Receptionist in Sheerness

We are an 11,000 patient Practice on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent and are looking for a Receptionist to join our hard-working dedicated team. You must have an excellent attendance record, be a good timekeeper, able to work under pressure and enjoy working as part of a team. The successful candidate will be flexible, motivated, reliable, conscientious and committed to making a valuable contribution to the team. Working hours are 8am-7pm, split into three shifts throughout the day. We are also open half day on Saturdays. Candidates should be available to work during these times.

Main duties of the job:

• Answering telephones, booking triages and appointments
• Assisting GP as chaperone when required
• Undertaking all mandatory training as required
• Completing referrals to the local community nursing team(s) when necessary
• Ensuring an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice
• Dealing with all general enquiries, explaining procedures and making new and follow-up appointments
• Using your own judgement and communication skills; ensuring that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultation are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner
• Explaining Practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensuring procedures are completed
• Diverting calls and taking messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery
• Actioning repeat prescription requests and ensuring that they are ready for collection by the patient within 48 working hours, either on the computer or manually
• Advising patients of relevant charges for private services; letters, medicals, etc.
• Entering patient information on the computer as required
• Retrieving and re-filing patient records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to
• Ensuring correspondence, reports, results, etc. are filed promptly and in the correct records
• Updating patient contact information and addresses as appropriate

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

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. 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.

Qualities:

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

This job description is a reflection of the current position and may change in emphasis or detail in the light of subsequent development, in consultation with the post holder.

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 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 and free from hazards
• Actively reporting of 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 post-holder's role
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
• Demonstrating due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children

Equality & 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 which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgemental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights

Person Specification:

Experience: EMIS and Docman preferred but training will be given.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Ability to cope with change & / or conflicting demands
• Ability to communicate well at all levels
• Excellent telephone manner
• Works well under pressure on their own or as part of a team
• Good personal time management and priority setting
• Must be courteous & focused on providing a consistently high standard of customer service
• Ability to interact well with a wide range of personality types
• High level of attention to detail
• Ability to multi-task and make decisions in a fast-paced environment

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.