Receptionist

JOB TITLE: Receptionist

REPORTS TO: Reception Manager

HOURS: 27 hours per week

Job summary:
We are seeking an individual who can join our friendly reception team at Townsend House. You will act as a focal point of communication between the GPs, Business Manager, patients and other members of the primary health care team.

We would welcome applicants who can demonstrate brilliant inter-personal skills and achieve high levels of attention to detail. If you have previous reception experience, general practice experience or SystmOne training we would be particularly interested in speaking to you.

The successful applicant would be required to work between Townsend House and Beer Walrond Medical Centre.

Job Responsibilities:

- Be one of the faces of Townsend House; ensure patient communication is efficient and friendly both in person and on the telephone
- Opening up/locking-up of Practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with Practice protocols
- Maintaining and monitoring the Practice appointments system
- Processing personal and telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional
- Informing patients of test results and action any follow ups given by GPs
- Processing repeat prescriptions in accordance with Practice guidelines
- Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with Practice procedures
- Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members and associated healthcare agencies and providers
- Keeping the reception area, notice-boards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free from obstructions and clutter
- Assist with summarising patient records
- Photocopying forms routinely and collating other documents as required
- Scan and attach letters on to patient records

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
- Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

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 that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional development:
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

- Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
- Taking responsibility for own development, learning and perfor