General Practice Assistant
Job Description
Job summary
We are seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking General Practice Assistant to join our next-generation primary care team, helping provide high-quality, patient-focused reception and administrative services.
Although based in reception, this is not a traditional reception role. This enhanced role forms a key part of the practices modern access model and aims to ensure patients receive timely, appropriate and coordinated support. You will help redefine how patients access care, combining exceptional communication skills with smart use of digital tools and streamlined processes.
You will guide patients compassionately and efficiently through their healthcare journey, signposting to a range of services, coordinating appointments and ensuring patients feel heard, respected, and supported.
You'll work closely with clinicians playing a vital role in improving patient experience not just in face-to-face delivery but also by understanding and managing wait times, analysis of appointment use, monitoring practice systems and supporting our administration functions.
We need excellent communication skills, a professional and compassionate approach, and the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team. You will be expected to use initiative, follow practice policies, and support continuous improvement in patient access and experience. Training includes the GPA accredited training scheme plus on the job training/support including care navigation, reporting and use of digital systems.
Main duties of the job
Plays an important role in Primary Care, helping to ensure patient health and care is timely, efficient, and patient-centred. Has a focus on delivering excellence in service to practice patients by supporting General Practitioners and the wider team in their day-to-day management. Specifically aims to reduce the administrative burden on clinicians, make best use of consultations and support those particularly vulnerable or disadvantaged due to health inequalities or deprivation.
The role will involve working as part of the reception team, answering telephone calls, undertaking a variety of administration tasks, understanding and being able to submit secondary care referrals, analysis of telephone data, analysis of appointment figures and use, interrogation of the clinical system and production and analysis of reports supporting delivery of services such as recalling patients for regular long term condition appointments, review of reports prior to consideration by a GP/clinician, completion of some returns linked to our GP contracts.
Most importantly the role holder needs to be able to interact positively with our patients, our staff and the staff from the Primary Care Network who are often in the building
About us
Bellbrooke Surgery is a forward thinking and well-regarded local GP Practice working in the heart of Harehills and managing a multi-cultural patient group in an area of high deprivation
The practice operates from modern, purpose-built premises with free parking available and a Pharmacy on site. The environment is a pleasant one in which to work
Our practice team is friendly and experienced with leadership coming from our Partners, our Business Manager and Business Admin Manager and Team Leaders. We have very low staff turnover which reflects well on the individuals, team and practice environment. Our non clinical team is supported (and supporting) a significant team of clinicians made up of GPs, Advanced Care Practitioners, Nurses, Nurse Associates and Health Care Assistants. We support training and development across all our people and value their growth and development highly.
Our culture ensures that everyone is treated well and treated fairly, and the terms and conditions of employment and salaries offered are intended to be competitive and at the higher end of the range for this type of role
The practice is active in the local Primary Care Network with many Network staff also on site to bolster our services. You will have opportunity to engage with this staff team regularly and integration with colleagues in this way will certainly help boost your experience.
Job responsibilities
Job Title
General Practice Assistant (Non-clinical)
Hours
37hrs per week
Contract
Permanent
Pay Scale
£28000 - £32000
Line Manager
TBC
Job Ambition
Plays an important role in Primary Care, helping to ensure patient health and care is timely, efficient, and patient-centred. Has a focus on delivering excellence in service to practice patients by supporting General Practitioners and the wider team in their day-to-day management. Specifically aims to reduce the administrative burden on clinicians, make best use of consultations and support those particularly vulnerable or disadvantaged due to health inequalities or deprivation.
Duties
Welcome patients to the practice in a helpful and compassionate way, take time to listen to their needs and signpost to the most appropriate solution in line with practice policy. Provide the same level of access and support to patients telephoning the practice or making requests for assistance online.
Where signposting suggests a GP or Nurse appointment is required, process appointment requests and book appointments for today and in advance in line with practice policies. Sympathetically manage and advise those patients for whom the most relevant appointment is not immediately available due to lack of capacity or increased demand.
Manage visit requests in line with practice policies
Support the Care Homes Team as needed and be aware of the policies and protocols they use so our team can cover questions from registered care homes and patients or families in their absence.
Take responsibility to manage IT - Printers etc. sufficiently to be able to undertake your role and fulfil your responsibilities. Be aware of all external agencies who can be used for support and utilise their services promptly when needed.
Manage prescription requests and issue, processing in accordance with practice guidelines and manage and respond to prescription queries liaising with appropriate clinicians to do so.
Manage patient related tasks in a timely manner and when communicating with clinicians ensure sufficient information is provided to allow a response first time.
Manage the registration of new patients and removal of patients when needed (for example when moving out of area)
Manage change of address and other administrative changes in a timely manner
Photocopying and filing as required but in a timely manner to ensure the integrity of our records is never compromised
Ensure familiarity with procedures for safe entry-exit of the building, operation of the alarms and CCTV etc.
Sorting all clinical post and prioritising for the GP in terms of actions.
Signposting some post to others such as clinical pharmacist etc.
Extracting all information from clinical letters that needs coding and adding to notes.
Arranging appointments, referrals, tests and follow up appointments of patients arising from correspondence received co-ordinating care
Completing basic (non-opinion) forms and core elements of some forms for the GP to approve and sign such as insurance forms, mortgage, benefits agency forms etc.
Helping the GP liaise with outside agencies e.g., getting an on-call doctor on the phone to ask advice or arrange admission while the GP continues with their consultation.
Confidentiality
While 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.
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