Lead Receptionist (GP Practice) in Leighton Buzzard

Ashcroft Surgery is looking for a Lead Receptionist to support our reception team and help us provide a welcoming, professional and consistent service to patients. This is a part-time role of 15 hours per week over three days, with protected time for team leadership. It would suit someone with GP reception experience who is ready to take on more responsibility, as well as someone who has already supervised a team. Working days and hours will be agreed around the needs of the practice and the role. You will need to work flexibly, including working later when needed to support, train or meet with colleagues across different shifts.

Main duties of the job:

• You will manage the reception rota, plan ahead for annual leave and arrange cover for sickness and other absences.
• You will be expected to step in and provide occasional reception cover when needed, alongside protected time for your leadership duties.
• You will coordinate induction for new starters, coach existing staff and help the team follow consistent procedures across shifts.
• You will set a good example in how we welcome patients, handle enquiries and communicate with clinicians, and work with the Practice Manager to resolve day-to-day issues and improve the service.

About us:

Ashcroft Surgery is a dispensing GP practice in Wing, Buckinghamshire, caring for patients in the village and surrounding area. Our clinical, reception, administration and dispensary teams work closely together to provide a friendly, professional service to our patients. As a village practice, we value getting to know our patients and supporting one another in our day-to-day work. We welcome colleagues who enjoy working as part of a team and want to help improve the service we provide to our local community.

We will review applications as they are received and may invite candidates to interview before the advertised closing date. We may close the vacancy early if we identify a suitable candidate, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities:

• Lead the day-to-day work of the reception team so patients receive a professional, courteous and consistent service.
• Take responsibility for reception staffing, induction, training and working standards, with support from the Practice Manager.

Working pattern:

Working days and hours will be agreed around the needs of the practice and the role. Flexibility is required, including working later when needed to support, train or meet with staff across different shifts. The role has protected time for leadership duties and is outside the regular reception rota. The postholder is expected to provide occasional reception cover when needed.

Reception staffing and rota:

• Prepare and maintain the reception rota against agreed staffing levels throughout practice opening hours.
• Plan annual leave cover in advance and coordinate cover for sickness, training and vacancies using agreed staffing arrangements.
• Arrange additional hours within delegated authority. Escalate unresolved gaps promptly to the Practice Manager, outlining the options already explored.
• Ensure staff know how to report absences and who to contact about staffing issues outside the Lead Receptionist's working hours.

Team leadership, induction and training:

• Give reception staff practical guidance, set clear expectations and provide constructive feedback.
• Coordinate induction, supervised practice and follow-up checks for new starters. Keep training records and identify further training needs.
• Hold regular check-ins and team discussions so colleagues across different shifts receive consistent information and support.
• Refer concerns requiring formal action about performance, conduct or staff welfare to the Practice Manager.

Reception procedures and service standards:

• Work with the Practice Manager and Senior Administrator to review reception procedures and improve consistency across the team.
• Allocate and monitor routine reception work, including appointment administration, incoming messages and shared tasks. Make sure staff know what needs handing over between shifts.
• Set a good example in patient communication, confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Make sure staff use agreed routes for contacting clinicians and escalating urgent concerns promptly.
• Help staff resolve routine service issues and refer formal complaints or matters requiring a clinical or management decision to the appropriate person.
• Support the team during system outages and other disruptions by following agreed procedures.
• Carry out agreed improvements arising from feedback, incidents, audits and CQC actions relevant to reception. Keep clear records of training and actions completed.

The Practice Manager retains responsibility for formal HR decisions, complaints investigations and approval of practice policies. Clinical decisions remain with the relevant clinician.

Person Specification:

• Experience working in GP practice reception, including handling patient enquiries and booking appointments.
• Ability to organise workloads, plan staffing and prioritise when demands change.
• Ability to guide colleagues, explain procedures clearly and give constructive feedback.
• Clear, calm and professional communication with patients, colleagues and clinicians.
• Understanding of confidentiality, professional boundaries and when to escalate a concern.
• Confidence using clinical or practice systems and maintaining accurate records.
• Ability to work the agreed flexible pattern, including working later when needed and providing occasional reception cover.
• Experience supervising a team or acting as a senior member of staff.
• Experience preparing staff rotas or arranging cover.
• Experience delivering induction, training or coaching.
• Experience using EMIS Web and Accurx.
• Experience updating procedures or improving how a service operates.
• A team leadership or supervision qualification.

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.