Job Summary
The primary function of this role is to provide administration support to the different teams within the practice, to ensure continuity and consistency in workflow delivery. Flexibility is important for this role as there will be a lot of variety and no two days will be the same. A minimum of 24 hours per week is required for this position. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, you are encouraged to submit your application as early as possible. Please note that previous applicants need not apply again.
About Us
At Downend Health Group, our team and their wellbeing are some of our key priorities. The organisation has grown from humble beginnings with a skeleton staff, to a workforce of over 100 employees, providing services from two purpose-build surgeries. We are here to look after you as much as we are able. We have a range of policies to help staff from a Menopause Policy to resources on Mental Wellbeing. We also understand that flexibility is key to a successful work‑life balance and where possible, we offer flexibility in working patterns to accommodate your needs. Downend Health Group knows that all work and no play isn't great for anyone – we hold social gatherings, run sweepstakes on sporting events and deliver a monthly reward scheme that recognises employees who have gone the extra mile. We value you and your commitment to the practice and like to recognise this with small tokens of appreciation. Our recruitment process is fast and friendly; at interview we offer a relaxed approach which we think is the best environment for you to learn a little about us and where we can get to know you. We wont keep you waiting long on our decision either and will respond to you as quickly as possible. We welcome applications for our non-clinical roles no matter what your career background.
Details
Date posted: 25 November 2025
Pay scheme
Salary: £12.21 an hour (NMW criteria applies)
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time or Part-time
Job Title
General Practice Administration Assistant
Main Purpose of the role
The primary function of the General Practice Administration Assistant is to provide cross organisational support to the different teams within the practice, ensuring continuity and consistency in workflow delivery. The role will involve working at both Christchurch and Willow Surgeries.
Special Requirements of the Post
Post holders will need to be highly organised, with an ability to manage multiple duties within our various practice administration teams. Weekly work shift patterns will be provided, however, the post holder must be flexible in their approach as these may change, depending on daily staffing levels. Post holders will be required to cover short-term and long-term absence such as sickness, annual leave, maternity/paternity leave. A high level of flexibility and commitment to supporting all teams is essential. A minimum of 24 hours per week is required, with an understanding that additional hours may be required on occasion. Due to the wide scope of the role, responsibilities will change as knowledge and comprehension develops. Postholders are expected to develop their skills and understanding, with the long-term goal of fulfilling all responsibilities within each of the areas mentioned below.
Requirements of the Role
- Resilience and an ability to work collaboratively with multiple teams.
- Potential to grasp different work processes and concepts quickly.
- Adaptable to ever changing work environments and work streams.
- Able to act on own initiative and be both self‑directed and motivated.
- To have an excellent, positive customer service mindset.
- Very good IT skills and a thorough understanding of Microsoft Office.
- High level of literacy, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- To have an understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality and clinical governance.
- A flexible approach to work pattern and to increase working hours when the demand arises, such as holiday and/or sickness absence.
- To ensure own statutory & mandatory training records are up to date within Teamnet and in accordance with Practice requirements.
Main Duties of the Role
Administration Team
- EMIS document workflow
- Temporary patient registration workflow management via the Portal
- New patient registration workflow
- Detailed coded records
- Proxy access
- Child Health and immunisation workflow
- Distribution of unmatched lab reports
- Mammogram coding
- Baby blood spots
- Diabetic eye screening workflow
- Opening & distributing post
- Any other duties as required to maintain optimum workflow within the administration team.
Medical Secretary Team
- Audio Typing using Lexicom Transcribe
- E‑referrals and advice & guidance letters
- EMIS task workflow
- Docman task workflow
- NHS mail workflow
- Telephone queries with external health providers
- Minute taking
- Any other duties as required to maintain optimum workflow within the medical secretarial team.
eConsult Team
- Using Sentiers, a Care navigation system tailored to this practice, to triage appointment requests ensuring appointments are allocated in order of clinical priority
- Saving those requests into patient health records (EMIS)
- Submitting eConsult requests for those patients who require our assistance to do so
- Allocating appointments and advising patients via various methods of digital media
- Community healthcare referrals
- Sending self‑help links and wellbeing information to patients
- Identifying the need for prior nursing appointments, ensuring clinicians have all the information required
- Co‑ordinating translation services
- Directing administration enquiries
- Forwarding nursing appointment requests
- Rebooking Clinical Appointments due to unscheduled absences
- Any other duties as required to maintain optimum workflow within the eConsult team.
Patient Assistant Team
- Meeting, greeting and signposting patients
- Assisting patients with queries including temporary registrations, changes of personal details, proxy and DCR access, medication queries, samples, requests for private work, letter collections
- Opening and closing of the practice, following internal protocols
- Updating patient records with non‑clinical information using EMIS, Docman and AccuRx
- Assisting patients with the NHS App and the eConsult appointment system
- Offering chaperone assistance
- Booking nurse appointments
- Cancelling & re‑booking appointments
- Calmly and empathetically addressing patient frustrations to prevent escalation and formal complaints
- Any other duties as required to maintain optimum workflow within the patient assistant team.
Information Governance
- Managing SARS requests and sending letters to patients
- Managing patient consent and sending letters to patients
- Logging information requests in a manual folder and within a master spreadsheet
- Using the IGPR electronic platform for records requests
- Sourcing patient paper records from both surgeries
- Photocopying paper records for SARS requests
- Any other duties as required to maintain optimum workflow relating to information governance and requests for patient information.
Practice Expectations
- Ensuring high levels of attention to detail and accuracy with regards to the completion of all necessary documentation associated with the role
- Maintaining effective liaison with other staff and/or agencies concerned with patient care, and with all other disciplines within the practice, with appropriate regard to confidentiality
- Working co‑operatively within teams and respecting the skills, expertise and contributions of your colleagues
- Respecting leadership and management direction at all levels
- Communicating effectively with all members of Downend Health Group, patients and external agencies.
- Collecting data, preparing reports and undertaking research as required
- Efficiently use IT platforms to support your role
- Ensuring the rules of GDPR, Caldicott, Freedom of Information Act and those issued by the NHS and CCG are understood and fully implemented
- Supporting in the planning and co‑ordination of practice targets including work streams such as Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF); Enhanced Services; Care Quality Commission (CQC) etc.
- Demonstrating a personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity
- Ensuring skills and knowledge remain up to date by taking part in appropriate learning activities that maintain and develop your competence and performance
Notice
This job description sets out the duties which this role normally entails. The job holder should understand that the job title and job description may be amended by the employer, and that he/she/they may be called upon to carry out additional or other duties as may reasonably be required by the Practice. The nature of our business means that the job holder must be flexible in his/her/their approach to the work, in order, to provide service to patients.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- GCSE qualification in Maths and English
Employer Details
Downend Health Group
The Willow Surgery
Hill House Road, Downend
Bristol
BS16 5FJ
Website: https://www.downendhealthgroup.com