GP Assistant

CLICK PCN; Ilminster, Chard; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A local NHS Primary Care Network is seeking a General Practice Assistant to support GPs with routine clinical and administrative tasks. Key responsibilities include managing patient appointments, extracting necessary information from clinical letters, and assisting with immunisations. Ideal candidates should have excellent communication and IT skills, as well as experience in a healthcare setting. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to patient care within a supportive team environment.

Qualifications

• Good standard of education with excellent literacy and numeracy skills.
• Flexibility to work outside core office hours.
• Experience working in a health care setting.

Responsibilities

• Sort clinical post and prioritise for the GP.
• Extract information from clinical letters for coding.
• Arrange appointments, referrals, and follow-ups for patients.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Strong IT skills

Excellent administrative skills

Effective time management

Problem-solving skills

Customer care skills

Education

Good standard of education

Tools

MS Office

EMIS

Job description

Overview

The General Practice Assistant (GPA) is a new role that provides a unique opportunity to work in the NHS primary care team and implement a fulfilling role providing care for the local population alongside a team of GPs and other clinical and non‑clinical members.

The GPA will have a key role in working closely with the GP to support the smooth running of clinics by performing the more routine administration and clinical tasks on behalf of the GP up their time to focus on the patient.

Main duties

• Sort clinical post and prioritise for the GP in terms of actions. Signpost documents to other clinical staff such as pharmacists.
• Extract all information from clinical letters that needs coding and add to clinical notes.
• Arrange appointments, referrals, tests and follow‑up appointments for patients.
• Prepare patients to see the GP, taking a brief clinical history and performing basic assessments in readiness for the GP appointment.
• Complete basic administration for the GP to approve and sign documents such as insurance forms, mortgage, benefits agency forms.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients.
• Help the GP liaise with outside agencies (e.g. contacting the hospital, getting hold of an on‑call doctor on the phone to ask advice or arrange admission while the GP can continue with their consultation).
• Support the GP with immunisations and wound care.

About us

CLICK (Chard, Ilminster and Langport) Primary Care Network (PCN) is located in South Somerset with 5 GP practices and a diverse population spread across town and rural locations. CLICK has a population size of around 50,000 patients.

Currently led under the Clinical Director leadership of Dr Christoph Kollmeier the PCN is made up of:
Langport Surgery
The Meadows (Ilminster)
Churchview (Ilminster)

As a PCN we are forward thinking, innovative and driven to deliver the best patient care for our population. This includes health population management, and this role ties in with supporting that and tracking the improvements we can make to patients’ lives.

Job responsibilities

• Sort clinical post and prioritise for the GP in terms of actions. Signpost documents to other clinical staff such as pharmacists.
• Extract all information from clinical letters that needs coding and add to clinical notes.
• Arrange appointments, referrals, tests and follow‑up appointments for patients.
• Prepare patients to see the GP, take a brief clinical history and perform basic assessments in readiness for the GP appointment.
• Complete basic administration for the GP to approve and sign documents such as insurance forms, mortgage, benefits agency forms.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients.
• Help the GP liaise with outside agencies (e.g. contacting the hospital, getting hold of an on‑call doctor on the phone to ask advice or arrange admission while the GP can continue with their consultation).
• Support the GP with immunisations and wound care.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Good standard of education with excellent literacy and numeracy skills.

Other requirements

• Flexibility to work outside core office hours.
• Maintains confidentiality at all times.

Skills

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) including the ability to listen.
• Strong and confident IT skills including MS Office and databases.
• Excellent administrative skills, working under own initiative at times.
• Effective time management skills, often in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proven problem‑solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to adapt to changing situations and the changing needs of the service.
• Excellent customer care skills.
• Motivated to achieve good outcomes for patients.
• Able to follow policies and procedures effectively.
• Knowledge of GP clinical systems e.g. EMIS.

Experience

• Experience working in a health care setting.
• Experience working in the NHS/Primary Care General Practice setting.
• Understanding of community services and personalised care.
• Experience managing a complex administrative role.
• Experience working with the general public in a similar role.
• Experience producing agendas and minutes for meetings.

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 (formerly known as CR) to check for any previous criminal convictions.