Main Responsibilities: Reception Duties - Overview To take personal responsibility for ensuring that you are aware of the staff rota including doctors/nurses. To keep up to date with changes by examining Tasks and Notifications Ensure the efficiency of the appointment system and monitor flow of patients into consulting rooms and treatment rooms. Ensure that patients without appointments but who need urgent consultation are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner. Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover, ensuring procedures are completed. Advise patients of relevant charges for private services, accept payment and issue receipt (if required) for the same. Maintain petty cash records. Respond to all queries and requests for assistance from patients and any other visitors. Enter requests for home visits onto the visit screen according to practice procedures. Refer to the duty Doctor if necessary. Assist with processing repeat prescription requests when required. Check all sample bottles contain patient names and envelopes are sealed. Action requests for ambulance transportation. Ensure reception and waiting areas are kept neat and tidy. Management of appointment system Be able to demonstrate the ability to use the practice computer appointments system in the following way: Ensure total familiarity with the appointment system. Always offer the next available appointment with the preferred Doctor or the next available appointment. Monitor effectiveness of the system and report any problems. Making routine appointments with doctors, nurses and clinicians. Be aware of the various range of services the practice provides and have the ability to make the appropriate appointment. Cancelling appointments. Checking patients in on arrival at the surgery. Ensuring the doctors/nurses aware of patients with special needs e.g. deaf or blind Being able to direct patients to the appropriate health care professional for telephone triage and log the patients request onto the computer appointment system recording information as per practice protocol. For all appointment requests ensure that patients records are made available to the appropriate health care professional if necessary. Dealing with Requests for Home Visits To be able to demonstrate how home visits are dealt with: Accurately record request for home visit onto the computer system as per practice policy. Extracting patients notes from the filing system with a home visit computer print out. Bringing any emergencies to the attention of the doctor as per practice protocol. In the event of request for a late visit be aware of the doctor on call and notify appropriately. Deal with Patient Requests for Registration as per Practice Protocol Demonstrate the ability to ensure that: Practice arrangements and formal requirements are explained to patients requesting registration. They are given an invitation for a new registration check. They are given a practice leaflet. Preparation of consulting rooms Check that the full range of forms are available including Fit to work notes and prescriptions. Operation of telephone system Demonstrate the ability to: Ensure confidentiality is maintained whilst receiving and making telephone calls e.g. by demonstrating the ability of putting the caller on hold Receive and make calls as required in a quiet, courteous and efficient manner and try and offer help to patients at all times. Divert calls and take accurate messages for the most appropriate member of the practice. Ensure that the system is operational at the start of each day and switched over to the night service at the end of each day Message Taking and Liaison Demonstrate the ability to: Liaise with secondary care services and the CCG to take messages and pass them on the relevant person concerned as per practice protocol. Receive and respond to routine and non-routine requests for assistance from patients, carers and others. Advise patients of relevant charges for private services, accept payment and issue receipts for the same. Repeat prescriptions To understand the repeat prescription system in order to resolve any queries Prepare repeat prescriptions for signing by the doctor Check for correct name and address and doctor signature before handing to patient. Management of medical records Ensure that the tracer card is dated and noted when a file is retrieved. Ensure that records are available for doctors in instances of an urgent consultation. Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring that strict alphabetical order is adhered to. Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc are passed to the appropriate doctor or prepared for scanning Ensure that records are kept neat and tidy and in good repair with all the necessary information recorded correctly on the outer cover. That new patient records received from PCSE are neat and in chronological order. Be aware of the importance of maintaining accurate medical records in terms of effective patient care and to fulfil legal requirements. Administrative duties Open and distribute incoming mail. Questionnaires and forms that require completion should be placed in the appropriate doctors box. Other clinical correspondence should be placed in the clinician not seen tray for scanning. Know how to use the practice systems to receive and transmit information electronically including email and text messages. Responsible for ensuring appropriate claims are passed to the appropriate person Photocopying as required Processing and sending letters to patients by looking at the recall reports. Scanning/coding Relief Secretary as required Ensure path lab results are received via the link and posted to appropriate clinician Deal with annotations from the clinicians regarding the path lab results and ensure that patients are notified where appropriate by email or telephone. Once the patient is informed mark the result as appropriate. Administer the photocopying of patients medical records at the request of Solicitors under the Access to Medical Records Act and or Consultants at their request Computer System Know how the practice computer is used on a day to day basis by receptionists to input, locate and retrieve data including: Retrieve patient details by name, DOB, address or NHS number. Being able to change patient registration details. Recording of contacts with patient either by telephone or letter as per practice protocol. Recording of ambulance requests. Be familiar with and understand the relevant elements of the computer clinical systems e.g. reminders, summary screen, clinical notes, repeat prescriptions and test results. To process referrals on the Choose and Book software providing appropriate information to the patient. Ensure that all relevant information is accurately entered onto the computer system in accordance with all practice procedures. Ensure strict adherence to all computer security procedures. Special Duties Act as a chaperone when required Any other delegated duties considered appropriate to the post. Special requirements of the post Excellent communication skills An ability to use own judgment, initiative and common sense in response to patient requests. An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality and compliance to The Data Protection Act Keyboard skills and computer literacy The ability to work as a team member or to work alone from time to time. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS: Knowledge of Patient Confidentiality New Receptionist Course Basic Medical Terminology Basic Read Code CPR Update Participate in practice in house training using the Blue Stream Academy Software Confidentiality a) Non-Disclosure: Subject to the necessary sharing of information with other health professions, you are required to preserve the confidentiality of patients. You are required to adhere to your professional code of conduct in relation to patient confidentiality. This is in conjunction with Practices Confidentiality Policy. A breach of this Policy may be grounds for your dismissal. This duty to maintain confidentiality applies both during and after your employment with us. A breach of confidentiality while you are employed with us may lead to disciplinary action being taken against you. After termination of employment a breach of confidentiality by you will render you liable to legal action. This does not affect your statutory rights under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. b) Papers and documents: You must return to us all documents, forms, papers and other records, relating to your employment with us, together with all tapes, discs, keys and computers, immediately on the termination of your employment and you must sign an undertaking that all such property has been returned.