Patient Services Telephone Navigator

_Lancaster Medical Practice is a large, at-scale, GP provider delivering General Medical Services to around 68,000 patients in Lancaster and surrounding villages. Formed in April 2017 from our successful, legacy practices, Lancaster Medical Practice has continued to evolve to become the strong, high performing Practice it is today, receiving a rating of ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission in August 2018._

**Job Summary**:

- To work in our busy telephone hub dealing with incoming calls.
- To assist patients, carers and other organisations with making appointments, navigating patient pathways, accessing care and directing them to 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 health care professionals via the telephone, to provide efficient, helpful, informative, and supportive telephone services to patients and members of the primary health care team.

**Key Duties/Responsibilities**
- Ensure an effective and efficient telephone answering service is provided to patients and other members of the public who contact the Practice.
- To have a thorough knowledge of practice procedures.
- To work in accordance with written protocols and procedures.
- Working within your team to ensure that telephone calls are answered within set targets.
- Deal with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments.
- 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.
- Take requests for home visits and follow written protocols.
- Take action on clinicians and colleagues requests for further information/patient contact information etc. (including computerised tasks), ensuring completion of all associated paperwork.
- Prepare and stock clinical rooms for surgeries, supply prescription and record numbers in use and ensure adequate supplies of consumables (including bottles, couch rolls, test request forms etc.)
- 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 electronic & paper record as required.
- Covering colleagues’ holiday and sick cover as required.
- Record actions taken in patient record where appropriate or in accordance with practice protocols.
- Any other administration duties as necessitated by the needs of the practice.

**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.

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.

**Safeguarding**:
LMP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff are therefore expected to behave in such a way that supports this commitment. You will be responsible for safeguarding the interests of children and adults who you come into contact during your work. To fulfil these duties, you will be required to attend training and development to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse or individuals at risk, to follow local and national policy relating to safeguarding practice and to report and act on concerns you may have appropriately

Qualifications Required: English GCSE (or equivalent) Level C or equivalent experience

Experience : Previous experience that demonstrates good attention to detail.

Previous experience of dealing with the public/patients

Previous experience of call handling

**Job Types**: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent

Pay: £11.44 per hour

**Benefits**:

- Company pension
- Free flu jabs
- Sick pay
- Store discount

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