General Practice Assistant

If you are looking for a new challenge, are enthusiastic, self‑motivated, well‑organised, and keen to develop your skills in a structured and supportive environment, you may be interested in joining our small team of PCN General Practice Assistants. This role works closely with general practice clinicians to support the smooth running of clinics by performing routine administrative and clinical tasks that free up time for GPs and other clinicians to focus on patients.

Main duties of the job:

• Sorting clinical post for the GP to action and signposting to others (e.g. PCN Clinical Pharmacists).
• Extracting information from clinical letters, coding and adding to patient medical records.
• Arranging appointments, referrals, tests and follow‑up appointments for patients.
• Preparing patients for the GP appointment, taking a brief clinical history and performing basic assessments.
• Testing urine, taking blood pressure, ECGs and phlebotomy.
• Completing basic administration for the GP to approve and sign documents (e.g. insurance and benefits agency forms).
• Explaining treatment procedures to patients.
• Helping the GP liaise with outside agencies (e.g. contacting the hospital to arrange on‑call doctor liaison or admission).
• Supporting the GP with immunisations and wound care.
• Other duties as dictated by changes in the Primary Care Network and the Claypath and University Medical Group.

About us:

The Claypath and University Medical Group is a well‑organised, successful, and forward‑thinking General Medical Services training practice operating as a single practice Primary Care Network. The practice has a list size of over 34,000 patients, half of whom are students and staff from the University of Durham. The practice is contracted to provide essential general medical services for our patients. Additional services include cervical screening, contraceptive services, vaccination and immunisation, child health surveillance, and maternity services. Enhanced service provision includes minor surgery, extended hours, care/support for patients with a learning disability, and vasectomies. PCN services include podiatry, first‑contact physiotherapy, social prescribing, clinical pharmacy, mental health, and care coordination.

Person Specification:

Skills:

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) including the ability to listen.
• Strong and confident IT skills including MS Office and databases.
• Excellent administrative skills working under own initiative at times.
• Effective time‑management skills, often in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proven problem‑solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to adapt to changing situations and changing needs of the service.
• Excellent customer‑care skills.
• Motivated to achieve good outcomes for patients.
• Able to follow policies and procedures effectively.
• Able to maintain confidentiality.
• Knowledge of GP clinical system SystmOne.

Personal Qualities:

• Polite and confident with good customer‑care skills, remaining calm under pressure.
• Caring, sensitive and empathetic, sensitive to patients' life stages, concerns and problems.
• Self‑motivated, reliable, and dedicated.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Motivated and proactive.
• Ability to use initiative and judgement.
• High levels of integrity and loyalty.
• Ability to work under pressure.

Experience:

• Experience of managing a complex administrative role.
• Experience working with the general public in a similar role.
• Experience working in a health care setting.
• Experience working in the NHS/Primary Care general practice setting.
• Understanding of community services and personalised care.
• Experience of producing agendas and minutes for meetings.

Qualifications:

• Good standard of education with excellent literacy and numeracy skills.

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.