Medical Receptionist 27 - 30 Hours GP Surgery

Medical Receptionist 27 - 30 Hours GP Surgery

Our busy City centre GP surgery requires a Medical Receptionist to support the smooth running of the practice. You will need to be cheerful, helpful and like working as part of a team, supporting each other in all aspects of the role.

This is a part-time position, working the following hours:

Monday: 1 - 6.30 pm (5.5hrs)
Tuesday: 8.30 - 2pm (5.5 hours)
Thursday: 8.30 - 1.30 (plus 1:4 8am starts at double time to 8.30) (5)
Friday: Flexible hours to be agreed between 8am and 6.30pm (around 4 to 6 hours)
TOTAL: 27 - 30 hours approx.

You will be required to ensure the reception area of the Practice runs efficiently and provide a high level of service to patients, doctors, nurses and other members of the Practice team.

Main Duties of the Job

Duties of this position include booking appointments and dealing with patient requests over the phone or face to face, keeping patient data up to date using the practice's own computer system, filing and handling repeat prescription requests. Processing emails via Outlook and general housekeeping. The post will require a good level of IT knowledge, including dealing with emails and attachments, and the use of Microsoft Outlook.

Excellent communication skills, a flexible approach to life, a polite telephone manner, ability to work under pressure and understanding of patient confidentiality are essential.

You will have a good standard of education with the ability to work as part of a team and work on your own initiative.

Previous GP Surgery experience, NHS or health-related background, a computer qualification and/or AMSPAR training would be advantageous for this position but not essential.

Job Responsibilities

JOB TITLE: RECEPTIONIST
REPORTS TO: PARTNERS AND PRACTICE MANAGER
HOURS: 27-30 hours per week plus additional hours to cover annual leave and holidays.

The surgery needs reception cover from Monday to Friday from 7.45 am to 6.30 pm and you will be expected to take a share of these hours should the need arise.

Place of work: The hours of this post may be split over 2 sites:

Cantilupe Surgery, 51 St Owen Street, Hereford HR1 2JB (main surgery)

Job Summary:

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.

Job Responsibilities:

• Ensure an effective, efficient, polite and courteous reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice.
• Deal with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments.
• Using your own judgment and communication skills ensure that patients with no prior appointment 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 and ensure procedures are completed.
• Receive and make telephone calls as required. Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery.
• Computer:
• Book appointments.
• Deal with emails and reply accordingly.
• You must be able to use email and attachments via Microsoft Outlook.
• Enter requests for home visits into the visit book on computer, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to Duty Doctor.
• Action repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient within 48 hours or sooner if needed.
• Enter patient information onto the patients' computer records as required.
• Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non-General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for the same.
• There will be an opportunity to learn how to scan and code clinical information onto patients' records for a suitable candidate.
• Patient notes and correspondence:

Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc. are filed promptly and in the correct records, ensuring that all recent correspondence is available when patients are seen.

Change patients' addresses or contact details on both computer and paper records.

Ensure records are kept in good repair with all necessary information on the outside cover clearly visible.

Open up premises at the start of the day when first to arrive, de-activate alarm and make all necessary preparations to receive patients.

When last to leave at the end of the day, ensure that the building is totally secured, internal lights are off and the alarm activated.

Ensure the kitchen is kept clean and tidy and tidy the waiting room in turn with other staff.

Other work:

Testing urine samples as requested by clinicians.

Photocopying as requested.

Emptying bins and leaving surgery clean and tidy after evening surgeries plus any other cleaning duties as required.

• Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Practice Manager.

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.

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, the practice Health & Safety Manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will 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.

Actively reporting health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognized.

Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder's role.

Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Good standard of education grades A-C English and maths.
• Flexible around working hours and providing cover, often at short notice.
• Good basic IT skills ideally keyboard experience to a reasonable level and email and internet knowledge.
• Caring manner.
• Motivated.
• Able to take instruction, learn new tasks quickly but know own limits with knowledge.
• Ability to communicate with other staff, patients and GPs plus outside agencies in a pleasant manner.
• Able to work on own and as part of the team.
• Able to use initiative.
• Self-motivated.
• Able to work under pressure.
• Good sense of humor.
• Previous GP surgery work or health care as receptionist, including knowledge of EMIS clinical system.
• AMSPAR Medical Receptionist training.
• Health background with some knowledge of medical terminology.