Care Navigator
1x vacancy – full time (37 hours)
The Quarter Jack Surgery is looking for an enthusiastic Care Navigator to join our friendly reception team at our GP surgery in Wimborne, Dorset.
Do you have experience providing call centre support, or administrative support in a GP surgery or clinical environment? Our Care Navigators provide the first point of contact for our patients and act as a focal point of communication between patients, doctors and other medical staff. This entails working on our front desks, answering telephone calls and processing online queries as well as a variety of other admin duties.
Care Navigators are key members of the practice team. They are trained to work with all the resources available to them which may include signposting patients to another service, offering self help advice or booking with an appropriate clinician in the practice’s multi-disciplinary team. This work is referred to as ‘care navigation’.
The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills along with strong IT skills; be a team-player with a can-do attitude. Full training will be given but a willingness to learn and develop is essential.
The surgery has high levels of patient satisfaction and a pleasant working environment. Excellent telephone and administration skills are essential, as well as the ability to work under pressure. NHS or medical/healthcare experience is highly preferred, along with experience of our IT system ‘SystmOne’.
Hours of work:
Monday: 08:30 - 17:30
Tuesday: 08:30 - 13:00
Wednesday: 08:30 - 17:30
Thursday: 08:30 - 17:00
Friday: 08:30 - 18:30
Benefits include: generous NHS pension, 25 days holiday pro rata (+ bank hols), free parking, pleasant and modern office, friendly and supportive team, events.
Salary: £25,235 per annum
- Please include a covering letter outlining your reasons for applying.
Closing date: 7 August 2026 – but immediate application recommended
JOB TITLE: CARE NAVIGATOR
Responsible to: Operations Manager
The following are the core responsibilities of the Care Navigator. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent on factors such as workload and staffing levels. (Please note that some of the tasks detailed below will not be required initially, but will be introduced after training, as required)
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
Ø Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Ø Good telephone and interpersonal skills
Ø Good standard of general education
Ø Ability to work with a methodical and careful approach.
Ø Flexibility to adjust work patterns to meet additional workload as it arises.
Ø Ability to remain calm under pressure.
Ø IT-literate and with basic knowledge of web based and windows based systems.
Ø Able to multi-task and prioritise.
Ø Use of email
Ø Calm and well organised under pressure
Ø Empathetic
Ø Honesty
Ø Punctuality
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Ø To have a thorough knowledge of all practice procedures and the practice area
Ø To have a thorough knowledge of the practice Fire and Health & Safety Policies
Ø To work in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Practice.
Ø Record patient arrival at front desk.
Ø Process and effectively signpost patients to the appropriate healthcare professional, depending on the presenting condition.
Ø Answer incoming phone calls, transferring calls or dealing with the caller’s requests appropriately.
Ø Make appointments for patients attending or calling by telephone, using the computer system, and in accordance with the Practices appointment protocols.
Ø Processing eConsults to the appropriate healthcare professional or administrator.
Ø Dealing with basic medication or prescription queries.
Ø Initiate contact with and respond to requests from patients, team members and external agencies.
Ø Input data into the patient’s healthcare records as necessary.
Ø Deal with queries regarding services offered by the practice.
Ø Arranging appointments for medicals and other non-routine appointments
Ø Taking messages and recording them
Ø Direct requests for information, e.g, SAR, insurance/solicitors’ letters and DVLA forms, to the relevant department
Ø Accepting deliveries
Ø Processing Path Links / OOH / Hospital Letters
Ø Scanning of letters and test results on to computerised medical records.
Ø Dealing with electronic transfer of medical records to and from the Health Authority
Ø Sorting of paper medical notes when received from the Health Authority
Ø Processing GP2GP data, ensuring complete computerised medical notes.
Ø Using the computer to enter patient information.
Ø Processing changes of name, address or telephone number in accordance with procedures
Ø Ensuring patient signatures and ID on relevant forms
Ø Registering new patients, temporary residents and those requiring immediately necessary treatment
Ø Have an understanding of the duty GP role and operate within the surgery protocol
Ø Receive telephone request and make arrangement for home visits
Ø General photocopying
Ø Amending documents etc on Word. Printing documents and maintaining supplies
Ø Give out letters, reports, or forms to patients attending and take payment where applicable in accordance with the navigation standard operating procedures.
Ø Liaison with other members of the Primary Health Care Team for patients attending,
Ø Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times.
Ø Support all clinical staff with general tasks as requested.
Ø Open and lock up both surgery sites. The Quarter Jack Surgery and Old Dispensary
Ø As part of the administration team, you would be expected to demonstrate flexibility and you may be asked to work in other areas.
Ø Attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress with be revised on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed,
Ø Contribute to public health campaigns (eg flu clinics) through advice or direct care.
This job description represents the range of duties required of the post-holder at the time of issue. It is not an inflexible specification and may be reviewed according to need.
COMMUNICATION
The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication and strive to communicate effectively with other team members, patients, and carers and to recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly. This includes the use of the NHS email system as an efficient means of communication
CONFIDENTIALITY
In the discharge of your duties, you may often be in possession of confidential/personal information. You must not disclose or discuss such information outside your place of work except in the proper discharge of your duties. You should access/read medical records only in the discharge of your duties and on a need-to-know basis only. Failure to observe confidentiality may result in disciplinary action.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
As laid down, and amended from time to time, by The Quarter Jack Surgery.
DATA PROTECTION ACT
Under the provision of the above Act, it is the responsibility of each member of staff to ensure that all computerised personal information relating to patients and other members of staff to which he/she has access in the course of employment, is regarded as strictly confidential. Failure to adhere to this instruction will be regarded as serious misconduct and lead to disciplinary action.
Academic/Vocational Qualifications
- Educated to GCSE level
- A demonstrable commitment to professional development and training
- Typing/IT qualifications
Experience
- Experience of Microsoft Office software
- Experience of dealing with the public/patients
- Must have
- Ideally the person will have worked in a GP surgery or medical environment
- Experience of medical software & terminology
- Experience of SystmOne
- Basic knowledge and understanding of medication/prescription processes
Knowledge/Skills
- Excellent telephone skills and ability to make appointments for patients in an efficient manner
- Excellent general communication skills & attention to detail
- Excellent keyboard & computer skills eg Word, email, Excel
- Ability to assist the organisation of reception team and prioritise work
Qualities/Attributes
- An understanding and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
- Must be comfortable with following processes/procedures
- Needs to have an empathy with patients, some of whom may not be so patient or polite because of anxiety
- Ability to use own judgement
- Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Pleasant and articulate
- Able to work under pressure
- Able to work in a changing environment
- Able to use own initiative
- Needs to apply common sense when dealing with situations which do not fit the norm
- Flexibility of additional working hours/able to work at the desired times
Pay: £25,235.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Free flu jabs
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Experience:
- administrative: 1 year (required)
- healthcare: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
