Job title Medical Receptionist
Line manager Reception Manager
Accountable to Practice Manager
Hours per week 30.75
Job Summary
The post-holder is a Medical Receptionist.
To support the practice clinical team by signposting patients to the appropriate healthcare professional or service, working as part of the practice’s multidisciplinary team.
To act as the central point of contact for patients, be responsible for the distribution of information, messages and enquiries for the clinical team, liaise with multi-disciplinary team members and external agencies such as secondary care and community service providers.
The Receptionist will also be expected to undertake reception duties as part of the role, supporting the team in delivering a professional service to the entitled patient population. Duties can include but are not limited to welcoming patients and also to assist with total triage requirements, whilst supporting the team with patient registration, booking appointments, processing of information (electronic and hard copy) in a timely manner and in accordance with current policies.
The post-holder will also provide support to the administration team as required.
The post-holder will be an integral part of the general practice team.
Mission statement
To provide a professional friendly and efficient health care service to the people of Blackpool.
Generic responsibilities
All staff at this organisation have a duty to conform to the following:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
A good attitude and positive action towards Equality Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) creates an environment where all individuals can achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons – it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do, and it is required by law.
Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect.
Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued, and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.
Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF)
This organisation is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities for staff to maintain their health, wellbeing and safety.
The post-holder is to manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients and monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines.
All personnel have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for themselves, their team and others and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements.
All personnel are to comply with the:
· Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
· Environmental Protection Act 1990
· Environment Act 1995
· Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999
· Other statutory legislation which may be brought to the post holder’s attention
Confidentiality
The organisation is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality at all times.
It is essential that, if the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained, all staff must protect patient information and provide a confidential service.
Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI)
To preserve and improve the quality of the organisation’s outputs, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work.
The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the practice to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice and to discuss, highlight and collaborate with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care.
This practice continually strives to improve work processes which deliver healthcare with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement where everyone counts, and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care.
Staff should interpret national strategies and policies into local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general practice. All staff are to contribute to investigations and root cause analyses whilst participating in serious incident investigations and multidisciplinary case reviews.
Induction
We will provide a full induction programme, and management will support you throughout the process.
Learning and development
The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake in, and complete mandatory training as directed. It is an expectation for this post-holder to assess their own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate.
The post-holder will undertake mentorship for team members and disseminate learning and information gained to other team members to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (e.g., courses and conferences). The post-holder will provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning.
Collaborative working
All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working and understand their own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time. Staff are to prioritise their own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team.
Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments, and the post-holder is to work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working and to work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery.
Effective communication is essential, and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner.
All staff should delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence. Plans and outcomes by which to measure success should be agreed.
Managing information
All staff should use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in the planning, implementation and monitoring of care and presenting and communicating information.
Data should be reviewed and processed using accurate SNOMED codes to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes.
Service delivery
Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure.
The post-holder must adhere to the information contained within the organisation’s policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are adhered to at all times.
Security
The security of the organisation is the responsibility of all personnel. The post-holder must ensure they always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager.
Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Likewise, password controls are to be maintained and are not to be shared.
Professional conduct, uniforms and appearance
All staff are required to dress appropriately for their role and in accordance with the organisation’s Uniforms, Dress and Appearance Policy. All staff members are to ensure that their conduct is commensurate with line management expectations and practice protocol.
Primary key responsibilities
The following are the core responsibilities of a Care Navigator in delivering health services. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:
a. Process and effectively signpost patients to the appropriate healthcare professional, depending on the presenting condition
b. Answer incoming phone calls, transferring calls or dealing with the callers’ request appropriately
c. Process personal, telephone and e-requests for appointments
d. Action incoming emails and correspondence as necessary
e. Accurately detail information on patients’ records within the clinical system
- Assist with total triage administration
g. Maintain and monitor the practice appointment system
h. Initiate contact with and respond to requests from patients, team members and external agencies
i. Photocopy documentation as required
j. Data entry of new and temporary registrations and relevant patient information as required
k. Direct requests for information, i.e., DSAR, insurance/solicitors’ letters and DVLA forms to the administrative team
l. Manage all queries as necessary in an efficient manner
m. Conduct system searches as requested
n. Support all clinical staff with general administrative tasks as requested
o. Undertake a broad spectrum of administrative duties commensurate with the role
p. Be an integral part of the general practice team
q. Act as a chaperone as required
r. Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on safeguarding adults and safeguarding children
s. Support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements
t. Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes
u. Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance
v. Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times
w. Attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed
Wider responsibilities
In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Care Navigator has the following wider responsibilities:
a. Support administrative staff, providing cover during staff absences
b. Scan patient related documentation and attach scanned documents to patients’ healthcare records
c. Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care
d. To support in the management of repeat prescriptions, ensuring they are processed accurately and efficiently
e. Support and participate in shared learning
Person specification – Care Navigator
Qualifications
Essential
A good standard of education with an expectation of having both GCSE Maths and English at Grade C (Level 4) or above, or Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English
Desirable
1. Active signposting or Care Navigator training qualification
2. NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care
3.Customer service qualification (NVQ) or equivalent
Experience
Essential
Experience of working with the general public
Experience of working in a healthcare setting
Experience of administrative duties
Knowledge and skills
Essential
Excellent communication skills and effective in communicating and understanding patient needs
Competent in the use of MS Office and Outlook
Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
Ability to use own initiative, discretion, and sensitivity
Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
Excellent communication skills and effective in communicating and understanding patient needs
Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
Clinical IT system user skills and the ability to record accurate notes
Effectively utilise resources
Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort
High levels of integrity and loyalty
Clear, polite telephone manner
Flexible and cooperative
Motivated
Understanding of safeguarding adults and children
Knowledge of and ability to work to key policies and procedures
Desirable
Good organisational skills
Chaperone procedure
Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure
Other requirements/wider responsibilities
Essential
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
Occupational Health clearance
This document has been created to support the organisation’s needs for recruiting. It should be noted that the detail within this person specification may be too lengthy and therefore, the organisation might wish to reduce the content to support its actual requirements.
- Furthermore, this person specification may be amended following consultation with the post-holder to facilitate the development of the role, the organisation and the individual. All personnel should be prepared to accept additional, or surrender existing duties, to enable the efficient running of the organisation.
Pay: From £12.93 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
