Patient Coordinator/receptionist

RECEPTIONIST / PATIENT SERVICES

JOB TITLE: RECEPTIONIST / PATIENT SERVICES

**REPORTS TO: RECEPTION SUPERVISOR / ASSISTANT PRACTICE MANAGER**

**Job summary**:
To 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, professional and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone.

You will be required to work extra hours (overtime) when colleagues are absent due to sickness, holidays or other absences.

**Job responsibilities**:

- To have a thorough knowledge of all practice procedures.
- To work in accordance of written protocols
- Be able to cover all reception positions and tasks as necessary
- 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.
- Process appointment requests from patients by telephone and in person.
- Deal with visits requests
- 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.
- Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.
- Retrieve and re-file patient records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to.
- Open post and distribute as appropriate.
- To scan and allocate clinical correspondence to the patient record.
Computer
- Data entry to the clinical system and the electronic patient record.
Other Tasks
- Clear rooms after surgeries
- Make and serve refreshments, ensure the kitchen is kept clean and tidy, and tidy the waiting room in turn with other staff.
- 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.
- Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Practice Manager.

**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 manual, 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 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
- Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
- Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder’s role
- Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
- 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 circumstance