Folly Lane Medical Centre Medical Receptionist Job Description Job Title: Medical Receptionist Responsible To: Senior Receptionist/Practice Manager The Purpose Of The Post: To provide a high quality, professional reception and administrative service to patients, doctors, staff, colleagues, health service professionals and others. The person will be expected to act as first point of contact for patients contacting the Practice, and to portray the Practice in the highest possible professional basis. To ensure that enquiries from patients are efficiently and courteously handled to the mutual satisfaction of the partners and patients. Working in a busy Practice puts staff in a special position of trust and responsibility as the first person with whom the patients have contact at the Surgery. It is the Receptionists attitude to them and the impression they make which is of prime importance to the Practice as a whole. It is imperative to convey a courteous and caring impression at all times to the Practices patients. Main Duties And Responsibilities Opening and preparing the premises punctually in the morning. Greet patients and visitors to the practice. Book in, amend and cancel patient appointments in line with practice appointments procedures ensuing optimum efficiency of the appointment system. Ensure that patients without appointments but who need 'urgent consultations are booked into appropriate slots and referred to a GP where necessary. Receive and accurately record requests for home visits, and print off home visit summary sheets. Ensure computerised appointment system is up-to-date. Respond and/or redirect all patient and visitor requests accordingly. Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and temporary residents, ensure procedures are completed. Creation of new patients records on the clinical computer system. Advising patients of relevant charges for private services, accept payment and issue receipts for same. Taking and recording messages. Produce repeat prescriptions according to practice procedures and ensure timely distribution of completed prescriptions. Workflow (scanning) ensuring letters are scanned onto patients records within 24 to 48 hours (maximum) of receipt, and coded appropriately. Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc. are coded and filed electronically in correct patient record. Care Navigation (Patient Adviser) signposting patients to appropriate services. Ensure reception and waiting areas are kept neat and tidy. Answering incoming telephone calls, ensuring calls are documented and redirected accordingly. Undertake administration tasks as allocated on rota organised by Senior Receptionist. Ensure up-to-date maintenance of both computerised and manual filing systems (i.e. patient notes). Flexibility to cross cover sickness and holidays. Check emails on a daily basis. Opening and distributing mail. Circulating messages appropriately using electronic systems. Office evening closedown procedure. Work safely at all times in accordance with Legislative requirements and Practice Policy and Procedures. Clerical Duties Use of electronic postal system for majority of post. Purchasing of stamps and posting of mail. Updating and maintaining of manual patient records where appropriate. Entering of data onto the Practice computerised medical information system. Equipment, Machinery & Systems 1. Personal Computer system including internet activity which is utilised as a means of communication both internally and externally. 2. Practice Clinical System: to manage and record patient appointments, inputting patient registration data, accessing patient data as necessary and when undertaking audits.. 3. The post-holder is responsible for, together with others, maintaining the accuracy of the Practices Clinical System. Assignment Of Work 1. The post-holders work assignment is determined by the requirements of the Practice, GP Partners, the Practice Manager and the patients. 2. The Practice Manager provides immediate line-management for the post-holder. The post holder will take instruction on a day to day basis from the Senior Receptionist. However, the post-holder is expected to be self-directed and self-motivated using their own initiative and requiring minimum input from the Senior Receptionist, once the probation period has been completed. 3. The Post-holders work is formally reviewed at 4 weeks, 3 months and 6 months during the probationary period. If the probationary period is not successfully completed a further 3 month extension can be granted. Following a successful probationary period the post-holders work will be reviewed by annual appraisal. 4. The post-holder must be proactive in forward planning, identifying and implementing improvements within and beyond their key result areas, anticipating and communicating future internal and external requirements. Decisions & Judgements 1. The post-holder is required to use her/his own initiative when dealing with problems and to make any reasonable and necessary decisions on events as they occur, including: Establishing and maintaining effective lines of communication with the GPs and Practice Manager. Communicating clearly and effectively with staff to aid the smooth running of the Practice. Responding to requests or queries for support as they arise in an appropriate and timely manner. Prioritising workload and requests for support. Making the most effective use of resources available. Using judgement and experience in helping to determine the relevant urgency of or requests for information received from patients and other external organisations. Most Challenging Aspects Of The Job Managing the many conflicting priorities that the post requires. Ensuring clear protocols for the prioritisation of work. Providing and maintaining a professional and effective dialogue with patients. Physical, Mental, Emotional And Environmental Demands Of The Job The post-holder is required to have keen hand/eye co-ordination to undertake his/her primary task. The post holder is required to be methodical and work to a structure, seeing problems through to their satisfactory conclusion. The post-holder is required to work in a well-organised and professional manner to meet the demands of the work, maintaining concentration and accuracy. The post-holder is often required to work independently of others and to be self-determined. The post holder is required to communicate effectively and possess an aptitude for dealing with potentially difficult or demanding situations. Knowledge, Training And Experience Required To Do The Job The post-holder must be understanding and approachable to patients and able to respond to patient requests. The post-holder is required to have well-developed keyboard skills. The post-holder must be able to communicate effectively and collaboratively across varied staff disciplines. The post-holder must clearly understand the importance of maintaining patient and data confidentiality. Communication And Relationships Internally with the GPs, Practice Manager and colleagues to help ensure that practice aims and objectives are met. Internally and externally with colleagues, healthcare professionals and others within the Primary and Secondary Care sectors with regard to the needs of the Practice and the needs of patients registered at the Practice. Externally with patients registered at the Practice. Housekeeping Ensuring premises are kept clean and tidy between visits from the cleaning staff. Other Duties It is important that all members of staff are prepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order to maintain efficient running of the Practice. The Practice Manager/Partners reserve the right to redistribute duties and functions among members of staff from time to time, and requests for such changes shall not be unreasonably refused. 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