Care Navigator (Receptionist)

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board; Waterlooville; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 27,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working patterns

Family-friendly practice

Job summary

Vine Medical Group is recruiting Care Navigators to support patients in navigating the healthcare system and accessing services. You will manage front-desk enquiries, provide compassionate guidance, and coordinate with clinicians to ensure timely access to care.

The role requires strong communication, patient-centric service, and competence with IT systems. The position is part-time (34.75 hours/week) with shifts including mornings, afternoons, and occasional Saturdays, and a focus on delivering

Qualifications

• Experience in customer-facing roles.
• Strong communication in diverse settings.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft 365.

Responsibilities

• Greet and assist patients at reception in a friendly, welcoming manner.
• Respond to patient enquiries by phone and in person.
• Navigate patients to appropriate services and clinicians within the network.
• Maintain clean and accessible reception areas throughout the day.
• Handle deliveries and samples with care and confidentiality.
• Support appointment flow and patient records within practice policies.

Skills

Customer service

Excellent communication

IT skills

Microsoft 365

Education

GCSE English & Maths

Tools

EMIS / medical systems

Job description

As the first point of contact for our patients, Care Navigators play a vital role in supporting people to access the care and services they need. This varied and engaging role, requires team members to develop and maintain a broad knowledge of healthcare services and pathways to ensure patients receive the most appropriate support. The demand for GP Practice services means that our team need to work effectively in a fast-paced, and sometimes challenging environment to support our patients. Care Navigators are patient focused, require resilience, confidence, and the ability to communicate clearly and compassionately with people from different cultural and social backgrounds. This is a busy, but rewarding role working as part of a supportive team. Every day brings opportunities to help people navigate the healthcare system, access the most appropriate service. This is a part time role of 34.75 hours per week with a working pattern of 4 days as below: Monday - 07:45 - 18:30 Tuesday - 07:45 - 18:30 Wednesday - 07:45 - 18:30 Thursday - 13:00 - 18:30 To ensure enhanced patient access to the practice we ask our Care Navigators to work around 1-2 Saturdays shifts per year. Core shift hours are Monday to Friday, 07:45-13:00 & 13:00-18:30., As a key member of the Practice team, you will manage patient enquiries by telephone and provide a professional, friendly, and welcoming presence at the Surgery reception desks, acting as a positive ambassador for the Practice at all times. You will support patients in accessing appointments and appropriate healthcare services, ensuring all enquiries are handled courteously, efficiently, and effectively. The role requires maintaining up-to-date knowledge of Practice services, procedures, events, appointment systems, and booking protocols to provide accurate advice and assistance. You will work closely with colleagues across the Practice and with external healthcare providers to support the smooth delivery of services, coordinate patient care, and respond appropriately in emergency situations. Through excellent communication and customer service, you will help ensure a positive patient experience and the efficient day-to-day operation of the Practice. ,

• Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way. Support in navigating the health system by being the initial point of contact and connecting with the right teams within the Primary Care Network with aim of improving and supporting continuity of care
• Be the initial point of contact for patients accessing the practice ensuring all patients and visitors are greeted / responded to in a friendly, welcoming and empathic manner
• Maintain a clean, organised, welcoming, and accessible reception environment throughout the day for patients and visitors
• Manage patient sample drop-offs and collections, as well as the receipt of deliveries to the practice, ensuring they are handled appropriately
• Respond to all contact, queries, and requests from patients/visitors/third parties in a timely, courteous, and professional manner. Ensure confidentiality is always upheld and information provided to the patient is within the scope your responsibility and is as advised by the clinician
• Play a pivotal role in enablingpatient access and onwards referral to other healthcare services
• Support with access to appointments by assisting patients with the submission of digital triage assessment forms to obtain appointments or guidance on appropriate healthcare services to support patients needs
• Perform an initial assessment of patients needs over the telephone, face to face and online services in accordance with patients preferred method of communication
• When appropriate signpost patients to other services and self-help in accordance with the protocols and policies. Seeking guidance when required
• Support the smooth running of appointments, ensuring timely communication of patient arrivals, monitoring clinics not running to time and informing patients and facilitating the cancellation and rearrangement of appointments
• Communicate clearly, sensitively and effectively with patients, family members and other professionalsrecognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background, and preferred ways of communicating
• Assist with the continuity of care for patients by maximising the appointment system and being familiar with all options available such as group consultation, Collaborative Practice and Enhanced Access appointments. Provide information on when and how the patient (and carer) can contact the relevant person/professional. Help to identify and invite patients that could benefit from workshops and group consultations to improve access to clinical advice for specific conditions
• Assist the wider clinical team as patient health champions and being aware of initiatives which could benefit patients. Actively seek to optimize the patients' experience and access to healthcare and understand the importance to health promotion
• Promote and assist patients to use the Surgery Pod in waiting rooms to accurately record patients health readings
• Assist in the identification and processing of identified patient cohorts and work within the principle of person-centred care
• Demonstrate awareness and basic understanding of safeguarding policy and how to report concerns
• Commit to the care navigation training and professional development and demonstrate willingness to learn and develop within the role
• Maintain hygiene and cleanliness standards in all reception areas in line with infection prevention and control guidance
• Accurately and efficiently process/record data on IT systems in line with practice protocols and policies
• Action daily checklists/procedures including ensuring the security of the building by following all opening and closing procedures
• Maintain knowledge of private services offered and take payments for these
• Complete Practice urgent/routine tasks, and own tasks delegated via IT Systems
• Read and action Outlook emails/MS Teams communications daily including weekly briefs and daily updates
• Be familiar with patient safety policy and reporting (e.g. LFPSE and/or other appropriate systems) and awareness of the process and key stakeholders for safeguarding referrals
• Maintain accurate patient records in conjunction with Practice policies and current legislation
• Adhere to the strict confidentiality rules, as agreed by the practice
• Work safely at all times in accordance with legislative requirements and Practice Policy and Procedures
• Experience within a customer facing /contact role
• Experience of using IT systems within a work environment, Good IT skills with a working knowledge of Microsoft 365
• Excellent communication skills, able to effectively engage with a diverse range of people recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background, and preferred ways of communicating
• Able to work well under pressure and remain calm when interacting with distressed patients or those presenting with challenging behaviours
• Ability to work as an effective part of team, with a focus on communication
• Understanding of confidentiality
• Able to assess problems and identify solutions
• High level of attention to detail and accuracy, Working knowledge of EMIS / medical systems
• Knowledge of medical terminology, GCSE in English and Maths or equivalent, NVQ or equivalent in Customer Service or similar
• Vine Medical Group is one of the largest practices in the locality. We care for around 26,000 patients across the whole of the Waterlooville area and its surrounding villages. This larger size means more diverse learning and development opportunities are possible to aid with longer term career development goals. We are a family-friendly practice and try to accommodate working patterns to suit as far as we can.