Receptionist

Woodlands Medical Practice is looking to recruit an enthusiastic and reliable individual to join our Reception team. The applicant will be able to work under their own initiative and contribute to the overall work of the practice team. Previous experience of working in a similar role is desirable but not essential, as full training will be given. The applicant must be flexible with regards to sessions worked each week and would be required to be available between the hours of 8am-6:30pm and provide cover for holidays and any sickness cover.

Main duties of the job:

• To make appointments and book patients in when they arrive for an appointment and to provide a helpful and friendly service to patients.
• To answer telephones promptly ensuring that all incoming lines are covered at all times.
• To ensure daily tasks are completed and managed daily.
• Responding and dealing with incoming emails to the practice.
• To comply with all relevant practice procedures, regulations and protocols and to maintain confidentiality at all times with particular reference to patient records.
• Work efficiently with other teams within the practice.
• To undertake any other duties as deemed appropriate by the Practice.
• Action repeat prescription requests promptly.
• Opening mail and ensuring that all correspondence is scanned and attached to patients' computer records.

About us:

Woodlands Medical Practice is run by 1 Partner and 4 Salaried GPs, a Nurse Associate, a HCA, a Pharmacist and a Registrar. The Receptionist role is to work within a team carrying out administrative functions. We are a training Practice working with training GPs and medical students. Our doctors, nurses and all other staff are dedicated to offering a professional service. We are a friendly surgery committed to delivering excellent care to our patients, and a positive working environment for our staff.

Job responsibilities:

• Ensure efficiency of the surgeries by monitoring the arrival of patients and the flow of patients into consulting and treatment rooms.
• Ensure that patients without appointments, 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, ensure all procedures are completed.
• Advise patients of relevant charges for private services, accept payment and issue receipts where required.
• Respond to all queries and requests for assistance from patients and other visitors.
• Ensure reception and waiting areas are kept neat and tidy.
• Handing out prescriptions/medication in the absence of the dispensary staff and receiving prescription requests.

Management of appointment system:

• Ensure total familiarity with all appointment systems in effect including regular and incidental variations.
• Book appointments and recalls.
• Monitor effectiveness of the system and report any problems or variations required.

Preparation of Consulting Rooms:

• Ensure that the consulting rooms are prepared in readiness for each consulting session and at the end of each consulting session that the room is left tidy and secure.

Operation of the Telephone System:

• Receive and make telephone calls as required.
• Divert and take messages as appropriate.

Start and End of Day Procedures:

• Open up premises at the start of the day, set alarm to day function and make all necessary preparations to receive patients.
• Secure premises at the end of the day, ensure the building is totally secured, internal lights off and alarm activated.

General Responsibilities:

• Ensure total familiarity with all computer programmes which affect your work.
• Ensure that your work area is kept neat and tidy.
• Monitor effectiveness of the various systems you operate and report any problems or variations required.

Special Requirements of the post:

• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
• An ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness, common sense and local knowledge to respond to patients' enquiries and requests.
• Excellent communication and secretarial skills.
• Able to Provide Cover: Reception.

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.

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.

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.
• Any other delegated duties considered appropriate to the post.

Person Specification:

Experience:

• Experience of working with the general public.
• Experience of administrative duties.
• Experience of working within a high-pressure fast-paced environment.
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting.

Qualifications:

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent GCSE Mathematics and English (C or above).
• Previous experience in a medical receptionist role although full training will be given.