Medical Receptionist

**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 via the telephone.

Undertake a variety of administrative duties to assist in the smooth running of the practice including the provision of clerical support to clinical staff and other members of the practice team.

Covering for colleagues when on holiday or off sick.

To attend staff and team meetings as necessary.

To provide reception cover for extended hours opening as requested.

**Responsibilities**:

- Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the practice
- Undertake Care Navigation of patients ensuring patients are directed to the most appropriate clinician or service
- Deal with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow up appointments
- Ensure patients are kept informed of any likely delays
- Using your own judgement 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 and appropriate delivery.
- Action repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection or sent by EPS to the pharmacy of choice within 48 hours, either on the computer or manually.
- Action all electronic repeat prescriptions as per the written protocol
- Advise patients of relevant charges for private (Non GMS Services) accept payment and issue receipts for the same.
- Enter patient information on to the computer as required
- Patient Notes and correspondence:
v Retrieve and re-file records as required ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to

v Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc are filed promptly and in the correct records or archive box All clinical letters need to be filed via Docman on the day that they are received into practice to ensure a robust filing system to ensure that all recent correspondence is available when patients are seen

v Ensure records are kept in good repair with all necessary information on the outside cover clearly visible.
- Premises:

- Open up reception at the start of the day when first to arrive, make all necessary preparations to receive patients ensuring the telephone divert to out of hours is de-activated before 8am
- When last to leave at the end of the day ensure that the telephone divert to out of hours is activated at 6.00pm and ensure the reception is totally secured, internal lights are off and the computer system is logged off
- Ensure that all new patients are registered on to the computer system promptly and accurately
- Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or Practice Manager
- Ensure that the practice complaints and comments procedures are followed and that all patients’ comments are registered and dealt with appropriately
- Support the Practice Manager with quality and outcome framework i.e. smoking data, flu clinics as and when requested.
- Ensure external mail is taken to the post office on a daily basis and ensure any recorded deliveries are auctioned accordingly.

**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 the 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 confidentially and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

**Health & Safety**

The post holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and other’s health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy to 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