Patient Advisor

**Job Purpose**

Be the first point of contact for all patients attending and/or contacting the Practice via telephone.

Optimise the patient’s journey and be an ambassador for the Practice.

Project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors,

Work as part of the Practice 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 healthcare professionals and voluntary services.

Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.

Undertake a variety of administrative duties to assist the smooth running of the practice.

**MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST**

The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the Patient Advisor Team may include any or all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Practice Operations Manager, dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:

- Provide clear concise information to patients.
- Acknowledge all visitors on arrival.
- Registration of new/temporary patients to be in accordance with the Practice Protocol, ensuring the patients reside within the Practice boundaries, and explaining all relevant practice procedures to these patients.
- Arrange all routine appointments for patients including GP, Nurse, HCA, Phlebotomy and all other service providers for whom we run appointment systems.
- Patients requiring urgent medical assistance on the day are to be assessed appropriately, ensuring the UC Protocol/SDS/Triage protocols are referred to and followed at all times.
- Respond to all queries and requests for assistance from patients and other visitors - either via desk or telephone.
- Be aware of the clinicians currently working in the building, observe clinics running late and advise patients who are waiting and apologise.
- When accepting any specimen samples - ensure that this is documented on patients’ records and relevant clinician is notified as necessary.
- Communicate test results to patients.
- Advise patients of relevant charges for Private Services. Take payment and issue receipts in accordance with the Reports/Private work Protocol.
- Deal with medication requests. Liaise closely with the Practice Medicine Management Team.
- Distribute prescriptions to patients/chemists ensuring the signing out book on reception is completed correctly.
- Arrange urgent ambulance transportation at the request of a clinician; ensuring a booking reference is obtain and documented on the patients records.
- Provide an efficient and detailed handover to the colleague taking over from your shift.
- Liaise with service providers such as District Nurses, Practice Nurses, Health Visitors, Midwife and other service providers.
- Individual staff folders to be maintained and kept up to date at all times.
- Complete Tasks and Workflows on a daily basis; ensuring individual task/workflow sheet completed and passed to senior receptionist at the end of each shift.
- Provide administrative support to the Practice such as opening, dating and distributing mail, faxing/ photocopying and other general admin tasks.
- Ensure all doors to the building, all windows and our rooms are closed and locked at the end of each working day.
- Alarm to be set when you are the last members of the Practice to leave the building.
- Provide infection control services such as cleaning after spills or accidents, which may include bodily fluids.
- Provide chaperone duties for patients.

**Practice Appointment Systems**:

- Ensure total familiarity with all appointment systems in effect including any variations.
- Follow Practice Protocols for booking appointments e.g. Nurse Matrix, UC Protocol, Same Day Service Protocol.
- Task Admin staff to arrange medicals i.e. HGV, Taxi etc.

**Prepare Consulting Rooms**:

- Ensure that consulting rooms are prepared in readiness for each consulting session, checking full range of forms and equipment, restocking where required.
- Ensure that the consulting rooms are checked at the end of each consulting session and left tidy and secure. Checklist on sites to be completed daily.

**Urgent Care phone room**:

- Be available and logged on your computer/telephones at start of each shift.
- Receive calls and manage all enquires as required ensuring patient confidentiality is upheld at all times.
- Make every contact count - ensure calls cleared fully at the time, removing the need for unnecessary call backs.
- Liaise closely with Duty Team ensuring UC protocol is followed at all times.
- Complete EMIS/Same Day Service Templates fully for all Urgent Care appointments.
- Report any problems with phone/IT systems to Urgent Care Manager.
- Telephone calls must be answered swiftly and processed efficiently and courteously.
- Ensure UC Protocols are referred to; and if unsure