Triage Receptionist

NHS; City Of London; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in London seeks a compassionate Medical Triage Receptionist to be the first point of contact for patients. Responsibilities include managing incoming calls, assessing needs, scheduling appointments, and ensuring a safe and efficient patient experience. The ideal candidate should demonstrate excellent communication skills and a calm demeanor under pressure.

Qualifications

• Experience handling high call volumes.
• Knowledge of triage protocols and healthcare services.
• Compassionate approach to patient care.

Responsibilities

• Manage calls and assess patient needs via triage.
• Schedule and coordinate appointments with clinical staff.
• Ensure confidentiality in patient interactions.
• Handle queries and provide clear instructions to patients.

Skills

Excellent communication and active listening skills

Ability to remain calm under pressure

Strong organizational and multitasking ability

Proficient with patient management systems

Understanding of confidentiality and safeguarding principles

Empathy and patience

Job description

Overview

The Medical Triage Receptionist is the first point of contact for patients. They are responsible for managing incoming calls, assessing patient needs through triage protocols, scheduling appointments, and directing patients to the appropriate healthcare professional. The role ensures safe, efficient, and compassionate access to care.

Responsibilities

Administration

• Book, reschedule, and cancel appointments according to practice protocols.
• Record all interactions accurately in the system using the Triage Template.
• Manage incoming emails, workflow, and post.
• Maintain confidentiality in line with GDPR.

Reception

• Answer incoming telephone calls promptly and professionally.
• Use established triage guidelines to assess patient needs and urgency.
• Gather accurate information on symptoms, concerns, and demographics.
• Direct patients to appropriate services with the doctor during triage time e.g., same-day GP, nurse, emergency services, or self-care.
• Transport booking for housebound patients.
• Stock intake and ordering supplies of pathology.
• Petty cash and income handling.
• Friends and Family test monitoring.
• Check rooms at the end of clinics.
• Chaperoning with appropriate training provided.
• Assisting clinicians with procedures if required.
• Emergency drug ordering.
• Deal with home visits requests.
• Booking with the remote hub for PCN, FCP, Mental health nurse, ANP, clinical pharmacists, HCAs and GPs over the weekend.
• Registrations of new patients (SystemOne and GMS paper forms).
• Process patients’ change of address and medical records; ensure knowledge of practice area.
• Process repeat prescription requests in accordance with practice guidelines.

Communication & Coordination

• Liaise with clinical staff regarding urgent or high-risk patients.
• Provide patients with clear instructions on next steps, appointments, referrals, and self-care.
• Handle queries related to prescriptions, test results, and follow-up care where appropriate.

Triage & Signposting

• Use agreed triage protocols and care navigation pathways to assess patient needs.
• Gather relevant information from patients in a sensitive and structured way (reason for appointment, urgency, symptoms), ensuring the template is used for every patient.
• Prioritise cases according to clinical urgency and escalate concerns to the duty GP, nurse, or appropriate clinician.
• Direct patients to the most suitable healthcare professional or service (e.g., GP, practice nurse, pharmacist, NHS 111, A&E, or community services).
• Manage same-day appointment demand, ensuring urgent clinical needs are identified and addressed.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent communication and active listening skills.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and handle high call volumes.
• Strong organizational and multitasking ability.
• Proficient with patient management systems and basic IT tools.
• Understanding of confidentiality and safeguarding principles.
• Empathy and patience when supporting diverse patient needs.

Other Tasks

• Clear rooms after surgeries.
• Ensure building security; have thorough knowledge of doors, windows, and alarms.
• Make coffee for doctors.
• Any other tasks allocated by managers.

About us

We are a hard working and collaborative team; we work together to provide the best possible care for patients across our two branches in Hounslow and in Southall. MWH\'s drive is to provide long lasting and well thought-out care for our patients.

Confidentiality

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with sensitive information and have the right to expect privacy and appropriate handling by staff.
• In performing duties, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients, carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers, as well as to the practice as a business. All such information is strictly confidential.
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues or the business may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with practice policies and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, including:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines.
• Identifying risks in work activities and undertaking duties responsibly to manage them.
• Using training to update knowledge and skills.
• Applying infection control procedures and maintaining tidy, safe work areas.
• Reporting potential risks identified.

Equality and Diversity

The post-holder will support equality, diversity and the rights of patients, carers and colleagues, including:

• Respecting rights and interpreting them in line with practice procedures and current legislation.
• Respecting privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.
• Behaving in a welcoming, non-judgmental manner that respects individual circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights.

Patient Care & Support

Offer reassurance, empathy, and clarity when dealing with anxious or distressed patients. Escalate medical emergencies immediately to clinical staff or emergency services. Ensure vulnerable patients (children, elderly, chronic illness, mental health) are prioritized appropriately.

Personal/Professional Development

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice, including:

• Annual individual performance review with responsibility for maintaining a record of personal and/or professional development.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and sharing relevant skills with others.

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice and:

• Alert team members to quality and risk issues.
• Assess own performance and take accountability for actions.
• Contribute to the team by reflecting on activities and suggesting improvements.
• Work effectively with others to meet patient needs.
• Manage own time, workload and resources.

Contribution to the Implementation of Services

The post-holder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance.
• Discuss with team how policies will affect own work.
• Participate in audits where appropriate.