Medical Receptionist

**JOB TITLE: Medical Receptionist**

**MAIN PURPOSE OF THE POST: To provide a point of contact for patients**

**and act as a focal point of communication**

**between patients, doctors and other medical staff.**

**RESPONSIBLE TO: Operations Lead**

**HOURS OF WORK: 25 hrs - work pattern to be discussed at interview**

**Mission Statement**

Our mission is to deliver an excellent and comprehensive range of healthcare services that are readily accessible and always delivered by highly skilled and well-trained professionals.

**MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST**:
1. **Reception Duties**
- Utilize appointment system to ensure efficiency of appointment system and monitor flow of patients into consulting and treatment rooms. Instruct patients on the use of the automated Check in system
- Ensure that patients without appointments 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, ensure procedures are completed.
- Advise patients of relevant charges for private services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.
- Respond to all queries and requests for assistance from patients and other visitors. Ensure all visitors are signed in and out of the premises.
- Enter requests for home visits onto GP Matrons list.
- Action requests for Ambulance Services.
- Ensure reception and waiting areas are kept neat and tidy.

**2. Management of appointment system**
- Ensure total familiarity with all appointment systems in effect including regular and incidental variations.
- Book appointments and recalls ensuring sufficient information is recorded to retrieve record.
- Monitor effectiveness of the system and report any problems or variations required.

**3. Management of medical records**
- Ensure that patients are booked appropriately to enable clinical staff to retrieve and correct records.
- Record and use patient information in accordance with local and national procedures and the law.

**4. Operation of telephone system**
- Receive and make calls as required. Divert calls and take messages as appropriate.

**5. Start and end of day procedures**
- Open up premises at start of day, set alarm to day function and make all necessary preparations to receive patients.
- Secure premises at end of day, ensuring the building is totally secured, internal lights and specified electrical equipment (including computers) are switched off and alarm activated
- Ensure post has gone.

**6. Any other delegated duties considered appropriate to the post**

**Special requirements of the post**
- An understanding, acceptance, and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
- An ability to use own judgment, resourcefulness, common sense and local knowledge to respond to patients’ enquiries and requests.
- Excellent communication skills.

**Communication**:
Communicate with your Department Manager and existing staff to ensure that cover is arranged for leave and sickness.

The post-holder will communicate effectively with Senior GP, Practice Business Manager and other team members.

**Confidentiality**:
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. All such information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential and must not be read by the post holder; nor divulged to anyone without specific permission of the Practice Business Manager.

**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, to include:

- Using necessary 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.

**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