Practice Manager in Swaffham

Candidates for the post will need proven management experience, strategic vision, excellent communication skills and leadership qualities, excellent human resource and staff management skills. Coaching skills are desirable, as well as current IT skills and an awareness of financial management, working alongside our experienced administrative team. Previous experience of Practice Management or working within the NHS would be an advantage.

Working alongside the Partners and supported by an excellent administrative and clinical team, you will be responsible for the day-to-day smooth running of the practice. You will also have the vision, willingness and drive to adapt and lead the practice in the Primary Care Networks.

Main duties of the job

The main purpose of the position is the responsibility for the smooth, efficient and profitable running of the Practice, and maintaining a happy and committed team to facilitate delivery of the best possible care to the patients. Keeping the partners abreast of forthcoming changes in the NHS and giving them options for responding to change. The successful candidate requires the talent to support existing teams to deliver high quality healthcare and optimised patient outcomes. Above all you will be dedicated, flexible, hard-working and meticulous, with the goal of achieving the very best outcomes for our patients always at the centre of everything you do.

About us

Manor Farm Medical Centre is situated in a busy market town with approximately 7800 patients serviced by our main site and 1 branch surgery. We are a friendly practice with 3 GP Partners, 2 salaried GPs, 2 ANPs, GP Matron Team, a team of practice nurses, NAs and HCAs, receptionists, dispensers and administrators. We are a forward thinking practice and endeavour to provide a comprehensive service, a teaching and research practice associated with the UEA and involved in the training of F2 doctors.

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Personnel and Training: Managing the administrative staff and non-clinical management of nursing staff, taking lead responsibility in staff appraisal and in organising recruitment selection, induction and training. Ensuring contracts of employment are provided to all staff and that all relevant employment legislation is followed. Ensuring the Practices employment policies and procedures are comprehensive and up to date. Maintaining standards of work, improving deficient areas, ensuring adequate normal levels of staffing, monitoring overtime claims in liaison with departmental lead GP, ensuring patient confidentiality and fostering in all staff the need to maintain confidentiality at all times. Monitoring skill-mix and deployment of staff, ensuring all staff are appropriately trained to fulfil their roles, organising, administering and as necessary participating in staff training. Motivating individuals and team to promote efficient and effective team working, promoting the provision of high standards of patient care. When necessary, initiating practice disciplinary procedures and when required, initiating practice grievance procedures. Encouraging an open and non-judgemental response when things go wrong so that members of the team feel able to be open about possible errors so that lessons may be learnt, improving the standard of care.
• Finance and Profitability: Overseeing the bookkeeping, petty cash and other financial aspects of the Practice including payroll and NHS pension scheme arrangements with the Assistant Practice Manager. Ensuring that all income and expenditure due to or made by the Practice is received or recorded in the accounts of the Practice and preparing financial reports for the partners.
• Administration and Management: Implementing the decisions of the partnership. Ensuring practice income is maximised from all income streams including QoF, enhanced services, DSQS, private income etc. Ensuring practice conforms to standards required for the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Convening meetings, preparing agendas, taking or delegating minutes and ensuring action points completed. Ensuring practice procedures and protocols are reviewed and updated as necessary. Ensuring and maintaining adequate disaster recovery procedures in place and that all staff know how to access this information. Overseeing appropriate systems for handling and recording of cash and other payments. Applying Practice policies, standards and guidance. Discussing with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work. Participating in audits where appropriate.
• Information Technology: Responsibility for the computer system including organising any maintenance and developments to the system. Ensuring compliance with Data Protection legislation.
• Premises and Equipment: Responsibility for security, repairs, insurance and maintenance of premises, services and equipment. Ensuring that the Practice complies with current legislation and Health and Safety Executive guidelines. Developing, instituting, reviewing to ensure compliance in safe working practices e.g. infection control, general cleanliness, hazard awareness such as sharps disposal etc. Carrying out regular risk assessments. Ensuring all accidents or dangerous incidents are investigated, recorded, reported where necessary, and follow-up undertaken and lessons learned and disseminated. Implementing and maintaining systems and procedures to ensure adequate provision of services to patients. Dealing with all enquiries and complaints from patients effectively and efficiently to promote patient satisfaction. Planning, developing and implementing systems and procedures for patient advice and information. Reviewing and updating the Practice Booklet/website, Practice publicity and health education material.
• Future Planning: Preparing a Practice Business Plan, Annual Report and Practice aims and objectives as required by the partners. Keeping abreast of developments within the NHS that might impinge on the Practice or individual partners and offering options for consideration by the partners.
• External Relationships: Ensuring efficient internal and external communication including being the focal point for contact with the Primary Care Organisation, solicitor, accountant and other bodies.
• 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.
• 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 recognizes 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 which 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, 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 all practice team members. Communicate effectively with patients and carers and take part in the Manor Farm Patient Participation Group as necessary. When requested within the practice, arrange meetings as necessary: partners, staff, attached staff, education. Liaise with other NHS & non-NHS organisations, CCGs and other practices. Report back to the partners/team as appropriate from meetings attended. Promote the caring image of the practice and of good practice-patient relationships.

Person Specification

Qualifications: High Standard of education with excellent literacy and numeracy skills. A total and absolute commitment to our values (kindness, excellence and improvement). A total and absolute commitment to our culture (listening, learning, caring and creating). High-level problem-solving and analytical skills. High-level planning and organisational skills. Highly developed IT skills. Effective relationship building. Trustworthy, reliable and dedicated.

Experience: Experience of managing a large team. Proven record in compassionate leadership. Experience of Primary Healthcare or NHS Management.

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.