Dental Receptionist Secretary - INTERNAL in Wrexham

Job Overview

Full Time – 37½ hours

Permanent role based at the Wrexham Dental Centre – North Wales Community Dental Service.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL ONLY ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FROM STAFF CURRENTLY EMPLOYED BY Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

The postholder will provide a secretarial and reception service to the dental centre, being the first point of contact for visitors and patients. Welsh is essential for this role. Excellent organisational and IT skills, the ability to work to deadlines, and the ability to calmly handle sensitive and potentially difficult situations are essential.

Main Responsibilities

• Assist with arrangements of dental clinics and provide patients with appropriate appointments.
• Arrange specialist clinics (e.g., general anaesthesia and sedation), organise waiting lists, appointments, recalls and associated clinical records; liaise with clinical staff as necessary.
• Maintain the dental clinic appointments diary/recall system and appointments system.
• Deal with enquiries from patients, general dental practitioners, general practitioners, hospital medical and nursing staff, local health boards, schools, nursing homes and parents/guardians within own competence or refer to appropriate community dental staff.
• Take messages from community dental staff about changes to the programme and staff sickness absence, amend the programme and inform the dental clinic staff on a daily basis.
• Respond to messages left on the answering phone; refer messages and appointment cancellations to appropriate community dental clinics.
• Sort incoming mail and distribute by internal and external mail to dental staff in clinic.
• Monitor fax machine paper feed and replenish when empty; replace ink cartridge when empty.
• Routine filing and retrieval of patients’ records for clinics including laboratory requests, results, radiographs.
• Efficiently coordinate the dental waiting list in accordance with current policy.
• Maintain manual/computerised data and statistics, as required.
• Photocopy and fax patients’ records and medical notes to other dental clinics.
• Monitor and maintain stationery stock levels within the direct working area; requisition form completed and forwarded to main administration office.
• Receive and sign for deliveries, as required.
• Report office equipment defects to works department and IT department.
• Update office standard operating policy file and health and safety file.
• Collect and record any statistical information as required.
• Maintain the dental treatment referral system for the Community Dental Service in North West Wales.
• Handle confidential case notes and information.
• Receive written referrals for dental treatment from doctors, dentists, health visitors, nurses, social workers, care homes for the elderly and other authorised users of the service.
• Collate and send referrals to Senior Dental Officer for assessment and allocation to dental clinics.
• Enter referral information into the computer database.
• Distribute referrals to dental clinics.
• Acknowledge all referrals to referrer and patients.
• Deal with telephone enquiries from referrers and patients.
• Update referral forms after patients have received dental treatment.
• Photocopy referrals and forward to Audit Officer.
• Advise patients on eligibility for Emergency Dental Service treatment and what action to take if they cannot be seen as an emergency.
• Contact patients by telephone to confirm attendance for GA/IV appointments and that general anaesthetic instructions have been adequately followed; seek advice from clinical staff where necessary.
• Ensure staff notice board is kept up to date with any relevant information.
• Arrange ambulance or taxi for transferring of blood samples.
• Arrange transport for patients as required.
• Ensure that patient information display box is kept up to date.
• Collect/sign drugs bags from general office on behalf of dental staff.
• Distribute medical questionnaires to patients for completion and pass to dental staff.
• Participate in training, audit and total quality management as required.

Secretarial Duties

• Type letters, documents and reports (some of which may contain sensitive information) for management and clinicians.
• Transcribe and type audio tapes for clinicians.
• Take formal minutes as required.
• Distribute minutes.
• Perform other general secretarial duties for management.

Communication

• Maintain channels of communication with patients who may be antagonistic or have severe barriers to understanding, requiring tact and persuasive skills to gain the cooperation of the patient.
• Ensure that effective communication is established and maintained with patients and carers/relatives, taking into consideration language, ethnic diversity and special needs.
• Ensure effective communication with members of the public on the telephone and in person.
• Resolve verbal complaints or conflict in line with the Health Board’s formal complaints procedure.

General

• Provide cover where reasonable in cases of sickness and annual leave.
• Work in accordance with departmental standard operating procedures and Health Board policies.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Able to demonstrate English and mathematical skills to RSA Stage 2 or equivalent NVQ 3 in Administration/Information Technology.
• Clerical and secretarial experience.
• Numeracy and cash handling.
• Previous NHS experience with WPAS and Welsh Clinical Portal references.
• Clear, legible handwriting.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Good organisational skills and ability to work to deadlines and prioritise tasks.
• Typing/word processing skills.
• Maintaining confidentiality.
• Good secretarial skills.
• Good time management skills.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to travel between clinics as and when necessary.
• Welsh speaking.

Desirable Criteria

• NVQ II in administration/customer care.
• Previous NHS experience.
• Able to use electronic information systems and word processing packages.
• Knowledge of medical and dental terminology.
• Ability to learn, comprehend and work within Health Board’s policies and procedures.

Values

• Awareness of the importance of confidentiality.
• Ability to work effectively in a team.
• Self‑motivated and enthusiastic person.
• Willingness to learn.
• Flexible, reliable and adaptable.
• Caring and considerate to others.
• Ability to cope under pressure.

Commitment to Equality and Diversity

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is committed to promoting equality and diversity and welcomes applicants under the “Disability Confident Employer” scheme.