Patient Services Team Member

Job responsibilities

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.

Job duties/responsibilities:

Ensure an effective and efficient patient service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the practice

Provide care navigation/signposting of patients

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.

Liaise with other clinical staff including District Nurses, Health Visitors etc.,

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 into clinical system, ensuring to carefully record all relevant details and referring to duty doctor where necessary.

Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non-General Medical Services) services.

Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to.

Ensure the kitchen is kept clean and tidy and air and tidy the waiting room in turn with other staff.

Premises:

Open up premises at the start of the day when first to arrive, de-activate alarm and make all necessary preparations to receive patients.

When last to leave at the end of the day, ensure that the building is totally secured, internal lights are off and the alarm activated.

Ensure efficient running of appointment system and monitor flow of patients into Treatment/Consulting rooms.

To work in accordance of written protocols

Fax and photocopy as requested

Be able to cover reception positions as necessary

Process patients changes of address computer data and medical records (have knowledge of practice area)

Have working knowledge of telephone/on call system, during and after hours

Ensure building security have thorough knowledge of doors/windows/alarm and report any concerns

Carry out any other tasks allocated by managers

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 & 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

Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

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 that 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, with 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

Responsible for undertaking own mandatory training as per practice policy

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 ...