Patient Care Advisor - Reception/Admin

Throckley Primary Care is seeking a motivated and compassionate Patient Care Advisor to join our friendly and supportive GP practice team. This is a key frontline role, providing high-quality assistance to patients while ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the practice. You will be the first point of contact for patients, delivering excellent customer service both in person and over the phone, and supporting clinical staff with administrative duties.

About you:

• Has excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Is organised, reliable, and able to multi-task in a busy environment
• Demonstrates empathy and a patient-focused approach
• Excellent numeracy, literacy and IT skills
• Can work effectively both independently and as part of a team

Hours: Part-time/Full-time (minimum 24 hours, max 37.5 hours per week). The practice opening hours are 08:00 - 18:30, in addition we provide extended access hours from 07:30 - 08:00 on Fridays & 18:30 - 20:00 on Wednesdays. Working hours are set out in a rota to cover the surgery opening hours. You may be required to work occasional evenings or weekends for ad-hoc clinics.

Main duties of the job:

• Greeting patients and visitors in a professional and welcoming manner
• Handling incoming calls and eConsultations, booking appointments, and managing enquiries
• Signposting patients to the appropriate services
• Processing prescriptions and clinical correspondence
• Maintaining accurate patient records using clinical systems
• Supporting the wider practice team with administrative tasks
• Ensuring confidentiality and data protection standards are upheld

Whilst full training is given, successful applicants should have experience of working as part of a team in a busy customer-facing environment and be able to handle numerous, often complex queries both over the telephone and in person. You should be comfortable working in a fast-paced office, able to prioritise work and react quickly to changing situations. You must have an eye for detail, be patient, empathetic, professional and polite and be willing to follow instructions and deliver services in line with Throckley Primary Care guidelines and policies.

About us: We are a friendly multi-disciplinary team located in the Outer West of Newcastle upon Tyne. Our team includes 2 GP Partners, Salaried GPs, GP Registrars, Practice Nurses, Healthcare Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Phlebotomists and Administration team. The wider team includes; Community Nursing Teams, 0-19 Service with Health Visitors & Midwives. Our Outer West Primary Care Network Team includes; Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, Physiotherapists, Wellbeing team (Counsellors, Occupational Therapist, Community Link workers), Lifestyle Coaches, Dietitian. The practice is rated Good by CQC.

Job responsibilities: The following are the core responsibilities of the patient care advisor. There may be on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:

• Answer incoming phone calls, transferring calls or dealing with the caller's request appropriately
• Signpost patients to the correct service
• Process personal, telephone and e-requests for appointments
• Process incoming and outgoing mail
• Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, team members and external agencies
• Process prescription requests, ensuring they are processed accurately and efficiently
• Manage all queries (including administrative queries) as necessary in an efficient manner
• Scanning of patient related documentation and attaching scanned documents to patients' healthcare records
• Input data into the patients' healthcare records as necessary
• Data entry of new and temporary registrations and relevant patient information as required
• Process requests for information i.e. SAR, insurance/solicitors letters and DVLA forms to the administrative team
• Photocopy documentation as required
• Read code data on SystmOne clinical
• Process call/recall letters
• Process all DNA letters in accordance with current policy
• File and store records as required
• Carry out system searches as requested
• Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times
• Monitor and maintain the reception area and notice boards
• Support all admin and clinical staff with general tasks as requested
• Process referrals to external agencies such as secondary care using the electronic referral system (ERS)
• Complete opening and closing procedures in accordance with the duty rota
• Ordering and monitoring of practice stock, e.g. stationery, clinical supplies
• Support administrative and reception staff, providing cover during staff absences

Person Specification:

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
• GCSE Mathematics and English (C or above)
• Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
• Experience of working with the general public
• Experience of administrative/receptionist duties
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Polite and confident
• Effective time management
• Flexible and cooperative
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Ability to follow policy and procedure
• Experience working in General Practice
• SystmOne Clinical software

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.