Operations Assistant

Firth Park Surgery; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A general practice surgery in Sheffield is seeking a motivated Operations Assistant to join their team. The successful candidate will perform a variety of reception and administrative duties, including answering calls, booking appointments, and processing prescriptions. The ideal candidate should have strong communication skills, be computer literate, and have previous experience in a healthcare setting. This position offers the chance to work in a supportive environment committed to providing high-quality patient care.

Benefits

Annual leave starts at 5 weeks, increasing by 1 day per year worked

Automatic enrollment into the NHS Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Previous reception or customer care experience.
• Previous experience in NHS/Healthcare setting.
• Ability to work independently.

Responsibilities

• Answering telephone calls and assisting patient enquiries.
• Booking appointments.
• Processing prescriptions.

Skills

Excellent telephone manner

Strong computer skills

Organisational skills

Teamwork

Good communication skills

Education

O level/GCSE including English and Maths

Customer Care or Administration qualification

Job description

Firth Park Surgery is seeking a motivated and friendly Opertions assistant to join our supportive GP Practice team. The role requires availability all day Monday and Friday, with flexibility for additional hours. As a busy training practice caring for over 10,500 patients, you will be part of a well-structured team that includes GPs, nurses, healthcare assistants, ANPs, and a dedicated administrative support team.

While previous experience in a GP practice or reception/admin role is desirable, full training will be provided. The ideal candidate will have an excellent telephone manner, strong computer skills, the ability to work independently and collaboratively, and flexibility to provide cover during staff absence.

Key responsibilities include:

Answering telephone calls and assisting patient enquiries

Booking appointments

Providing face-to-face support to patients

Processing prescriptions

Processing and coding electronic and paper documents

Registering new patients

Completing administrative tasks

Monitoring and actioning surgery emails

Organising filing systems and updating data

Maintaining and organising patient records

This role offers the opportunity to work within a friendly, well-supported environment and contribute to high-quality patient care.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will be responsible for delivering a range of reception and administrative duties to support the efficient running of the practice. These duties include, but are not limited to:

Reception and front-of-house tasks, including answering telephone calls, assisting patients face to face, and managing general enquiries.

Processing repeat prescriptions, ensuring patient details such as name and date of birth are accurately checked.

Receiving, processing, and inputting read codes from incoming mail and hospital correspondence, ensuring information is accurately recorded in patient notes and assigned to the appropriate clinical or administrative team members.

Filing and auditing scanned documents, ensuring all items are legible, correctly scanned, and appropriately filed.

General administrative duties relating to the maintenance and updating of patient records.

Registering new patients in accordance with practice procedures.

Completing electronic tasks promptly, which may involve contacting patients via telephone, issuing letters or text messages, or responding to internal queries.

• Please see job description

About us

FirthPark is an inner-city practice, serving the local community of the S4 & S5area.

OurMission statement is to offer high-quality equitable sustainablecommunity-based healthcare.

FirthPark Surgery cares for around 10,500 patients, with a rich global culturalheritage. This is supported by an interpreter team and our bilingual staff.

Bothformal and informal communication is an important part of the way our practiceruns.We are a friendly team and look forward to welcoming you to Firth Park Surgery.

Annual leave starts at 5 weeks increasing by 1 day per year worked up to 6 weeks.

All new members of staff are automatically enrolled into the NHS Pension Scheme which is one of the leading Pension schemes in the country. There is also an option to opt out if required.

You will be DBS checked.

We do not offer Visa sponsorship.

Closing date will be Sunday 11th January 2026

with Interviews taking place Friday 16th January

Job responsibilities

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.

Primary Responsibilities

Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way

Undertake a variety of administrative duties to assist in the smooth running of the Practice including the provision of secretarial and clerical support to clinical staff and other members of the Practice team

Facilitate effective communication between patients, members of the Primary Health Care team, Secondary Care and other associated Healthcare agencies

Duties and Responsibilities:

The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the Operations team may include any or all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Operation Lead or Operations Manager, dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:

• Processing personal and telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional.
• Processing repeat prescriptions in accordance with practice guidelines
• Maintaining and monitoring the Practice appointments system.
• Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed.
• Advise patients of relevant charges for private services (non General Medical Services), accept payment and issue receipts for same.
• Accurately record amendments to patients address, marital status etc. in their electronic record.
• Give test results out to patients as authorised by the Doctor.
• Taking messages and passing on information via tasks, notifications or via telephone
• Scanning documents & electronic post into patients records.
• Arranging transport for patients where appropriate.
• Attend regular Practice meetings and take part in all training considered to be essential to the role.
• Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with Practice procedures.
• Checking emails and processing Registrations & prescriptions via Firth Park Surgery website.
• Training on Patient Care Navigation with a view to using.
• Chaperoning for clinical staff.
• Providing clerical assistance as required, including word/data processing, filing, photocopying and scanning and filing of hospital / medical letters into the patients computerised record.
• Filing and retrieving paperwork.
• Dealing with confidential waste and clinical waste where appropriate.
• Keeping the reception area, notice-boards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free from obstructions and clutter.
• Deal with Health Visitor requests.
• Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Practice Manager.

The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties; it does however outline the main duties and responsibilities that you will currently undertake as part of the Operation team . The role of the operations assistant continues to evolve and this will offer new opportunities to develop new skills and responsibilities.

Along with business needs, you may be asked to perform other duties not stated in the job description.

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, 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 peoples 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

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to O level/GCSE or CSE standard of education including English and Maths
• Customer Care or Administration qualification or equivalent

Experience

• Previous reception or customer care experience
• Previous experience in NHS/ Healthcare setting
• Organisational skills
• Good communication skills both oral and written
• Good telephone handling skills
• Ability to work calmly under pressure
• Practice a high level of confidentiality
• Teamwork
• Self-motivated and reliable
• Smart appearance
• Ability to work independently
• Personable, caring polite and patient.
• Flexible approach to work able to provide cover at short notice
• Ability and willingness to acquire new skills
• Ability to follow practice standards and operating procedures
• System one knowledge/use

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 CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.