GP Receptionist

Watling Medical Centre; Stanmore; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent medical practice in Stanmore is seeking a full-time receptionist. The successful candidate will be responsible for patient interactions, appointment booking, and maintaining records. Candidates must possess strong customer care skills, effective communication abilities, and be proficient with Microsoft Office. Familiarity with EMIS Web and eConsultations is desirable. This role offers a supportive work environment in a well-established practice.

Qualifications

• Previous reception or customer care experience is essential.
• Ability to work flexibly as a team member.
• Must communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Responsibilities

• Receive and assist patients in accessing healthcare services.
• Handle appointment bookings and manage patient flow.
• Maintain accurate record keeping and filing.

Skills

Customer care

Communication skills

Microsoft Office knowledge

Ability to work under pressure

Education

Good general education to at least GCSE level

Tools

EMIS Web

Docman

AccuRx

eConsultations

Job description

Watling Medical Centre is looking to employ a full-time receptionist (or couple of part-time receptionists). Please only apply if you are certain that this role is for you and you would like to become a part of a well established practice that looks after its staff and their wellbeing.

Main duties of the job

• Appointment bookings supported by full-triaging process (using eConsultations and its Smart Inbox)
• Receive and make calls as necessary
• Appropriate patients' navigation both by phone and at the front desk
• Action repeat prescription requests
• Ensure accurate record keeping and filing

About us

Watling Medical Centre is a well-established 5 GP Partners general practice with over 18,000 registered patients spread over two sites. The practice was established at the beginning of the 20th century. Watling Medical Centre is well known for its high clinical standards and being a friendly place to work. We have always been proud of being a part of the local community, having long standing staff members and being one of the largest training practices in Barnet. We are also a part of a very active Primary Care Network employing number of associate medical professionals.

Job responsibilities

JOB TITLE: Medical Receptionist

MAIN PURPOSE OF POST: Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way. Provide 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.

RESPONSIBLE TO: Operations and Practice Managers

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reception Duties

• Monitor 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, ensuring procedures are completed
• Advise patients of relevant charges for private services, accept payment and issue receipts
• Respond to all queries and requests for assistance from patients and other visitors
• Enter requests for home visits into the computer, stating time received and including all relevant information and where necessary refer to the Duty Doctor
• Action repeat prescriptions within 2 working days in line with the practice protocol
• Action requests for ambulance transportation and enter details on computer
• Ensure reception and waiting areas are kept neat and tidy
• To attend training as required by management
• To attend all reception team meetings and Doctor/site meetings when scheduled

Record Keeping

• Internal record keeping as required
• Accurate filing of patient correspondence within the surgery records

Appointment systems

• Ensure total familiarity with all surgery appointment systems including regular and incidental variations
• Book appointments and recalls ensuring sufficient information are recorded to retrieve medical record
• 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
• Ensure that the consulting rooms are checked at the end of each consulting session and left tidy and secure

Operation of Telephone System

• Receive and make calls as required
• Ensure that the system is operational at the beginning of each day and report any problems with the phones to the Reception Supervisor

Start and end of day procedures

• Open premises at the start of the day, deactivate alarm and make necessary preparation to receive patients
• Secure premises at the end of the day, ensure building is totally secured, internal lights off and alarm activated

Administration

• Distribute e‑mails to the appropriate departments and log hand-delivered post in the electronic log
• Ensure appropriate correspondence is passed onto the scanning team promptly
• Liaise with patients, external departments, both face to face and by telephone or e‑mail
• Check and action e‑mails, tasks and workflows on a daily basis
• Your work may change, subject to consultation, depending on the needs of the organisation. This may include incorporating administration work within your working week.

Special requirements of the post

• Understanding and acceptance of and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
• Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness, common sense and local knowledge, to respond to patients enquiries and requests.

Flexibility

• The applicant will be required to work at our premises at 108 Watling Avenue, Burnt Oak and 42 London Road, Stanmore
• Essential to be able to provide reasonable cover for absent colleagues from time to time at both surgery sites
• May be required to carry out other reasonable tasks from time to time as requested by the Partners, Practice and Operations Managers

Data Protection and Confidentiality Issues

• To ensure that when accessing data relating to patients, the information obtained and used is registered appropriately under Data Protection Act
• To ensure that all information held centrally by the practice relating to the patients health, medical treatment, personal details and registration details remains confidential to the practice and patient
• To ensure that all requests formed medical information about a patient from external organisations and patients family members is legitimate, complies with Access to Medical Records and other legislation, has the written consent of the patient and practice. Must be familiar and comply with Information Governance guidance

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, to include:
• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Identifying the 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

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 recognises 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

Personal/Professional Development

• 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
• Undertake significant analysis in order to improve systems and communication within the practice

Communication

• The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise people's needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

NOTE: This job description reflects the present requirements of the post. As duties and responsibilities change and develop the job description will be reviewed and be subject to amendment in consultation with the post-holder.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Qualifications and professional experience
• Good general education to at least GCSE level
• Reception/ customer care experience
• Knowledge, skills and abilities
• Deal confidently and courteously with people both in person and over the telephone
• Work flexibly as a team member (frequent cover for sickness and leave)
• Work on own initiative and prioritise workload
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
• Personal Qualities
• Tolerant, tactful and discreet
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to work on its own initiative
• Be prepared to learn and adapt and embrace changes
• Self-motivated and reliableAble to tolerate stress and manage it appropriately
• Self-reliant & proactive
• Able to multi-task
• Able to recognise own limitations, identify learning needs and act on them appropriately
• Other Job Requirements
• Willingness to further your career
• Working knowledge of the EMIS Web (desirable)
• Working knowledge of Docman (desirable)
• Working knowledge of AccuRx (desirable)
• Working knowledge of eConsultations (desirable)

Full-time,Part-time,Job share,Flexible working