The purpose of the role of Medical Receptionist is to prove efficient and effective reception and clerical support to the Practice, exercising absolute discretion and confidentiality, to ensure the smooth running of surgeries and other services provided to patients. Responsibilities Dealing with all appointments and patient requests, ensuring that surgery time is effectively utilised, allocating prebookable and urgent appointments appropriately and monitoring the flow of patients during surgeries. Carrying out all clerical tasks to prepare for surgery sessions, ensuring that clinical staff have the patient documentation necessary to undertake consultations and procedures efficiently. Providing a comprehensive reception service, responding to a range of enquiries in a polite and efficient manner, adhering to practice protocols and dealing with difficult situations in a calm and controlled manner. Dealing with all telephone requests and enquiries in a courteous and efficient manner, referring callers to appropriate personnel and ensuring messages are relayed and in a timely manner, particularly those requesting urgent advice. Taking comprehensive details for patients requesting home visits and ensuring that these are recorded in accordance with the protocol to allow steps to be taken for triage. Dealing with prescribing requests, ensuring that scripts are approved, prepared, signed and ready for issue within agreed timescales or, if the patient needs to be seen, arranging appropriate follow-up. Maintaining manual patient records in a tidy, accurate and up to date condition (both individual files and the overall filing system), tracking missing folders and documents as required by clinical staff. Ensuring that any change of patient details/personal circumstances are recorded accurately and actioned on both the manual and computerised record system. Undertaking a variety of clerical tasks in support of patient service activity including ambulance bookings, insurance and benefit documentation, vaccinations, breast screenings etc. Explaining practice arrangements and requirements for registration and arrangements for new patients seeking care, ensuring that all documentation is fully completed Attend all statutory training courses as required. Working Relationships Interaction with colleagues in the reception, secretarial and admin team Reports to Team Leaders/ Deputy Practice Manager Liaises with nursing team and medical/clinical personnel This Job Description is not exhaustive and is a guideline to the scope of duties involved. It will be reviewed at regular intervals. It is not intended as a rigid inflexible specification and will be subject to the changing requirements of Central Gateshead Medical Group.