Patient Assistant (Receptionist)

Integrated Care System; London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in London is seeking a compassionate individual to serve as the first point of contact for patients. You will be responsible for delivering outstanding service and maintaining a welcoming environment. Key tasks include patient engagement, handling administrative duties, and ensuring continuity of care within our busy practice. Ideal candidates will possess strong customer service skills and experience in a surgical or similar environment.

Benefits

Training and development opportunities

Inclusive workplace policies

Qualifications

• Experience working directly with members of the public in a busy customer care environment.
• Ability to create a welcoming atmosphere for patients.
• Experience answering high volume telephone calls.

Responsibilities

• Provide an excellent first experience for patients in person and through electronic communication.
• Encourage patient engagement and feedback.
• Process requests for repeat prescriptions and appointment scheduling.

Skills

Customer service

Compassionate engagement

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Education

Education to GCSE level or above (at least 3 GCSEs at A* - C)

Customer Care training

Tools

EMIS clinical system

Job description

Current vacancy is for 40 hours - Full time

Monday 10.30 to 18:30

Tuesday 10.30 to 18:30

Wednesday 08:00 to 16:00

Thursday 08:00 to 16:00

Friday 10.30 to 18.30

We are part of Bromley by Bow Health partnership, We do more than providing NHS General Practice Services, we change our local community while doing it so. We believe in four things: be compassionate; be a friend; have fun; assume its possible.

With our support and specialist training well provide, you will be able to continue changing your community from other areas of our administration team, management, clinical or community support. The choice is yours.

We are committed to taking an inclusive approach to recruitment and making it easy for people who feel nervous when doing interviews.

We particularly encourage applications from men, people with disabilities and older candidates, as these groups are underrepresented in our team and can help us better understand patients with similar identities.

We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.

Main duties of the job

To be the front face of the organisation and provide outstanding service to patients.

Contact with patients in reception, through phones or via digital means

Care of patients

Engagement with patients

Administration

Continuity of care

The post holder occupies a particular position of responsibility and trust, as they have access to sensitive patient, staff and business information. The post holder should have excellent organisational skills and have the ability to work as part of a team and also on their own initiative.

You should be

Contact with patients

Provide an excellent first experience of the service by a professional and welcoming manner whenever in contact with patients in person, on the phone or through electronic communication

Provide an excellent experience of the surgery by maintaining the waiting area to a high standard and ensuring that all information materials on display are relevant, accessible and up to date

Engagement with patients

Encourage patients to engage with the practice through making comments and suggestions

Actively promote the patient questionnaire and other ways of getting patient feedback

Administration

To be a first point of contact for patients requiring general information relating to the practice, procedures, registration finance etc

About us

Bromley by Bow Health Centre is based within Bow in East London, we are part of the Bromley by Bow Health Partnership

We have 7800 patients on our site

Please see a link for our website

Bromley by Bow Health Partnership - We are committed to creating healthy communities.

Job responsibilities

Job purpose

To support our Partners, the Community and the rest of our team in delivering the Vision, Mission and Values of the Bromley by Bow Health partnership.

Job Summary

To be the front face of theorganisation and provide outstanding service to patients.

In particular to haveresponsibility for

Contact withpatients in reception, through phones or via digital means

Care of patients

Engagement withpatients

Administration

Continuity ofcare

The post holder occupies aparticular position of responsibility and trust, as they have access tosensitive patient, staff and business information. The post holder should haveexcellent organisational skills and have the ability to work as part of a teamand also on their own initiative.

Core Tasks and functions

Contact with patients

Provide anexcellent first experience of the service by a professional and welcomingmanner whenever in contact with patients in person, on the phone or throughelectronic communication

Provide anexcellent experience of the surgery by maintaining the waiting area to a highstandard and ensuring that all information materials on display are relevant,accessible and up to date

Care of patients

Process requestsfor repeat prescriptions according to practice guidelines

Bookinterpreter/advocates as requested

If possibleassist with interpreting as necessary

Process requestsfor patient transport

Deal with patientsamples in a clinically safe manner

Ensure thatmeasures to promote and maintain high levels of hygiene and control of clinicalinfection are in place

Engagement withpatients

Encouragepatients to engage with the practice through making comments and suggestions

Actively promotethe patient questionnaire and other ways of getting patient feedback

Administration

To be a firstpoint of contact for patients requiring general information relating to thepractice, procedures, registration finance etc

Post should beopened, stamped, and sorted to the appropriate persons and distributed to theappropriate site daily, in a timely manner.

Deliveries shouldbe received, signed for and stored appropriately

Notes should bemade up and stored appropriately

Fees for non-NHSservices should be received and appropriately recorded

Filing, scanningand retrieval of paperwork

Registrations anddeductions

Informationentered on the clinical system should be clear and accurate.

To providegeneral administrative support as required

Continuity of care

Handle the appointment system actively to provide, as far as possible,continuity of care with the same clinician

While handling appointment requests with sensitivity promote selfmanagement as far as possible and maintain a balance between routine and sameday appointments

Signpost patients to appropriate alternative sources of advice andsupport

Take messages from patients with accuracy and pass on to appropriateperson as soon as possible;

Deal with patient correspondence accurately and in a timely manner

Schedulingpatient treatments or other procedures.

Ensure recordsare available and complete prior to patient visits

Ensure documentsforms and consents are completed prior to, and after treatments

Coordination ofreminder procedures

Participate in meetings and learning

Play an activerole in team meetings and make every effort to build team working

Be responsiblefor your own learning and development

Flexibility

Provide cover for members ofthe team during episodes of sickness or annual leave. Be prepared to be flexible, and work at othersites. You should be able to respond flexibly and positively to changes in therequirements of this post. This job description is therefore a guide to thelevel and range of responsibilities the post holder will be expected toundertake initially, and the duties of the post may be altered from time totime to meet the changing demands.

The post holder will beexpected to undertake additional duties as the requirements of the postchanges. Be prepared to undertake any additional duties as directed by yourline manager or senior managers.

General requirements

Confidentiality:

In the course of seeking treatment patients entrust uswith or allow us to gather sensitive information in relation to their healthand other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect thatstaff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.

In the performance of the duties outlined in this JobDescription the post-holder may have access to confidential informationrelating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcareworkers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as abusiness organisation. All such information from any source is to be regardedas STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.

Information relating to patients, carers colleaguesother healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulgedto authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and proceduresrelating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety:

The post-holder will assistin promoting and maintaining their own and others health safety and securityas defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, to include

• Using personal security systems within theworkplace according to practice guidelines.
• Identifying the risks involved in work activitiesand undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.
• Making effective use of training to updateknowledge and skills.
• Using appropriate infection control proceduresmaintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards.

Equality and Diversity

The post-holder will supportthe equality and diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues toinclude:

• Acting in a way that recognizes the importance ofpeoples rights interpreting them in a way that is consistent withpractice procedures and policies and current legislation.
• Respecting the privacy dignity needs and beliefsof patients, carers and colleagues.
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and ofthe individual is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances feelingpriorities and rights.

Personal /ProfessionalDevelopment:

The post-holder willparticipate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part ofthis employment such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performancereview including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of ownpersonal and or professional development.
• Taking responsibility for own developmentlearning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to otherswho are undertaking similar work.

Quality:

The post-holder will striveto maintain quality within the practice and will;

• Alert other team members to issues of quality andrisk
• Assess own performance and take accountabilityfor own actions either directly or under supervision.
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team byreflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways toimprove and enhance the teams performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in otheragencies to meet patients needs.
• Effectively manage own time, workload andresources.

Communication:

The post-holder shouldrecognize the importance of effective communication within the team and willstrive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methodsof communication and respond accordingly.

Contribution to theImplementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

• Apply practice policies standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how thepolicies standards and guidelines will affect own work.
• Participate in audit where appropriate.

Person Specification

Experience

• Continuous focus on building positive and productive relationships, particularly with patients who are in distress, or in very busy environments
• Creating environments where others can feel your compassion and friendliness, as a mark of quality of welcoming customer services
• Seeking out opportunities for training and development and promoting change and quality improvement in a positive manner
• Working with collaboratively with others to make them feel more confident, capable and connected.
• Experience of working in a surgery or similar environment Use of EMIS clinical system Administrative experience
• 6 months working directly with members of the public in a busy customer care environment.
• Experience of answering telephone calls in a high call volume environment
• Experience of working as part of a team

Qualifications

• Education to GCSE level or above essential. (at least 3 GCSEs at A* - C)
• Customer Care training

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.