Medical Receptionist/Patient Services Officer

Job summary

24 hours per week as follows:

Monday

Tuesday

Thursday

Friday

This is a patient facing role and applicants must have proven customer service skills and recognise the importance of empathy and compassion when communicating with patients.

The role involves assisting the patient in accessing health care services at the practice, care navigation and signposting.

Main duties of the job

Good organisational skills and ability to multi-task is essential in this busy working environment.

Applicants must be flexible to cover annual leave and absence within the department.

The post-holder will assist the Patient Services Team Leader in implementing a full range of medical reception duties within the practice and will possess demonstrable experience of communication with patients and practice colleagues. The successful applicant will ideally have had some previous experience of customer service, preferably in the medical field of work.

About us

We are a team of 8 GPs, 5 nursing colleagues and supporting administrative staff, serving a population of 10,000 in the Halesowen area. Halesowen Medical Practice, also known as St. Margaret's Well Surgery, is also a training practice for specialist GP Registrars.

The clinical systems in use include EmisWeb, Footfall and Docman.

We operate from a purpose built primary care premises with staff parking.

We have a friendly team with a shared purpose of providing good quality care to our patients.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary

The purpose of the role is 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 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.

· Facilitate effective communication between patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care and other associated healthcare agencies.

· Undertake signposting of patients in the role of a Care Navigator to other health and social care services as appropriate.

Job Responsibilities The post holder will:

Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice 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. Maintaining and monitoring the practice appointment system. Processing personal and telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations, and ensuring that callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional. Action repeat prescription requests in accordance with practice guidelines. Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non- General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same. Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures Patient notes and correspondence: Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to. Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately Process patients change of address – computer data and medical records (have knowledge of Practice area. Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members and associated healthcare agencies and providers. Processing and distributing incoming and outgoing mail. Providing clerical assistance to practice staff and clinicians from time to time, including data processing, filing, photocopying, faxing and scanning. Taking messages and passing on information. To monitor visitors to the practice, ensuring that practice protocols are adhered to. Ensure the waiting room is kept clean and tidy and notice boards and leaflet dispensers are updated under the direction of the Team Leader or Practice Manager. Receiving all deliveries to the practice and ensuring that recipients are notified promptly following receipt and that where vaccines are received, action is taken to ensure maintenance of cold chain. Receiving payments from patients for non-NHS work carried out by the practice in accordance with practice protocol. Communicating test results to patients at the request of the clinician in accordance with practice protocol. Handling patient samples and sharps boxes in accordance with the practice protocol. To oversee clinical waste collections in accordance with the practice protocol. To view the shredding of confidential clinical waste material upon collection. Arrange transport for patients where required. Organise interpretation services for patients where required. Opening up/locking up of practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with practice protocols. Assisting in the induction of new staff to the practice. Provision of refreshments for staff and visitors as required; loading and emptying the dishwasher and keeping kitchen areas clean and tidy in turn with other teams. To purchase milk and other sundries in accordance with the agreed practice rota using practice funds. To provide cover within the department or within the Clinical Support Services Department where directed. To undertake any other duties as requested by Team Leader or Management Team.

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 Employee Health and 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 health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness with the scope of the job holder’s role

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 recognises 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 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 performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members Communicate effectively with patients and carers Recognise the need for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

The above list of duties is not exhaustive and may be subject to change as deemed necessary.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

5 GCSEs at grade 4 (or equivalent) or above including Maths and English Recognised Microsoft Office Qualification ( ECDL) or relevant experience

Desirable

NVQ Customer Service/ Retail Level 2 or equivalent AMSPAR Health Administration Level 2 or equivalent. AMSPAR Medical Terminology Level 2 or equivalent. NVQ Business Administration Level 2 or equivalent

Experience

Essential

Experience working in a reception role. Experience of Information Governance and confidentiality protocols Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. Excellent keyboard and computer skills Excellent communication (oral and written) and inter personal skills Positive and self assured body language skills Literacy and numeracy skills Good time management Smart and appropriate appearance Clear and articulate speech An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality A demonstrable commitment to professional development Able to undertake training outside of normal working hours if necessary Flexible with regard to working hours and able to provide cover for holiday and sickness absence Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense to make decisions within defined procedures Confident, reliable and self-reliant Positive attitude to change and a pro-active approach but also pragmatic and realistic Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team Adaptable, innovative, forward looking Honest, caring and sympathetic Hard working, reliable and resourceful Methodical and organised

Desirable

Similar role within general practice setting Clinical software skills

---