Contribution to the implementation of services:

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.