Receptionist in St Helens

We are looking to appoint a Receptionist/Administrator to join our busy GP Practice. The role requires the first point of contact for arranging patient clinics, liaising with clinical and admin staff together with patients, and carrying out general office management tasks.

Responsibilities

• Deal with telephone, face‑to‑face and electronic enquiries.
• Book and/or amend patient appointments and home visits.
• Contact patients to provide information from the clinical team and assist them to access our services.
• Initiate contact with patients, other team members and associated healthcare agencies.
• Process and distribute incoming and outgoing mail; file and retrieve paperwork.
• Perform computer data entry, data allocation and collation, recording in line with practice procedures.
• Provide clerical assistance (word processing, filing, photocopying, scanning).
• Order and monitor stationery and other supplies.
• Cover sickness, annual leave and reasonable overtime, including some weekends.
• Book, edit, cancel appointments and recalls ensuring sufficient information is recorded.
• Monitor the appointment system and report any problems or required variations.
• Handle home visit requests and arrange transport to hospital appointments for housebound patients.
• Prepare consulting rooms: clear, restock, set up and tidy after each session.
• Ensure medical records are accurately compiled, retrieved, refiled and kept neat, tidy and in good repair.
• Maintain confidentiality in accordance with the Data Protection Act, Caldicott guidance and Freedom of Information Act.
• Follow health & safety and infection control policies, report hazards, keep areas clean and use PPE correctly.
• Support the Practice’s Equality & Diversity policy and ensure no discrimination.
• Undertake statutory and mandatory training as required.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties requested by the practice manager or partners.

About the Practice

Our practice has a well‑established team, a patient list of approximately 13,000 and a full range of clinical staff including GP, nurses, pharmacists, a midwife, a clinical pharmacologist and social prescriber. We also have extended access to podiatrists and occupational therapists.

Person Specification

• Excellent communication skills, compassionate and friendly.
• Good telephone manner and strong organisational skills.
• Highly organised, effective communicator and able to provide a professional and warm welcome.
• IT skills – regular use of searches, data input and monitoring of achievements and targets.
• Time‑management, ability to work to deadlines and multi‑task.
• Interpersonal skills, ability to work under pressure and as part of a team.
• Uses initiative and is self‑motivated.
• Strict adherence to confidentiality policies.
• Flexibility to cover sickness and holidays.
• Understanding of the general practice reception environment.

Experience

• Practical experience working with others.
• Experience of using own initiative.
• Experience in customer service.

Qualifications

• Vocational qualifications.
• Good standard of general education.

Equality and Diversity

We promote and maintain the Practice’s Equality & Diversity policy. No person – whether they are staff, a patient or a visitor – should receive less favourable treatment because of gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion. We comply with all parity policies and ensure services are delivered to meet the individual needs of patients and their families.

Health & Safety

The post-holder must manage their own and others’ health & safety and infection control in accordance with the Practice’s health & safety policies, manual and infection control policy. This includes reporting hazards, keeping work areas clean, using PPE correctly and undertaking periodic infection control training.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

The post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a DBS check will be required to verify that there are no criminal convictions.