Receptionist/Admin in Crowborough

The Brook Health Centre and Rotherfield Surgery is looking for a receptionist/administrator to join our friendly and experienced team. Previous reception or customer service experience is essential, and previous experience within a GP practice is desirable.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate excellent I.T. and communication skills with an ability to pay attention to detail. They must be self-motivated and adaptable to work within a changing NHS and to thrive with the demand of working in a busy reception/administrative environment.

Main Duties

• Respond to all requests by patients requiring appointments, listening and understanding their need to be able to direct them to the most appropriate Health Care Provider, ensuring adherence to the practice protocol for booking appointments.
• Explaining practice policies and procedures clearly to patients as appropriate so that their expectations are achievable.
• Using your own judgement and communication skills to ensure that patient’s queries and issues are dealt with in a logical and non-disruptive manner.
• Completing daily administrative tasks to support the GP team including repeat prescriptions, workflow tasks and processing new patient applications efficiently.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have an admirable attitude to work, be a team player, work well under pressure and have good time management. You must possess excellent organisational skills, this is an important attribute. You must also demonstrate a natural aptitude to picking up new skills quickly and easily and a methodical approach to work.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the practice administration team may include any or all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Senior receptionists, Assistant Practice Manager or the Practice Manager, dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:

• Opening up/locking-up of practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with practice protocols.
• 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.
• Processing and distributing incoming (and outgoing) mail.
• Taking messages and passing on information.
• Filing and retrieving paperwork.
• Processing repeat prescriptions in accordance with practice guidelines.
• Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures.
• Scanning and workflow re-direction.
• Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members and associated healthcare agencies and providers.
• Clearing and re-stock consulting rooms as required.
• Providing clerical assistance to practice and Trust staff as required from time to time, including word/data processing, filing, photocopying and scanning.
• Ordering, re-ordering and monitoring of stationery and other supplies.
• Dealing with clinical waste.
• Provision of refreshments for staff and visitors as required; loading and emptying the dishwasher and keeping the kitchen area clean and tidy.
• Keeping the reception area, notice-boards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free from obstructions and clutter.

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, to 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.

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 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-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 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 recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members.
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
• Recognize 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 audit where appropriate.
• Attend regularly and be involved in practice meetings.