Medical Receptionist

Job summary

We are looking for a professional, highly effective and personable medical receptionist to join our friendly team. You must possess good attention to detail and work to a high standard. Within this role, you will be expected to deal with patients face to face and on the telephone answering a wide variety of queries, you will be involved with administration tasks such as printing blood forms for the clinicians, assisting with our triage service including booking appointments requested by the GPs and registering new patients. The successful candidate will need to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced environment both independantly and as part of a team.

Main duties of the job

The main duties for the role are

Covering the front desk, answering the telephones and dealing with patients face to face Booking appointments for the GPs, nursing team, ANPs Printing blood forms off for the next days phlebotomy clinic Registering new patients, inputting the data from the new patient questionnaires on to the patients medical record

About us

Holmes Chapel Health Centre is a rural practice with 12,500 patients currently registered with us. We have 5 GP Partners, 3 salaried GPs and 3 Advanced Nurse Practitioners who work alongside a dedicated Nursing Team, Dispensing and Admin teams. We are located in a newly modernised, recently extended surgery in the centre of Holmes Chapel, a small village in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. We provide free car parking, minimum of 5 weeks annual leave pro rata and following 2 years continuous service at the practice, enrolment in Simply Health's Employee Assisted Health Programme.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Jobsummary:

Receive, assist and direct patients inaccessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous,efficient and effective way.

To provide a wide range ofadministrative support within the Health Centre to facilitate safe, effectiveand efficient patient care to the practice population, undertakingadministrative duties as directed by the management team.

To work closely with other members ofthe team to ensure that all duties are completed in a timely manner.

To communicate effectively with thepractice population providing good customer service.

To provide general assistance to the allmembers of the practice team and project a positive and friendly image topatients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone.

ReceptionDuties :

Greet all patients and visitors onarrival in to the building

Answer the telephone, dealing withand/or directing enquiries as appropriate

Respond to patient queries and requestfor assistance if needed

Book appropriate appointments on thepractice computer system

Take messages at the front desk orover the telephone for same day advice/appointments/home visit requestsaccording to practice protocol

Ensure that all urgent requests forinformation are dealt with promptly

Explain practice arrangements andformal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover andensure procedures are completed accurately

Advise patients of relevant chargesfor private (non General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issuereceipts for same

Take non urgent messages and notifythe relevant staff member following practice protocol

Ensure that patients who present withacute symptoms at the desk or over the telephone are dealt with according tothe practice protocol (including telephoning 999 where appropriate) anddocumenting the actions in the patients electronic record

Ensure that all contacts with patientsare documented on the computer system where appropriate by entering anadministration note on the consultation screen within EMIS

Contact patients, when advised, askingthem to make an appointment with the relevant healthcare professional

Give results of investigations to thepatients as per practice protocol

Registrations of new patients computer data entry and medical records ensure that all new patients areregistered on to the computer system promptly and accurately

Receive specimens from patients at therequest of the clinicians you will be expected to transfer clinical specimensin sealed request bags to pathology bags for collection

AdministrationDuties:

To have a thorough knowledge of allpractice procedures and computer systems. To develop your knowledge to astandard so that you are able to teach others

To work in accordance of writtenprotocols

Filing post in medical records ifrequired

Email and photocopy as requested

Deal with all general enquiries,explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments

Receive and make telephone calls.Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and promptappropriate delivery

Action requests or ambulancetransportation (urgent bookings only) and enter details as per the usual system

Enter patient information on to thecomputer as required, ensuring three point check policy is adhered to

Adding and generating of sample testrequests within the EMIS system

Provide prompt support to cliniciansin surgery and other colleagues when needed

Chaperone the GPs if asked to do so

GeneralDuties:

Ensure building security at all times have thorough knowledge of doors/windows/alarm.

Open up premises at the start of theday when first to arrive, deactivate alarm, open all clinical rooms, open theside gate entrance and make all necessary preparations to receive patients

When last to leave at the end of theday, ensure the building is totally secured, internal lights are off, computersare switched off or all left on as per guidance, radio/heaters/fans areswitched off

Undertake any other additional dutiesand tasks as requested by the management team

Daily check of emails both personalwork emails and practice emails and action as required

Flexibility:

Cover the work of colleagues duringperiods of annual leave and/or sickness in other clerical areas of the practiceas directed by the Office Manager or other member of management team

Request annual leave in advance fromthe Office Manager, according to the practice protocol

In case of sickness, to inform theOffice Manager as soon as possible that absence is likely

Cover various shifts/changes to hoursin addition to your own hours/shifts if requested to by the Office Manager orother member of management team if required due to sickness or annual leave

Confidentiality:

In the course of seeking treatment,patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information inrelation to their health and other matters.They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff willrespect their privacy and act appropriately

In the performance of the dutiesoutlined in this job description, you may have access to confidentialinformation relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and otherhealthcare workers. They may also haveaccess to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to beregarded as strictly confidential

Information relating to patients,carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practicemay only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practicepolicies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection ofpersonal and sensitive data

Equalityand diversity:

You will support the equality, diversity andrights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

Acting in a way that recognises theimportance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistentwith practice procedures and policies, and current legislation

Respecting the privacy, dignity, needsand beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

Behaving in a manner which iswelcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects theircircumstances, feelings priorities and rights

You must co-operate with all policiesand procedures designed to ensure quality of employment. Colleagues, patientsand visitors must be treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnic origin,age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc.

Personal/professionaldevelopment:

You will participate in any training programmeimplemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training toinclude:

Participation in an annual individualperformance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record ofown personal and/or professional development

Taking responsibility for owndevelopment, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activitiesto others who are undertaking similar work

Sharing learning opportunities withstaff/encouraging others development

Quality:

You will strive to maintain quality within thepractice, and will:

Alert other team members to issues ofquality and risk

Assess own performance and takeaccountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision

Contribute to the effectiveness of theteam by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways toimprove and enhance the teams performance

Work effectively with individuals inother agencies to meet patients needs

Effectively manage own time, workloadand resources

Develop measures which add value tooffice function and patient access ( call volumes, appointments availability)and share these ideas with the Office Manager

Communication:

You should recognise the importance ofeffective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with all otherteam members including your line managerand other members of the management team

Communicate effectively with patientsand carers

Recognise peoples needs foralternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

GeneralClause:

This job description is not intended to beexhaustive but to indicate the main responsibilities of the post and will bereviewed from time to time after consultation with yourself and also with othermembers of the management team and members of the partnership to reflect theneeds and development of the Practice. There may be other duties required ofyou commensurate with the position. All members of staff should be prepared totake on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order to maintainthe efficient running of the Practice.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Practical experience of working with the general public in a face to face environment Practical experience of working with others Practical experience of working in an office environment reception or administration

Desirable

Experience of working in a GP practice Experience of working within primary care

Qualifications

Essential

GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths

Desirable

Advanced level Microsoft Office qualification Experience of working on EMIS web NVQ (or equivalent) in Customer Service

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