Medical Receptionist & Administrative Assistant

Forest Health Care is seeking a friendly, organised, and patient focused Medical Receptionist & Administrative Assistant to join our busy GP practice in Gloucestershire. As the first point of contact for our patients, you will play a vital role in delivering high quality care and ensuring the smooth running of the reception and administrative functions. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working in a fast paced environment, is adaptable, and has excellent customer service skills. On a rota basis you will be required to work between the hours of 8.00am and 6.30pm. You will also need to work from our branch surgeries in Ruardean and Westbury-On-Severn.

Main duties of the job

• Welcoming and assisting patients at the reception desk
• Answering telephone calls and managing patient enquiries
• Booking and amending appointments via the clinical system
• Supporting GPs, nurses, and the wider clinical team with admin tasks
• Registering new patients and updating records accurately
• Scanning, filing, and managing clinical correspondence
• Maintaining confidentiality in line with GDPR
• Monitoring patient flow in the waiting area

About us

Forest Health Care is a friendly and supportive practice serving the Gloucestershire community. With multiple surgery sites and a commitment to patient centred care, we value teamwork, development, and staff wellbeing.

Key Responsibilities

• Patient Reception & Front of House Duties
  • Greet patients warmly and professionally at the reception desk.
  • Manage patient check‑ins, waiting room flow, and enquiries.
  • Answer incoming calls promptly, signposting patients using care navigation guidelines.
  • Handle distressed or frustrated patients with empathy and professionalism.
  • Maintain confidentiality at all times (in line with GDPR and practice policy).
• Appointment & Telephone Management
  • Book, amend, and cancel appointments on the clinical system – SystmOne.
  • Support patients with online booking and NHS App queries.
  • Organise follow‑up appointments as requested by clinicians.
  • Identify urgent clinical need and elevate concerns to the duty doctor/nurse where appropriate.
• Administrative Support
  • File, scan, and code correspondence into patient records.
  • Support recall systems (e.g., cervical smears, immunisations, chronic disease reviews).
  • Manage incoming/outgoing mail, emails, and tasks.
• Patient Records & Information Management
  • Maintain up to date, accurate electronic patient records.
  • Register new patients and update demographic details.
  • Correct discrepancies in records following practice procedures.
  • Adhere strictly to data protection standards and confidentiality policies.
• Teamwork & Communication
  • Work collaboratively with clinicians, reception colleagues, and management.
  • Support colleagues during busy periods by sharing workload fairly.
  • Communicate effectively across the practice using internal systems (tasks, email, messaging).
  • Participate in team meetings and contribute positively to service improvement.
• Operational & General Duties
  • Monitor and restock reception and waiting room resources.
  • Follow downtime procedures during IT or system failures.
  • Escalate any patient safety concerns to senior staff immediately.
  • Participate in mandatory training, appraisals, and development activities.
  • Uphold the values of Forest Health Care and represent the practice professionally.

Person Specification

• GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths (or equivalent)
• Reception or customer‑facing experience
• Work under pressure
• GDPR/confidentiality understanding
• Professional and patient focused
• Reliable and punctual
• Team player
• Shows initiative
• Willingness to train
• Flexibility for cover
• Customer service/admin training
• Use of SystmOne
• Knowledge of NHS processes

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.