Job Summary: 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. Job Responsibilities: Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice. Deal with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments. Using your own judgment and communication skills ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultation are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner. Be able to sign post / navigate patients to other services if required. 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. Enter requests for home visits onto the system, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to Duty Doctor. Action repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient within 72 hours. Ensure all clinics have all required patient documents available for appointments. Advise patients of relevant charges if applicable for private (non General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same. Enter patient information on to the computer as required. Book extended services for patients within the Service Hub i.e. COVID appointments. Patient notes and correspondence: Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to. Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc are filed promptly and in the correct records, ensuring that all recent correspondence is available when patients are seen. Ensure records are kept in good repair with all necessary information on the outside cover clearly visible. Make sure the kitchen and waiting rooms are always kept tidy and serve refreshments as and when required in turn with other members of staff. Premises: Open up premises at the start of the day when first to arrive, de-activate alarm and make all necessary preparations to receive patients. When last to leave at the end of the day, ensure that the building is totally secured, internal lights are off and the alarm activated. Ensure that all new patients’ documents are registered onto the computer system accurately. Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Practice Manager. To demonstrate and provide evidence of the Practice Values, these are: - Provide a professional service - Working together as one - Respect for each other 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. To ensure the safety and security of patient records or data by storing them in a lockable cabinet or cupboard when no longer required or at the end of your working day.