The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the Patient Advisor Team may include any or all the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Practice Operations Manager, dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:
Patient facing
Acknowledge all patients on arrival in a friendly and welcoming manner, signpost to appropriate services and support with access to appointments within general practice/other service providers. Clear, concise, and effective communication with patients/carers, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background, and preferred ways of communicating.
Respond to all contact, queries, and requests from patients/visitors either via reception desk, telephone, or online in a timely, courteous, and professional manner. Ensure confidentiality is always upheld, information provided to the patient as advised by the clinician.
General duties
Be available, logged on and ready at the beginning of each shift desk/phone room.
Action daily checklists/procedures, including safe removal of clinical waste from rooms, restocking rooms/reception area.
Knowledge of infection prevention control safe cleaning of spills/accidents, which may include bodily fluids.
Act as a chaperone at the request of the clinician and/or patient.
Be aware of clinics on site cancel clinics/rearrange appointments, monitor clinics running late and inform patients.
Knowledge of private services offered and take payments for these.
Task workload complete Practice urgent/routine tasks, and own tasks.
Deal with medication queries including processing prescription requests, liaising with medicines management team with script queries, sign out paper prescriptions to patient/chemist collections, ensure patient Electronic Prescribing Service (EPS)nominations are up to date.
Liaise with different service providers around patient care ambulance service in emergency situations, District Nurses, Health Visitors, Maternity, and various other service providers.
Move sites where staffing levels require this.
Ability to work under pressure and react effectively to emergency situations.
Report incidents using the Practices Incident reporting System.
IT
Good working knowledge of Microsoft office, Outlook, and Teams.
Process/record data on Practice IT systems in accordance with Practice procedures, in line with confidentiality policies.
Read and action Outlook emails/MS Teams communications daily including weekly briefs and daily updates.
Report any problems with phone/IT systems to Line Manager/IT Department/Service Desk.
Appointment Booking
Total familiarity with the Practices various appointment booking systems, follow appointment booking protocols.
Liaise with various teams in booking specialist appointments e.g. steroid injections, long term conditions, medicals, minor surgery.
Assist in assigning and actioning AccuRx medical/admin inboxes, booking patient appointments as directed by the Clinical Assessment Team (CAT).
Ensure Urgent Care Protocols are referred to as required by management/CAT Team; liaise with UC or Site Manager/CAT Team if unsure.
Team working
Communicate effectively with team members.
Understand own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time.
Provide detailed handover to colleagues taking over your shift.
Provide training and support to new Patient Advisor colleagues joining the team.
Work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working.
Participate in and support local projects as agreed with the practice management team.
Participate in team activities/learning events to improve skills and knowledge, and patient care.
Building Security
Ensure all doors to the building, all windows and our rooms are closed and locked at the end of each working day. Report building issues to the Site Manager.
Alarm to be set when you are the last members of the Practice to leave the building.