Patient Coordinator

We are hoping to recruit to our Patient Coordination team and looking for someone with experience of working as a Coordinator to the public who is calm, cheerful, polite, able to multi-task, and is a good team player. Ideally, you will have experience of working in the general practice setting. This is a part-time position of 22.5 hours per week, over 3 days.

Main duties of the job:

• Duties include greeting patients, making appointments, answering telephone calls, filing and retrieving records, scanning and administration work.
• Experience of the EMIS Web clinical system and good IT skills is desirable.

About us:

Tollgate Medical Centre is a busy GP practice caring for over 18,000 patients in Beckton in the London Borough of Newham. We pride ourselves on excellent patient care and are looking for someone that enjoys their work and is patient-focused.

Job responsibilities:

• Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.
• Provide general assistance to the Practice team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone.
• To provide efficient, helpful, informative and supportive coordination and administration services to patients and members of the primary health care team.
• To greet patients in a friendly and courteous manner at all times.
• To answer telephone calls in a polite and professional manner.
• To make appointments for the clinicians' clinics using the practice clinical information system.
• To ensure that surgeries and clinics run on time, making sure that the doctors and other clinicians are aware of their schedules.
• Answering patient queries regarding various Practice policies and initiatives.
• To open the post and distribute accordingly.
• To arrange new patient registrations, explaining the surgery policies.
• To listen to patient complaints, making sure that they are addressed and dealt with appropriately, and brought to the attention of a manager if necessary.
• To check and update patients' addresses, telephone numbers etc., on both manual and computerised records.
• To scan all hospital and other correspondence accurately to the computerised medical record.
• Monitor and record all patients DNAs according to Practice policy.
• Ensure an effective and efficient coordination service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice.
• Deal with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments.
• Using your own judgment and communication skills ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultation are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner.
• Explain Practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed.
• Assisting patients to use the online system to request an appointment and completing online forms on the patients' behalf where appropriate.
• Receive and make telephone calls as required. Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery.
• Action repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient within 72 hours, in line with Practice protocol.
• Take action on clinicians' requests for further information/patient contact information etc., ensuring completion of all associated paperwork.
• Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non-General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.
• Enter patient information onto the computer as required.
• To cover duties for other members of staff, this may arise in the case of absence, sickness and holidays.
• To ensure that the practice is left secure after use at all times during your work hours and ensuring practice premises and perimeters are left secure at the end of the day.
• Shared responsibility for practice waiting rooms upkeep and tidiness.
• To ensure that strict confidentiality protocols are adhered to.
• Attending and contributing to practice meetings.
• To attend training sessions on behalf of the practice as required.
• To comply with health & safety procedures and report any areas of concern to the Practice Coordinator.
• Opening and securing of premises when required.
• To undertake any other duties as may be determined from time to time to ensure the efficient running of the practice.

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.

Performance Standards:

• Confidentiality to be maintained at all times.
• The ability to communicate effectively at all levels, both internally and externally, thus displaying a competent and professional image of the Practice.
• Confident and polite manner.

Health & safety:

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management of their own and others' health, safety and security as defined in the practice handbook.

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.

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.

Person Specification:

• Front of house, Coordination or administrative experience.
• Experience of working in a GP practice.
• Experience in using EMIS Web.

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.

£12.74 to £13.52 an hour. Pay will increase on passing probation.