Medical Receptionist

Essex Lodge Surgery is looking for 1 Part Time experienced GP medical receptionist for 6 months to work the following hours over 5 days:

• Monday 2pm to 7pm
• Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday 8am to 2pm
• Friday 2pm to 6:30pm

Must have excellent communication and customer service skills to join our friendly team.

Main duties of the job

The purpose of the role is to:

• Offer general assistance to the practice team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone.
• Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.
• Undertake a variety of administrative duties to assist in the smooth running of the reception area, including the provision of clerical support to clinical staff and other members of the practice team.
• Facilitate effective communication between patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care and other associated healthcare agencies.

Job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the reception team may include all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the practice manager/partners, dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:

• Maintaining and monitoring the practice appointments system.
• Processing personal and telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations, and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional.
• Process appointment requests for today/future appointment from patients in person.
• Using your own judgment and communication skills, ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultation are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner.
• Receive and make telephone calls as required. Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery.
• Deal with home visit requests.
• Ensure 2 week wait referrals are emailed as soon as you receive them, completed tracker and file.
• Ensure 2 week wait folder is checked on a daily basis.
• Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to.
• Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc. are filed promptly and in the correct records, ensuring that all recent correspondence is available when patients are seen.
• Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately.
• Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover, and ensure procedures are completed.
• Where possible check the contact details for patients, address, contact numbers and recording next of kin details and carers.
• Process patients requests for change of address and contact numbers.
• Enter patient information on to the computer as required.
• Processing and distributing incoming (and outgoing) mail.
• Taking messages and passing on information.
• Managing the surgery's generic email accounts, dealing with requests and forwarding relevant messages to other members of staff when required.
• Help promote NHS Friends and Family Questionnaires and other initiatives set by CCG and NHS England.
• Scanning correspondence with accuracy in patients electronic medical records.
• Filing and retrieving paperwork.
• Processing repeat prescriptions in accordance with practice guidelines.
• Handing completed repeat prescriptions to patients, checking names and addresses.
• Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures.
• Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members and associated healthcare agencies and providers.
• Providing clerical assistance to practice staff as required from time to time, including word/data processing, filing, photocopying and scanning.
• Monitoring of stationery and other clinical supplies to ensure order requests are placed to maintain adequate stock.
• Keeping the reception area, notice-boards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free from obstructions and clutter.
• Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the partners or the practice manager.

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, free from hazards.
• Actively reporting 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 holder's role.
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually).
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and 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 people's 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.

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.
• Ensuring mandatory training is undertaken when required to do so.

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 team's performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients' needs.
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

Communication

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

• Communicate effectively with other team members.
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
• Recognise people's 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 audits where appropriate.

Flexibility

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive description of every duty performed by the receptionist, but rather a guide to the type and nature of the duties. In Essex Lodge Surgery, flexibility in the duties undertaken and the hours worked are essential to achieve the objectives of a smooth running practice.

The post holder is required to carry out any duties that fall within the scope of this role, that may reasonably be requested by the Partners or the Practice Manager and that relate to the efficiency and smooth running of the Practice.

Person Specification

Behaviours

• Smart, uniform provided.
• Polite and confident.
• Performing under pressure.
• Flexibility.
• Time Keeping.

Skills

• Excellent communication skills, clear and polite telephone manner.
• Time management and the ability to work to deadlines.

Qualifications

• Good standard of general education.
• GCSE English C or above.

Experience

• Must have experience of working within General Practice and using EMIS.
• Experience of reception work in a GP Practice.
• Experience of working with the general public.

IT Clinical System

• Must have knowledge of Emis Web Clinical System.
• Good IT 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.