Patient Advisor

**Job Title**

Patient Advisor

**Reports To**

Patient Advisor Team Leader

**Hours**

30hrs per week & 22hrs per week (2 posts)

**Salary**

£10.42ph

**Term**

Permanent

**Location**

All Ash Trees sites

**Job summary**:
An excellent opportunity has arisen for Ash Trees Surgery to recruit a Patient Advisor.

We are currently looking for an enthusiastic, customer focused Patient Advisor to join our friendly team working on reception and in our general office. This is a vital role which requires strong customer service skills, you will provide our patient population with a high quality, professional service and assist the public in accessing other service providers.

As a Patient Advisor you will work flexibly between 07:30am - 18:30pm Monday to Friday, a fixed working pattern will be provided.

We operate across 6 sites; you will have one site identified as your main site, but you may be asked to work at any of our sites as required.

Previous NHS experience is not necessary but desirable.

**Main Duties and Responsibilities**:

- Act as first point of contact for patients attending and/or contacting the Practice, with a caring and empathetic manner
- Make patient appointments for GPs, nurses and our wider team, handle requests for home visits, prepare records and prescriptions
- Answer incoming calls promptly, diverting calls, taking messages and responding to enquires as appropriate.
- Open premises at the start of each day (branch surgeries), switch off alarm and make all necessary preparations to receive patients for example - Prepare consulting and examination rooms, tidy waiting areaSecure premises at the end of each day, ensuring the building is totally secure, internal lights off and alarm activated
- Ensure information is computerised correctly and following protocols on a daily basis
- Ensure all records both paper and computerised are tidy and completed in the appropriate manner following procedures
- Ensure consulting rooms are prepared in readiness for each consulting period, reception and waiting areas are tidy and safe
- Working as part of a team and provide a key point of contact for communication between all patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care and other associated health care professionals and our wider community colleagues.
- New Patient and Temporary registrations
- Ensure the telephone system is operational at the beginning of each day and has switched over to night service at the end of each day
- Other duties may include processing of patient prescriptions or prescriptions online
- Assist with training new members of the Patient Advice Team

**ADDITIONAL INFORMATION**

**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.

**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 recognizes the importance of people’s 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 which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

**Health & Safety**:
Staff members are expected to assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to 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
- Reporting potential risks identified

**Personal/Professional Development**:
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such train