Care Navigator in Widnes

We are looking for somebody to join our team part time, working 25 hours per week. These hours will be alternate shifts between morning and afternoon between the hours of 8am to 8pm.

Assist and care navigate patients in accessing the appropriate services or healthcare provider.

Main duties of the job:

• To care navigate patients to the appropriate medical service.
• To give out test results and answer general patient queries.
• Process appointment requests by telephone, in person or online.
• Booking of home visits.
• Assist in the chronic recalls of patients.
• Dealing with income emails.
• Filing medical records.
• Registrations of new patients.
• Processing repeat prescriptions.

About us:

We are a 10 doctor suburban PMS training practice with around 15,000 patients. We have a team of 2 Advance Nurse Prescribers, 2 in house Clinical Pharmacists, 1 Paramedic, 1 in house Physiotherapist, 4 Practice Nurses, 2 Health Care Assistants, 1 GP Assistant. We have efficient Management, Reception and Admin teams. Recent CQC visit in 2024 rated ‘Good’ in all areas. Actively involved with the ICB (clinical leads). Actively involved with Widnes Primary Care Network, including a clinical lead. We run across two sites Beaconsfield Primary Care Centre and West Bank Medical Centre. You will work across both sites.

Job responsibilities:

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

Administration:

• To have a thorough knowledge of all practice procedures.
• To work in accordance of written protocols.
• Pulling/filing notes and updating as necessary.
• Filing post in medical records.
• Fax and photocopy as requested.

Reception:

• Receiving patients, consulting with members of practice team.
• Handing completed repeat prescriptions to patient and checking names and address.
• Be able to cover all reception position as necessary.

Appointments:

• Process appointment requests for today/future appointments from patients by telephone, in person or online.
• Deal with visits/requests.

Information Technology:

• Registrations of new patients computer data entry and medical records.
• Process patients changes of address and keep medical records up to date computer data and medical records (have knowledge of practice area).
• Process repeat prescription requests in accordance with practice guidelines.

Telephone:

• Have working knowledge of telephone/bleep system, during and after hours.

Other Tasks:

• Ensure building security have thorough knowledge of doors/windows/alarm.
• Any other tasks allocated by managers.

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.

Health & safety:

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice health & safety policy, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will include:

• 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 (minimum annually).
• Reporting potential risks identified.
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Equality and diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises 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 that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/professional development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, with such training to include:

• 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:

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• 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:

The post-holder will:

• 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.

Person Specification:

Experience:

• Experience of work within a team.
• Experience of Primary Care.
• Experience of using Emis Web, Docman, PATCHS.

Qualifications:

• GCSE Grade A to C In Maths and English.
• Good all round IT knowledge.

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.