Job summary We are looking for an enthusiastic and professional GP Receptionist to join our friendly and supportive team. As the first point of contact for patients, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth running of the practice, providing excellent customer service, and supporting the clinical team. Main duties of the job Key Responsibilities: Front Desk Operations: Greet patients, handle inquiries, and manage check-in/check-out procedures with a welcoming and helpful attitude. Appointment Management: Book, cancel, and reschedule appointments efficiently using our practice management system. Telephone & Digital Communication: Answer phone calls and respond to online queries, providing information or directing them to the appropriate department. Patient Records Management: Update and maintain accurate patient records, ensuring confidentiality and data protection at all times. Administrative Support: Assist doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals with administrative tasks such as processing referrals, issuing prescriptions, and filing documentation. Prescription Handling: Process repeat prescription requests and liaise with pharmacies as needed. About us Our practice is based in Wolstanton, Newcastle-under-Lyme and is owned by 2 GP Partners. We are part of Newcastle Central PCN. We currently have just over 7600 patients and are rapidly growing. We have a team of 9 Administrators as well as a clinical team made up of GP's, HCA, Practice Nurses, GP Assistant, Care Coordinator and other ARRS roles such as pharmacists, physios and paramedics to name but a few. We strive to provide an exceptional first class service to our patients, and the community we serve offering inclusive healthcare for all. Date posted 24 October 2024 Pay scheme Other Salary Depending on experience Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number A5422-24-0002 Job locations The Village Surgery 49 High Street Wolstanton Newcastle Staffordshire ST5 0ET Job description Job responsibilities Job Summary To receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare Professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way, and provide general assistance to the practice team whilst projecting a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone. Duties and Responsibilities The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the Practice Receptionist Team may include any or all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Practice Manager or Senior Receptionist dependent on current and evolving Practice workload and staffing levels: Opening up/locking-up of Practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with Practice protocols. Prior to leaving on an evening, ensure the building is secured. Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice. Deal with all general enquiries efficiently and courteously and when necessary, in private, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments. Using your communication skills to ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultations are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner or care navigating the patient to the appropriate service. Explain Practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed and registering these patients with the practice. Processing telephone requests and in person requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional. Take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery. Process tasks. Enter requests for home visits onto the computer system, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to Duty Doctor. Printing summary printouts for visits. Photocopying/Scanning/Filing Viewing Internet for messages and dealing with them. Action repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient within 48 hours. Printing blood forms. Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non-General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same. Enter/amend patient information onto the computer as required. Retrieve patient notes as required. Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately. Re-stock GP consulting rooms as needed Completion of forms as necessary. Process samples received from patients following practice sample protocol. Dealing with urgent results for the GPs and ensuring these are passed to Duty GP as a matter of urgency Liaising with local hospital etc as required. Assisting other members of the Primary Health Care Trust as required. Covering for absent colleagues as and when necessary. Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Practice Management Team. 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. Health and Safety The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health and Safety Policy, and the Practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include: using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines; identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks; making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills; using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards; Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised; keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role; undertaking periodic infection control training (annually); Reporting potential risks identified. Equality and Diversity The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include: acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights. Personal/Professional Development The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include: Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work Completing all Mandatory Training as required Quality The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will: alert other team members to issues of quality and risk assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs Effectively manage own time, workload and resources. Communication The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to: communicate effectively with other team members communicate effectively with patients and carers recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly. Contribution to the Implementation of Services The post-holder will: apply Practice policies, standards and guidance discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work participate in audit where appropriate. Job description Job responsibilities Job Summary To receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare Professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way, and provide general assistance to the practice team whilst projecting a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone. Duties and Responsibilities The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the Practice Receptionist Team may include any or all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Practice Manager or Senior Receptionist dependent on current and evolving Practice workload and staffing levels: Opening up/locking-up of Practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with Practice protocols. Prior to leaving on an evening, ensure the building is secured. Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice. Deal with all general enquiries efficiently and courteously and when necessary, in private, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments. Using your communication skills to ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultations are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner or care navigating the patient to the appropriate service. Explain Practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed and registering these patients with the practice. Processing telephone requests and in person requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional. Take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery. Process tasks. Enter requests for home visits onto the computer system, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to Duty Doctor. Printing summary printouts for visits. Photocopying/Scanning/Filing Viewing Internet for messages and dealing with them. Action repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient within 48 hours. Printing blood forms. Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non-General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same. Enter/amend patient information onto the computer as required. Retrieve patient notes as required. Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately. Re-stock GP consulting rooms as needed Completion of forms as necessary. Process samples received from patients following practice sample protocol. Dealing with urgent results for the GPs and ensuring these are passed to Duty GP as a matter of urgency Liaising with local hospital etc as required. Assisting other members of the Primary Health Care Trust as required. Covering for absent colleagues as and when necessary. Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Practice Management Team. 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. Health and Safety The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health and Safety Policy, and the Practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include: using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines; identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks; making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills; using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards; Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised; keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role; undertaking periodic infection control training (annually); Reporting potential risks identified. Equality and Diversity The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include: acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights. Personal/Professional Development The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include: Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work Completing all Mandatory Training as required Quality The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will: alert other team members to issues of quality and risk assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs Effectively manage own time, workload and resources. Communication The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to: communicate effectively with other team members communicate effectively with patients and carers recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly. Contribution to the Implementation of Services The post-holder will: apply Practice policies, standards and guidance discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work participate in audit where appropriate. Person Specification Experience Essential Previous experience of working with the general public. Desirable Previous experience of working within General Practice. Experience of Reception work. Workflow experience/ Clinical Coding Qualifications Essential GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths Desirable Qualified to NVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care Other administrative certified qualification Qualities and Attributes Essential Understand the need for confidentiality. Excellent time management and the ability to work to tight deadlines. Able to solve problems. Flexible. Have empathy. Able to liaise with all levels of personnel. Be able to take direction from senior staff but equally able to work with minimal supervision. Be able to work as a team player. Smart, polite, and confident. Be able to prioritise workloads. Be Pro-active Knowledge and Skills Essential Excellent communication skills (written & oral). Clear and polite telephone manner. Be able to cope in a busy and demanding environment. Computer literate. Problem solving. Desirable Knowledge of EMIS Web and Docman Person Specification Experience Essential Previous experience of working with the general public. Desirable Previous experience of working within General Practice. Experience of Reception work. Workflow experience/ Clinical Coding Qualifications Essential GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths Desirable Qualified to NVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care Other administrative certified qualification Qualities and Attributes Essential Understand the need for confidentiality. Excellent time management and the ability to work to tight deadlines. Able to solve problems. Flexible. Have empathy. Able to liaise with all levels of personnel. Be able to take direction from senior staff but equally able to work with minimal supervision. Be able to work as a team player. Smart, polite, and confident. Be able to prioritise workloads. Be Pro-active Knowledge and Skills Essential Excellent communication skills (written & oral). Clear and polite telephone manner. Be able to cope in a busy and demanding environment. Computer literate. Problem solving. Desirable Knowledge of EMIS Web and Docman Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Employer details Employer name The Village Surgery Address The Village Surgery 49 High Street Wolstanton Newcastle Staffordshire ST5 0ET Employer's website https://www.thevillagesurgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)