Medical Receptionist

**REPORTS TO: Reception Supervisor/Practice Manager**

**HOURS: Approx. 25-30 hours per week**

**Job summary**:
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 on the telephone.

Work effectively as part of a multi disciplinary team and on your own initiative.

**Responsibilities**:

- 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
- Assist patients to use the Egton self-check-in system
- 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. Have knowledge of the telephone/contact system including out of hours arrangements
- Enter requests for home visits etc on to the computer system, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to duty doctor
- Action repeat prescription requests, after training, and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient or chemists’ couriers within 48 hours, either on the computer or manually. Use the e-prescription service
- Prepare lists and notes for all surgeries and clinics held, when required, ensuring completion of all associated paperwork
- 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 filed promptly and in the correct records, ensuring that all recent correspondence is available when patients are seen
- Ensure records are kept in good repair with all necessary information on the outside cover clearly visible
- Make and serve refreshments, ensure the kitchen is kept clean and tidy and air and tidy the waiting room in turn with other staff. Clear consulting rooms after surgeries
- Premises:

- Open up premises at the start of the day when first to arrive, de-activate alarm 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
- Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately
- Process appointments request for today and future appointments from patients by telephone and in person
- Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners, Reception Supervision or Practice Manager

Computer
- Registration of new patients - computer data entry and medical records
- Process patients change of address - computer data and medical records (requiring knowledge of practice area)
- Learning the computer software system (EMIS Web)
- Use of Microsoft Word and Excel.

**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 policies, 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 th