JOB DESCRIPTION JOB TITLE: Care Co-ordinator. REPORTS TO: Deputy Practice Manager HOURS: 30 per week Job Summary: Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way. Provide general assistance to the Practice team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone Duties and Responsibilities: Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice Deal with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments. Using your own judgment and communication skills ensure that patients with no prior appointment 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 and ensure procedures are completed. Receive and make telephone calls as required. Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery. Enter requests for home visits onto the visit screen, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to the Doctor. Receive repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient within 48 hours, either on the computer or manually, wherever possible. Monitor the Practice appointments system with a view to flagging a lack of appointments to the Reception Manager Ensure all samples received are passed to the nurse or placed in the fridge overnight if necessary. Accept deliveries of vaccines, medical supplies etc. and ensure appropriate staff are notified. Open and distribute incoming post as necessary. Ensure outgoing mail is down on the ground floor by 4.00pm for franking and collection, if working an afternoon shift. Ensure the NHS mailbox is checked at least once during a shift, and action incoming emails as appropriate. Ensure the Task list is looked at at least once during a shift, and tasks are actioned as appropriate. Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same. Enter patient information on to the computer as required. Ensure the kitchen and patient waiting area's are kept clean and tidy the waiting room in turn with other staff. Premises: o Open up premises at the start of the day if first to arrive, de-activate alarm and make all necessary preparations to receive patients. o When last to leave at the end of the day, ensure that the surgery entrance doors are secured. o Ensure that any maintenance issues are reported to the Duty Manager as soon as possible. Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately. Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Practice Manager. Confidentiality statement: During the course of your employment with the Practice, you may have access to, see or hear, confidential information concerning the medical or personal affairs of patients, staff or associated healthcare professionals. Unless acting on the instructions of an authorised officer within the Practice, on no account should such information be divulged or discussed except in the performance of your normal duties. Breach of confidence, including the improper passing of confidential data could result in disciplinary or legal action Whilst working for the Practice you undertake: To treat as confidential all information that may be derived from or be obtained during the course of your employment with the Practice and thereafter To only access areas of the Practice where confidential information is held if permissions are granted To respect the rights of patients who may not wish others (i.e. their friends/relatives) to know that they have visited the Practice Individuals who have permission to access the Practices clinical system/confidential information must: Acquire an individual Username and Password in order to carry out work activities electronically (enabling the Practice to conduct audit trails, if and when required) Only carry out the work activities you have permission to perform (in-line with your work role) Consult with the Information Governance Lead/Caldicott Guardian in the event of data needing to be transferred You must ensure that all records, including computer screens, printouts, hospital letters, patient notes, faxes, etc. are never left in such a manner that unauthorised persons can obtain access to them On completion of electronic work activity ensure that you log out of the computer system, removing and safeguarding your Smartcard and log in details Adopt a clear desk policy thus ensuring that confidential information is kept secure at all times Any security breaches will be reported to the Practice Caldicott Guardian Health & Safety: The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, the practice Health & Safety Manual, 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 (minimum 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 recognizes 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 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 recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to: Communicate effectively with other team members Communicate effectively with patients and carers Recognize 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 Data Protection: Ensure security of data in accordance with the Data Protection Act. This job description is not exhaustive and may be adjusted periodically after review and consultation. You will also be expected to carry out any reasonable duties which may be requested from time to time.