Medical Receptionist

Job summary

Toprovide a comprehensive reception service to achieve an efficient and effectiveservice in providing the best possible care to patients.

Receptionistswill:

Greet people in a professional and courteous manner Pass on relevant information and answer queries Assist people to access the services they need Undertake a variety of reception duties to assist in the smooth runningof the Practice

Dutiesand Responsibilities in line with Practice policies and procedures:

Answer the telephone as a priority Book/cancel appointments Take messages accurately and pass on in a timely manner Organise home visit requests Deal with general enquiries and complaints To forward any queries relating to prescriptions to the Pharmacy Technicians Give out pathology results Register new patients and temporary residents and make up paper records Process deducted patients and send records to Primary Care Services Agency Greet and direct patients and visitors Organise translators Respond to the needs of GPs and Nurses to enable efficient clinics Input and extract information from the Practice computer system Update the clinical system with information eg smoking, ethnicity Action change of address notification Any other filing, record keeping and distribution of documents as appropriate Effectively liaise with Practice, Primary Care Organisations, patients and other external organisations to assist promptly with the resolution and administration of queries Fully utilise EMISWeb and other IT systems Monitor and check tasks and work flows Communicate effectively with the reception team to ensure policies and procedures are kept up to date Keep directories and data bases up to date to ensure an efficient work flow Demonstrate duties to new or less experienced staff Resolve job related issues, including patient documentation and help resolve minor problems Photocopying Dealing with mail internal and external Attend meetings when required To work safely at all times in accordance with legislation and Practice policies and procedures Be flexible both in the availability and being able to cover for colleagues absent from work due to annual leave or sickness Any other reasonable duties requested by the Practice Manager or GP This list is not exhaustive

Inaddition to the above, the post holder will show respect and courtesy topatients and colleagues, maintain confidentiality of patient and other Practiceinformation at all times. Workingoccasional extra hours may be required.

Thejob description is not exhaustive and may be adjusted periodically after reviewand consultation. You will be expectedto carry out reasonable duties which may be requested from time to time.

Working relationships

GeneralPractitioners PracticeManager and Team Leader Othermembers of secretarial team Membersof the Practice/community nursing team Othermembers of the Primary Health Care Team Patients Outsideagencies eg Secondary Care Trusts, Community Services

Allmembers of staff may be asked to attend periodic Staff Meetings, which may beheld outside their normal working hours. They may also be required to workextra hours covering for holidays and sickness. This may include Saturdaymornings and possibly weekend work in future on a rota basis.

Conditionsof employment including hours of work, holidays etc are covered in yourContract of Employment. The staff handbook contains employment policies.

Review:

Thepost and the job description reflect the current requirements and objectives ofthe post. As the duties of the postdevelop and change, the post holder may be required to carry out otherresponsibilities.

Whilstthere will be consultation on such issues, employees should understand that, ifagreement cannot be reached, then the employer reserves the right to makechanges to job descriptions where it considers such changes necessary.

Confidentiality:

In the courseof seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather sensitiveinformation in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the rightto expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately. In theperformance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post holder mayhave access to confidential information relating to patients, carers, Practicestaff and other health care workers. They may also have access to informationrelating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to beregarded as strictly confidential. Informationrelating to patients, carers, colleagues, other health care workers or the businessof the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with Practicepolicies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection ofpersonal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety:

The post-holder will assist in promotingand maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined inthe 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 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:

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 peoples 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 Development:

The post-holder willparticipate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part ofthis employment, such training to include:

Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own skills 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 striveto 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 teams performance Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder shouldrecognise the importance of effective communication within the team and willstrive to:

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

Contribution to theImplementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

Apply Practice policies, standards and guidance Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work Participate in audit where appropriate Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Intellectually robust with a minimum of five GCSEs or equivalent

Experience

Essential

Experience of working in a NHS setting Working knowledge of medical reception duties Experience of working with patients/public Knowledge of System One

Education and Training

Essential

Willingness to undergo education / training for both Practice and Service needs Willingness to work towards performance objectives (Appraisal)

Qualities and Attributes

Essential

Demonstrate motivation, reliability and commitment to team working Commitment to providing a high quality service Ability to work independently as well as part of a team Flexibility, commitment and adaptability An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality Pleasant and articulate Able to work under pressure Able to work in a changing environment Able to use own initiative Able to concentrate and be seated at a VDU for a significant part of the day

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range people Excellent written and verbal communication skills Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and discretion at all times Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense Able to work with minimal supervision following set procedures Computer literacy Good time management skills, able to prioritise and organise workload for best effect Ability to work to tight deadlines in a busy environment Attention to detail Willing to develop competency skills relevant to the role

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