Receptionist / Clerical Officer

NHS; Salford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Salford seeks an organized Receptionist and Administrative Assistant to manage patient interactions and support clinical teams. The role involves greeting patients, handling inquiries, scheduling appointments, and maintaining patient records. Candidates should have a good standard of education and experience in customer service or administrative roles, ideally within a clinical setting. Flexibility in working hours is required as duties may include shifts between 6am and 11pm.

Qualifications

• Experience in a customer service or patient-related environment.
• Experience with administrative duties.
• Experience in a clinical environment within the NHS.
• Knowledge of patient information/recording systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide reception support, including greeting and assisting patients.
• Handle patient queries effectively and empathetically.
• Maintain confidentiality and follow health and safety legislation.
• Schedule patient appointments and transport as necessary.

Skills

Effective communication

Customer/patient care skills

Organizational skills

Initiative

Education

Good standard level of Education

Tools

Healthcare IT systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

The main purpose of the role is to provide a full and confidential reception and administrative service. The post holder will act as the first point of contact to visitors and patients attending the hospital, prioritising information and dealing with routine enquiries from service users, colleagues and visitors. The post holder will be required to work closely with other administrative staff, but also work alone and use their initiative to resolve/process daily queries. They will provide Reception/Administrative support to other areas within the radiotherapy service at The Christie at Salford.

The post holder must contribute to the efficient running of the service, and work within The Christie NHS Foundation Trust policies and Health & Safety legislation.

See job description for further information.

Main duties of the job

Communication Skills:

Ensuring accurate recording/input of treatment and planning data
Organising and scheduling patient appointments
Greeting and escorting patients
Assisting patients with appointment queries

Knowledge, training and experience:

Problem solving & forward thinking
Uses knowledge of integrated clinical information systems for collating data and adding referrals
Data input and radiotherapy completion tasks
Where applicable, provides retrieval of medical documents for clinical information including those from other Trusts

Personal Skills:

Liaises with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure that adequate information and support is available to patients

Other Responsibilities:

Is responsible for stock control in areas of work
Is responsible for the production and processing of all relevant completion letters following a patient's treatment
Creation of Follow up appointments on treatment completion

Effort:

Manual handling tasks as required

About us

The Christie at Salford opened in 2011 and is one of three Christie satellite centres delivering Radiotherapy to patients closer to their homes.

The Reception team works closely with the radiographers and medical team providing administration, practical and clinical support for patients.

Working hours must be flexible to fit the needs of the service and individuals will be expected to participate in all shift patterns and will be contracted to work between 6am and 11pm, however routinely the department works between the hours of 7.30am and 8pm Monday to Friday (including bank holidays). Flexible working and part-time/job shares will be considered.

Patient care is important to us and training will be given for the skills required.

Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Communication Skills

Meet and greet patients attending the Radiotherapy department, using effective communication skills when dealing with enquiries, providing empathy and reassurance to service users, relatives and visitors who may become aggressive, or emotionally distressed, referring them to the appropriate person or department for further assistance. Exchange information with patients and staff, both verbally and in written format Communicate information between departments internally and external.

Knowledge, training and experience

Access patients demographic details on Medway and amend as necessary. Enter patient onto the Medway appointment system Provide comprehensive advice to patients/relatives regarding appointments. Track patient case notes in Medway system. Deal with queries from patients and other service users, for example GPs, hospital staff, social services, voluntary organisations and Trust management. Liaise with other members of staff regarding case notes and patient visits Resolves issues arising in own role, such as cancellation of patient appointments Uses own initiative to liaise with clinical staff where necessary regarding patient queries Use patient information systems to assist patients and staff. Work in Medway system, requiring standard keyboard skills Use of office equipment including PCs, fax machine, and phones. Maintain patient confidentiality at all times Follow all relevant policies and legislation. Post holder is expected to follow all relevant protocols, and standard practice. Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure policies are adhered to. Undertakes surveys/audits as necessary to own work. Manager is available as point of reference for any queries and will meet regularly.

Planning and Organisation

Use own initiative to solve problems referring to manager as necessary. Books patient transport where applicable and deals with transport queries Booking and scheduling of physiotherapy and complimentary therapy and support services on site Plan and organise own time and workload activity with prioritisation Record all data in an accurate and timely manner. The post holder will be expected undergo relevant training and to take an active role in own personal development. The need for flexibility in this role is paramount as the post holder may be required to work in other locations and work flexible shifts.

Undertakes a range of different delegated duties across the Radiotherapy Department as allocated by the relevant line manager. Will record patient information and data and contribute to the implementation of patients clinical care packages.

Freedom to Act

Will be required to utilise own initiative but work within defined SOPS, Procedures and Policies. When there is doubt or the post holder is unsure then there will be more senior members of staff available to raise issues with and receive guidance from.

Working Conditions Working hours must be flexible to the needs of the service, this may include working weekends. Expected to participate in all shift patterns

Teaching/Training Attends all relevant mandatory training courses Maintains own personal development Participate in relevant training, meetings and work at The Christie Withington site and other satellites within the network as required. Assists in the training and/or orientation of clinical support worker and any other students. Complete Christie Care Certificate as mandated by the Trust. Required to demonstrate tasks and duties to new and less experienced members of the team.

This is not an exhaustive list and additional duties may be required as requested by the lead radiographer/ principal radiographer.

requested by the lead radiographer/ principal radiographer.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Good standard level of Education

Experience

• Experience of working in a customer service or patient related environment.
• Experience of undertaking administrative duties.
• Experience of working in a clinical environment within the NHS.
• Experience of using multiple healthcare IT systems

Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Customer/patient care skills.
• Able to work using own initiative, following instructions from a registered health professional and line management.
• Excellent organisational skills

Knowledge

• Knowledge of patient information /recording systems.
• IT literate.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications

Values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

Other

• Able to work flexibly.
• Empathetic and caring

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.