Care Navigator

**Job description**

The primary purpose of this role is to be the first point of contact for patients. This is a challenging role in a dynamic and sometimes pressured environment. If you thrive on being busy and dealing with a variety of queries then this role would suit you.

There is no average day in General Practice and you never know what type of patient query you will deal with next. You will handle queries from our patients, carers, relatives and other healthcare professionals and organisations.

We are a large training practice in the heart of Ilkeston, Derbyshire with over 18,500 patients. Our team consists of 7 GP partners, 7 salaried GPs, 4 Nurse Practitioners, 5 Practice Nurses, 6 Health care assistants and a Clinical Pharmacist. In addition to that, we have a large administrative team to support the clinical team.

We are rated Outstanding by CQC and strongly believe in training and development to ensure all of our team fulfill their potential and feel empowered at work.

Our staff and our patients are important to us and should feel valued and respected.

**_Other main purposes include:_**
- Providing a friendly, efficient and polite telephone enquiry service. The appointee will proactively communicate information between relevant patients, GPs and colleagues.
- Our telephones need to be answered promptly to reduce call waiting times for patients. We know our patients have busy lives and want to speak to us as quickly as possible.
- The care navigators must demonstrate efficiency, knowledge and skill in navigating the call and ensuring the patient needs are addressed in full, which can involve signposting to a more appropriate service.
- Setting a positive professional example to both patients and colleagues and supporting your colleagues in all aspects of the role, being mindful of each other and being aware of when your colleagues need further assistance particularly if one area of reception is busy and other areas are not.
- Prioritise tasks and remain calm in a busy environment, dealing with competing demands from patients and doctors etc. This means working as a team, communicating well with each other to avoid duplication in work and to keep tasks down to a minimum. Recognising when it would be appropriate to fulfil the whole patient encounter at the time, rather than passing on work to a colleague.
- Adhering to and enforcing all surgery policies and procedures, keeping up to date with new policies and changes to policies as required.

**_Job Responsibilities:_**

The main reception desk and the phone lines are a receptionist’s first and foremost priority and the rota for staffing will reflect this. Our patients are the focus of everything we do and should be treated as such.
- Re-direct patients to the most appropriate healthcare provider;
- Free clinical time by undertaking admin/clerical tasks from patient encounters;
- Educate and inform patient about use of services;
- Facilitate patient pathways
- Knowledge of voluntary and social service which are available in the local area
- Generating and promoting new ideas to enable workloads to become more effective.
- Answering the telephone professionally, efficiently and conveying messages to record patient encounter notes on the SystmOne clinical system to ensure accurate record keeping and audit trails.
- Recognising own limitations and knowing when to ask for help or guidance.
- Recognise signs of medical emergency and ensure emergency response is provided. This may mean calling 999 for an ambulance or discussing with the on-call GP. Ensure these encounters are documented clearly in the patient record.
- Booking appointments for patients following correct guidelines
- Navigating, using resources wisely. Being able to explain reasoning to the patients in a confident and reassuring way
- Dealing with patient general enquires and ensuring this is completed in a timely manner and checking that correct advice is given which is also up to date. This may also involve passing the enquiry to a more appropriately skilled colleague for actioning if so required.
- Having a basic knowledge around private / non-nhs work and charging patients the appropriate amount for private work, providing a receipt to the patient and recording the charge following the policies and procedures set in place. Ensuring consent is provided in writing.

Ensuring new patient registration forms are complete in full and signed before accepting. Booking new patient medical checks for new patients at the time of taking the forms.

**Salary**: £10.52 per hour

**Benefits**:

- Company pension
- On-site parking
- Sick pay

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person