Receptionist

NHS Jobs; Ramsgate; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Ramsgate practice is seeking a friendly Front Desk receptionist to greet patients and visitors, manage registrations, and coordinate appointments with GPs, nurses, and other clinicians. You will support in handling forms, directing patients to the appropriate waiting area, and maintaining a calm reception environment.

You will communicate with patients and staff professionally, process sign-ins, and help ensure efficient clinic operations while upholding NHS standards and patient

Qualifications

• Greet patients and visitors at front desk in a welcoming manner.
• Sign in patients and direct to waiting area or relevant department.
• Handle registrations and appointments in line with practice procedures.
• Assist with forms, including blood/urine forms and X-ray requests.
• Answer calls professionally and coordinate with clinical staff.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a welcoming front desk presence and ensure smooth patient flow.
• Process registrations (regular and temporary) and schedule GP, nurse, flu, and third-party appointments.
• Manage patient communications, including triage of urgent visits and direct to GP when needed.
• Support in handling prescriptions, forms, and non-NHS payments as required.
• Keep reception area tidy, stocked, and compliant with practice protocols.
• Collaborate with GP and administrative teams to support service delivery.

Job description

Front Desk

• Tend to the front desk ensuring to greet patients and visitors on their arrival to the practice in a welcoming manner.
• Ensure all patients and visitors to the practice are signed in and directed to the relevant waiting area.
• Inform the relevant host for example, the GP, Nurse or Practice Manager of any patients or visitors arrival Accept payments and issue receipts for non-NHS services.
• Book ambulances/appropriate transport for patients according to protocols.
• Assist patients with requests for Blood Forms, Urine Forms and Xray forms, printing where necessary.
• Assist patients to use the POD, checking blood pressure and stats.
• Receive samples from patients, refusing those that have not been requested and/or expected.
• Keep the reception area, noticeboards and leaflet dispensers clean, tidy and free from obstructions and clutter.
• Support in ensuring the reception area remains a calm environment for all.
• Politely and safely addressing any disruptive behaviours, escalating to management where appropriate.

Registrations and Appointments

• Process registrations both regular and temporary ensuring complete information and appropriate ID.
• Book in, amend and cancel general (GP/Nurse), clinic (Flu) and third party (Physio) patient appointments in line with practice appointment procedures, ensuring optimum efficiency of the appointment system.
• Monitor the incoming E-Consult messages booking an appropriate appointment or directing to the most appropriate department.
• Monitor the 111 clinical screen and directing as appropriate Receive and accurately record requests for home visits, assessing urgency in accordance with the Practices protocols.
• Ensure that patients without appointments but who need 'urgent consultations are booked into appropriate slots and referred to a GP where necessary.
• Once trained, chaperone patients to their GP appointment as and when requested, this can include intimate examinations.

Prescriptions and Certificates

• Receive and process prescription requests accurately and in accordance with practice guidelines
• Raise any prescription queries with the appropriate department including status check of whether it has been issued and where it is.

Advice and guidance

• Provide advice (non-medical) and contact details of third-party services to patients as required.
• For example, suggesting a patient contact the Urgent Mental Health Team.
• Respond to and/or redirect all general enquiries, explaining procedures where necessary and processing paperwork where required.

Communication

• Answer incoming telephone calls in a timely and professional manner, ensuring calls are documented and actioned and/or redirected as appropriate.
• Communicate with GPs, Nurses, and the Clinical Team as necessary including passing information across to be processed, chasing documentation, results, and appointment information.
• Communicate in writing (letters and electronically) and verbally with a wide range of providers and users of services, including patients; carers; voluntary; social; primary and secondary care providers.
• Liaising with GP/Clinicians, forwarding concerns, chasing for samples, letters, prescriptions and other paperwork Monitor the reception email account and action any requests needed, raising any urgent enquiries to your line manager where relevant

Data Handling

• Document information received from patients or third-party agencies, accurately on EMIS.
• For example, urgent blood results from path labs, patients home blood pressure readings and any urgent referral advice provided to them.
• Undertake manual and electronic filing and retrieving of paperwork ensuring up-to-date maintenance of both computerised and manual filing systems (i.e. patient notes).
• Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures.

Equipment and Stock Control

• Efficient filling of sample pots, testing kits, appointment cards, registration paperwork and other necessary aids.
• Clearing and re-stocking stationery items in work areas as required, ensuring low stock levels are reported to the relevant leads and ensuring a clear desk policy.
• Safely accept and record receipt of any vaccine/medication deliveries, ensuring safe storage of items and informing relevant departments
• Pack specimens ready for collection by the local hospital.

Miscellaneous

• Opening and locking up of practice premises (where needed) and maintaining security in accordance with practice protocols at all times.
• Keep up to date with any new guidance and changes within the team.
• Supporting in the training of new reception team members.
• Complete any special duties as outlined by your line manager

General Duties

• To work collaboratively and professionally with colleagues across Invicta Health, building and maintaining relationships.
• To contribute to the development of services, including processes, templates and principles.
• To take part in any statutory and mandatory training or other training and development programmes as requested.
• Any other reasonable duties as directed by your line manager.