Job Description
Job summary
We are looking for a full time receptionist/admin assistant to join our busy GP practice. The ideal candidate will be flexible, friendly, with excellent customer service skills and work well within a team, whilst also able to use their own initiative. Good IT skills and an ability to work within a busy environment are also required. The ideal candidate will be able to work Monday-Friday and Saturday on a rota basis. Previous NHS receptionist or clerical experience would be advantageous.
Main duties of the job
You will be working in a customer facing role, supporting patients to access appropriate services, handling requests for medication, processing documentation and providing administrative support to clinical staff and other members of the practice.
About us
We are a friendly PMS practice with approx. 11,000 patients.
- 8 GPs, Practice Nurse and Care Co-ordinator
- Paperless EMIS WEB, EPS practice
- High QoF achieving practice
- On-site phlebotomy, radiology and physiotherapy.
- Postgraduate and undergraduate training practice
Up the hill from Clapham Junction in the eco-friendly purpose built brown wooden clad building.
General Practice where you enjoy coming to work and are energised by the patients.
Job description
Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.
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.
- Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the practice
- Deal with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments.
- Using your own judgment and communication skills, ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultation are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner.
- Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover, and ensure procedures are completed.
- Receive and make telephone calls as required. Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery.
- Enter requests for home visits into the home visit appointment book, ensuring to carefully record all relevant details and referring to duty doctor where necessary.
- Action repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient within 48 hours.
- Ensuring completion of all clinics associated paperwork promptly, and clear handover is done at the end of shift of any leftover tasks.
- Ensure Team tasks in clinical system are promptly actioned.
- Make appointments for hospital transport, ambulance and interpreters when required.
- Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non-General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.
- Enter patient information on to the computer as required.
- Patient notes and correspondence:
- Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to
- Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc. are scanned and filed promptly and in the correct records, ensuring that all recent correspondence is available when patients are seen.
- Ensure scanning and Filings Tasks are completed according to Practice procedure in a timely manner.
- Ensure records are kept in good repair, with all necessary information on the outside cover clearly visible.
- Make and serve refreshments, ensure the tea area is kept clean and tidy and tidy the waiting room in turn with other staff.
- Premises:
- Open up premises at the start of the day when first to arrive and make all necessary preparations to receive patients.
- When last to leave at the end of the day, ensure that the building is totally secured, internal lights are off and the alarm activated (if required).
- Ensure Practices clear desk Policy is adhered to during the working day.
- Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately
- Type hospital referral letters in the absence of administrators.
- Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the partners or the practice manager.
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, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will 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
- Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
- Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role
- Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
- Reporting potential risks identified
- Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
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
- Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Personal/professional development:
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:
- Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
- Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
Quality:
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
- Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
- Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
- Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
- Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
- Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
Communication:
The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively with other team members
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers
- Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
Contribution to the implementation of services:
The post-holder will:
- Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
- Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
- Participate in audit where appropriate
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE English C or above
- GCSE Mathematics C or above
Desirable
Experience
Desirable
- Experience working in a primary care environment
- Experience of reception work
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Excellent keyboard and computer skills
- Effective Communication
- EMIS Web or System 1
Desirable
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
- Strong IT skills
- Clear, polite telephone manner
- Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
- Good interpersonal skills
Desirable
- Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Smart, polite and confident
- Flexible and cooperative
- Motivated, forward thinker
- Ability to work under pressure / in stressful situations
- Commitment to ongoing professional development
- Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort
Other requirements
Essential
- Flexibility of working hours/able to work at the desired times
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants
Work Remotely
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £11.05 per hour
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
- Weekend availability
Ability to commute/relocate:
- London SW11 1SW: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- EMIS or System 1: 1 year (required)
- Medical Secretaries & Receptionists: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 21/07/2023