Receptionist- Birchington Medical Centre

Job responsibilities

Front Desk

Tend to the front desk ensuring to greet patients and visitors on their arrival to the practice in a welcoming manner.

Ensure all patients and visitors to the practice are signed in and directed to the relevant waiting area.

Inform the relevant host for example, the GP, Nurse or Practice Manager of any patients or visitors arrival.

Accept payments and issue receipts for non-NHS services.

Book ambulances/appropriate transport for patients according to protocols.

Assist patients with requests for Blood Forms, Urine Forms and Xray forms, printing where necessary.

Keep the reception area, noticeboards, and leaflet dispensers clean, tidy and free from obstructions and clutter.

Support in ensuring the reception area remains a calm environment for all. Politely and safely addressing any disruptive behaviours, escalating to management where appropriate.

Registrations and Appointments

Process registrations both regular and temporary in the absence of the Registration Clerk ensuring complete information and appropriate ID.

Assess and analyse patient needs to ensure an appointment is required and if so, booked with the correct and appropriate healthcare professional.

Book, amend and cancel general (GP/Nurse), clinic (Flu), QOF, special allocation services (SAS) and third party (Physio) patient appointments in line with practice appointment procedures, ensuring coding is completed where necessary and optimum efficiency of the appointment system.

Monitor the incoming E-Consult messages booking an appropriate appointment or directing to the most appropriate department.

Monitor the 111 clinical screen and directing as appropriate

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, assessing urgency in accordance with the Practices protocols.

Once trained, chaperone patients to their GP appointment as and when requested.

Arrange security for Special Allocation Service (SAS) appointments where necessary.

Prescriptions and Certificates

Receive and process prescription requests in the absence of the Prescription Clerk accurately and in accordance with practice guidelines

Raise any prescription queries with the Prescription Clerk and/or Clinical Lead including status check of whether it has been issued and where it is.

Processing and handling of Cremation Forms and Death Certificates, informing required departments and accurately documenting details of passing.

Advice and guidance

Provide advice (non-medical) and contact details of third-party services to patients as required. For example, suggesting a patient contact the Urgent Mental Health Team.

Respond to and/or redirect all general enquiries, explaining procedures where necessary and processing paperwork where required.

Process referrals for the District Nurse

Action EMIS tasks and DOCMAN workflow in a timely manner

Communication

Answer incoming telephone calls in a timely and professional manner, ensuring calls are documented and actioned and/or redirected as appropriate.

Communicate with GPs, Nurses, and the Clinical Team as necessary including passing information across to be processed, chasing documentation, results, and appointment information.

Communicate in writing (letters and electronically) and verbally with a wide range of providers and users of services, including patients, carers; voluntary; social; primary and secondary care providers.

Liaising with GP/Clinicians, forwarding concerns, chasing for samples, letters, prescriptions and other paperwork

Monitor the reception email account and action any requests needed, raising any urgent enquiries to your line manager where relevant

Process any outgoing mail created by the reception team

Data Handling

Document information received from patients or third-party agencies, accurately on EMIS. For example, urgent blood results from path labs, patients home blood pressure readings and any urgent referral advise provided to them.

Undertake manual and electronic filing and retrieving of paperwork ensuring up-to-date maintenance of both computerised and manual filing systems (i.e. patient notes).

Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures.

Accessing the server, changing the tape and checking back up has been successful, reporting to IT if any issues are identified.

Equipment and Stock Control

Efficient filling of sample pots, testing kits, appointment cards, registration paperwork and other necessary aids.

Clearing and re-stocking stationery items in work areas as required, ensuring low stock levels are reported to the relevant leads and ensuring a clear desk policy.

Safely accept and record receipt of any vaccine/medication deliveries, ensuring safe storage of items and informing relevant departments.

Miscellaneous

Opening and locking up of practice premises (where needed) and maintaining security in accordance with practice protocols at all times.

Keep up to date with any new guidance and changes within the team.

Supporting in the training of new reception team members.

General Duties

To work collaboratively and professionally with colleagues across Invicta Health, building and maintaining relationships.

To contribute to the development of services, including processes, templates and principles.

To take part in any statutory and mandatory training or other training and development programmes as requested.

Any other reasonable duties as directed by your line manager.

Person Specification

Key skills

Essential

• Ability to assess and analyse patient requirements appropriately.
• Able to communicate effectively and collaboratively across varied disciplines.
• Able to work in a well-organised and professional manner, maintaining concentration and accuracy
• Able to manage conflicting priorities
• Possess an aptitude for dealing with potentially difficult or demanding situations.
• Good telephone manner

Qualifications

Essential

• Good level of education including competent levels of numeracy and literacy

Desirable

• Chaperone training

Experience

Essential

• Understand the importance of maintaining patient and data confidentiality.
• Able to use judgement and experience in helping to determine the relevant urgency of requests for information received from patients and other ...