Patient Advisor

Penketh Health Centre

JOB TITLE: Patient advisor

RESPONSIBLE TO: Operations Manager

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Practice Manager

JOB PURPOSE:
Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the practice. Be able to recognise that most of the people that attend the practice are unwell and as such must be handled both sympathetically and sensitively understanding the need to be receptive to a patient’s situation and the need to adapt and respond accordingly

KEY RELATIONSHIPS
- Users of the Practice Services
- General Practitioners
- Practice Nurses
- Management Team
- Peers

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
- Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and affective way.
- Act as a focal point of communication between patients, Doctors and other members of the Primary care team. Provide support to the entire practice team.
- Aid delivery of the GMS contract and help meet agreed targets.
- It is expected that you conduct yourself with tact, compassion and efficiency and remain pleasant and professional at all times. Behave in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual.
- Uphold the Corporate image of the practice, with a customer orientated approach
- Deal with all general enquiries, politely explain procedures and make new and follow up appointments
- Ensure all patients are prompted for the information highlighted from screen alerts
- Using your own judgement and communication skills ensure that patients with no prior appointment, but who need urgent consultations 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
- Enter requests for home visits onto the visit triage list, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to duty doctor
- Action repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient within 48 hours
- Advise patients of relevant charges for private work accept and record payment and issue receipts for same. Ensure patient has provided signed consent
- Enter patient information on to the computer record as required, ensuring all reports, results and correspondence is scanned / filed correctly
- Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to
- Ensure cover is maintained due to staff holidays, sickness, absence
- Ensure the Health & Safety to the Practice and its occupants is paramount
- Ensure Practice confidentiality, data protection, security and information governance policies are strictly adhered to at all times
- Ensure handovers are maintained at change of shifts and all relevant information is passed over to ensure a seamless transition period
- Answer telephones promptly, including any ringing unmanned telephone. Answer the telephone in a caring, professional manner, directing the call to the most appropriate person. Ensure telephones are diverted as appropriate at the relevant times
- Identify any discrepancies / errors which may arise in any area, investigate and amend them accurately.
- Use the computer system ensuring data is protected at all times. Use smart card as appropriate.

Ensure passwords are not shared and smart cards are kept safe and secure at all times.
- You are responsible for keeping up to date with practice protocol and policies.

CONFIDENTIALITY
- In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather sensitive information 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, you may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carer’s, practice staff and other healthcare workers. You 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, carer’s, colleagues, or other healthcare workers or the business of the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

HEALTH & SAFETY
- You will assist in promoting and maintaining your own and other’s health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy
- 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
- You will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carer’s and colleagues