Receptionist/Administrator in Manchester

Whittaker Lane Medical Centre is seeking a Part Time Administrator to join our friendly and evolving administration team based in Prestwich, part of the Prestwich Primary Care Network. With over 7800 patients at the heart of everything we do, we need a great team to help deliver our service.

Main duties of the job:

• Join us on a permanent basis.
• Previous experience in General Practice and the use of Clinical systems including EMIS / AskMyGP / DOCMAN10 is highly desirable, although not essential as full training will be given.
• Ability to work and maintain high standards under pressure; flexibility is vital, along with being a team player and having a good sense of humour.
• Work hours are from 8.00am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, with some days requiring work until 6.30pm.

Job Role: Administrator

Reports to: Practice Manager (Nic Bardsley)

Hours: 40 inclusive of 30 mins unpaid break each day

About us:

We are a team of 24, comprising of 11 clinical staff and 13 administration staff, along with a Quality Improvement Officer, Finance Manager, and Practice Manager. Each staff member has their own set of responsibilities integral to the day-to-day running of the Practice. Our service is supported by numerous staff, including First Contact Physios, Mental Health clinicians, Pharmacists, Social Prescribers, and Extended Working Hours service. Training and support are available to all staff where opportunities arise to help develop skills and professional potential. Our team meets monthly for learning time initiatives and once a year we have a team-building session.

Job responsibilities:

As the first point of contact for patients when they attend or telephone the surgery, you will be responsible for ensuring that patients are cared for, managed, directed, and dealt with appropriately within the Practice procedures and guidelines. You will also be responsible for the front reception and waiting area, ensuring a friendly welcome on arrival for patients. You will support the Practice's clinical team as required and ensure that day-to-day activities are performed in a timely and efficient manner while maintaining patient confidentiality and adhering to Practice protocols.

The purpose of the role is to:

• Offer 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.
• Receive, assist, and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient, and effective way.
• Undertake a variety of administrative duties to assist in the smooth running of the practice, including providing secretarial and clerical support to clinical staff and other members of the practice team.
• Facilitate effective communication between patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care, and other associated healthcare agencies.

Duties and responsibilities:

The duties and responsibilities may include any or all of the following:

• Processing personal and telephone requests for appointments, visits, and telephone consultations, ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional.
• Maintaining and monitoring the practice appointments system.
• Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members, and associated healthcare agencies while adhering to confidentiality and protocols.
• Processing repeat prescriptions in accordance with practice guidelines.
• Processing and distributing incoming and outgoing mail.
• Taking messages and passing on information.
• Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures.
• Providing clerical assistance to practice staff as required, including word/data processing, filing, photocopying, and scanning.
• Opening up/locking-up of practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with Practice protocols.
• Ordering, re-ordering, and monitoring of stationery and other supplies.
• Clearing and re-stocking consulting rooms as required.
• Dealing with clinical waste.
• Providing refreshments for staff and visitors as required; keeping the kitchen area clean and tidy.
• Keeping the reception area, notice-boards, and leaflet dispensers tidy and free from obstructions and clutter.
• Summarising patients' notes when requested.
• Reviewing medical records and producing an accurate summary of the patient's medical history.
• Reading coding information into the practice clinical system.
• Monitoring progress of notes summarising against practice targets.
• Monitoring patient call and recall systems.
• Extracting necessary data from clinical correspondence and inputting it into electronic patient records.
• Scanning and filing letters and relevant correspondence into patients' notes.
• Filing and retrieving paperwork as appropriate.
• Ensuring the efficient running of the practice computer system, carrying out searches, audits, and recalls as required by the doctors, nurses, and manager.
• Pro-actively initiating data quality improvement projects.
• Reporting faults to software suppliers and tracking progress.
• Troubleshooting clinical database issues.
• Loading updates and ensuring security of data at all times.

Confidentiality:

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with sensitive information regarding 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. The post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients, their carers, practice staff, and other healthcare workers. All such information is to be regarded as strictly confidential and may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with 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, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This includes:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines.
• Identifying 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 health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised.
• Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder's role.
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually).

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 consistently 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 individuals, 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, including:

• 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:

Qualifications:

• Sound knowledge of Windows and MS Office.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Flexible approach, team player, good sense of humour.
• Awareness of data security requirements.
• Knowledge in medical terminology and/or relevant qualifications.

Experience:

• Previous experience in a front-facing/first contact role.
• Experience of working in an office/administrative environment.
• Previous experience of working within a GP Practice or healthcare setting.
• Experience using clinical software EMIS/DOCMAN 10/AskMyGP.
• Experience summarising patient records.

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.