Receptionist

Receptionist role in a large busy GP surgery in Oxted, Surrey. Good communication skills, the ability to multi-task and work under pressure are essential. The successful applicant needs to show empathy, have a calm and caring nature and be able to work in a fast-paced reception team. The job involves face-to-face patient contact alongside telephone and digital platforms in managing access to the surgery. Experience with customer service is welcomed.

Hours available as follows:

• Monday - Day Off
• Tuesday - 12.00 - 6.30pm
• Thursday - 8.00am - 5.00pm
• Friday - 08.00am - 6.30pm

Main duties of the job include:

• Opening up/locking up of Practice premises both external and internal and maintaining security in accordance with Practice protocols.
• Telephone answering, managing online queries as the practice has an online triage system, walk-in queries from patients.
• Managing and booking appropriate appointments for all the clinical teams.
• Supporting other administrative teams in managing patient care.
• Adhering to all practice policies/protocols and supporting patient care alongside confidentiality.

About us:

• Large GP surgery based in Oxted, Surrey
• Emis clinical system
• High QOF performance
• The practice clinical team comprises of Allied Healthcare personnel including pharmacists, First Contact Physio, Advanced Nurse Practitioners.

Job responsibilities:

• Offer general assistance to the Patients and Practice team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person, via the telephone or via online services/communications.
• Receive, assist, direct and navigate patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way with excellent customer service demonstrated.
• Interaction with patients in actively signposting health and social care services in the locality and beyond and facilitating discussions one-on-one with patients away from the front desk.
• Embrace the use of new technology to facilitate signposting and navigating using IT systems and equipment.
• Undertake a variety of administrative duties to assist in the smooth running of the Practice including the provision of clerical support to all clinical staff and other members of the Practice administrative teams.
• Facilitate effective communication between patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care and other associated healthcare agencies.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintaining and monitoring the Practice appointments system for all clinical teams to include external service providers.
• Processing face-to-face, telephone and online requests for appointments, home visits and telephone consultations and ensuring patients are directed to the appropriate healthcare provision in a professional and courteous manner.
• Ensure that appropriate appointments are made in line with Practice Protocols with all healthcare professionals and guidelines adhered to with regards to appointment timeframes and allocations.
• Process requests for home visits ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to the daily Visiting Doctor before midday and Duty Doctor after this time.
• Processing and distributing incoming and outgoing mail as appropriate.
• Taking messages and passing on information in a clear and concise manner and recorded in the appropriate manner ensuring data protection and confidentiality is adhered to at all times.
• Maintain records relating to cervical cytology, family planning & relevant clinics associated to this service such as LARC clinics, immunisations and vaccinations to include babies, children and all other relevant cohort of patients, health promotion, chronic disease management.
• Assist in the operation of recall systems as directed by the Practice Management team.
• Collect and dispatch samples for analysis with relevant paperwork.
• Assist with completion of test forms both manually and on the computer.
• Maintain familiarity with target-based requirements for patient health recording and initiate action to date.
• Assistance with outpatient queries, midwives, health visitors, external consultants & clinics.
• Filing and retrieving paperwork as required or reallocation to appropriate team.
• Signposting repeat prescriptions requests in accordance with Practice guidelines to the appropriate team.
• 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.
• Clearing and re-stocking consulting rooms as required with general day-to-day consumables such as FP10s, paper etc.
• Providing clerical assistance to Practice staff as required from time to time, including word/data processing, filing, photocopying and scanning.
• Provision of refreshments for staff and visitors as required; loading and emptying the dishwasher and keeping the kitchen area clean and tidy.
• Keeping the patient-facing area, notice-boards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free from obstructions and clutter.
• Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non-General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.
• Ensure that all payments taken over the counter are correctly processed and recorded.
• Ensure petty cash monies are correctly processed and recorded for reconciliation by the finance team.
• Post is managed on a daily basis and ensure that this is regularly distributed.
• Provide additional shift cover where possible during holiday periods and for staff sickness.
• Any other reasonable request from the management team and at the discretion of the Practice by mutual consent.

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. No practice/patient data in any format may be removed from the premises without the express consent of a partner or the Practice Manager.

Person Specification:

• Qualifications: GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths.
• Digitally competent including ability to use all Microsoft Office packages, manage emails and online digital platforms.
• Training for Emis clinical system will be given.
• 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.

£12.71 an hour increases to £13.00 on completion of 6 month probation.