Job responsibilities Purpose of the Job: To assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional To provide a courteous, efficient and effective reception service to all patients, staff members and outside bodies To ensure effective communication between patients and all members of the primary health care team To maintain and monitor the practice appointments system To collate, process and record information in accordance with practice procedures Main Duties/Key Tasks: Greet and appropriately direct all telephone callers and visitors to the practice Process and distribute incoming mail when required Take messages and pass on information Book appointments File and retrieve paperwork Input/allocate data Process and print repeat prescriptions for signature by doctors Initiate contact with patients, other team member and health care agencies Provide administration assistance to practice staff as required from time to time, including typing and photocopying Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc., are scanned and assigned on the computer system on a daily basis and file or shred paper records according to practice procedures Monitoring stationery and supplies and reporting to supervisor if low Accept clinical samples according to practice procedures Health & Safety duties Provide refreshments for staff and visitors as required Keep the reception area, notice boards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free from obstructions and clutter Act as chaperone in clinical consultations as required Holiday and sickness cover for colleagues Attend and participate in practice meetings as required Participation in the buddy system for evening cover for colleagues Competences Required: Courteous and efficient reception skills Keyboard skills Ability to follow a strictly regimented filing system Attention to detail Ability to follow instructions carefully Good written and oral presentation skills Mature outlook Understanding of the need to maintain absolute confidentiality Clear understanding of the importance of health and safety in the workplace Daily Contacts: Partners and other staff Patients and their representatives Health Visitors, District Nurses and other attached staff NHS England and Hospital Trust staff Staff from Social Services Insurance companies and solicitors Suppliers Medical representatives Health & Safety: The post holder will be expected to promote the safety and well being of staff and patients, as defined in the practice Health and Safety Policy, and will report any untoward occurrences or concerns. The post holder will ensure that patients, other staff and members of the public are not put at risk by any omission or action on their part. Confidentiality: In the course of performing these duties the post holder will have access to confidential material about patients, staff and the practice as a business organisation. All such information is to be treated as confidential. On no account must information relating to identifiable patients be divulged to anyone other than authorised persons, for example, medical, nursing or other professional staff, as appropriate, who are concerned directly with the care, diagnosis and/or treatment of the patient. Breach of this confidence may result in dismissal. General: The above duties are neither exclusive nor exhaustive and the post holder may be required to take on other duties as appropriate to the role The Senior Partner/Practice & Business Manager reserve the right to amend this job description in consultation with the post holder.