Receptionist/Administrator
Job Description
Job summary
An opportunity has arisen to join our well established, friendly but very busy team as areceptionist/administrator (20-30 Hrs) to cover maternity leave for 12months.
Previous GP surgery experience is preferred but is not essential as full training will be provided.
We are looking for someone who is flexible and able to cover holidays/sickness as and when required in addition to their regular shifts.
Kew Surgery currently use EMIS Web computer system. Knowledge of EMIS is preferred but not essential.
Main duties of the job
Patient care: Welcoming patients and visitors, registering patients, and scheduling appointments
Administrative tasks: Answering and making phone calls, handling correspondence, and maintaining office supplies
Appointment management: Booking, amending, and cancelling appointments, and contacting patients to re-book if necessary
Prescription management: Taking requests for repeat prescriptions.
Patient information: Answering queries about test results, and providing information about minor illnesses and services available
Patient follow-up: Informing patients of the need to make a follow-up appointment
Emergency services: Contacting the emergency services when necessary
Surgery preparation: Opening the surgery and GP rooms at the start of each session period, and ensuring everything is ready
Reception area maintenance: Keeping the reception area clean and calm
End of day tasks: Switching off workstation computers, locking doors, shutting windows and skylights, and setting the alarm
About us
The surgery is looking for a highly motivated, hardworking individual with excellent customer service and communication skills. You will need very good organisational skills, have the ability to prioritise and work under pressure with initiative. Excellent IT skills are required.
Job responsibilities
The post holder, as a member and representative of the organisation, will have direct contact with service users and will be instrumental in ensuring that plans for individual service users, and information that the organisation wishes to share with its clients/patients, are enabled and enacted.
The post holder will have excellent communication skills, to ensure that every contact counts, through a range of media (telephone; face-to-face; IT) and will demonstrate excellent customer care though commitment to follow-through of established plans to improve health/customer outcomes. He/she will have sound knowledge of local services and providers; maintain an up-to-date database of this information and understand how to access these services.
He/she will have knowledge of health promotion issues and current locality initiatives and be able to offer this information to clients/ patients. He /she will be able to deal with complex information, using knowledge of local services and pathways to signpost clients to appropriate agencies. Acting as the clients advocate, they will be able to make brief assessments of client needs, and be able to recognise emergencies and urgent need, both for physical and mental health problems. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring care plans are implemented, keeping accurate and relevant records and communicate progress or any problems with managerial or clinical staff, as appropriate.
They will be competent in the use of computer databases; audit, and in the production of reports and updating of care plans. They will be able to organise and run meetings (one-to-one or groups), from administrative aspects to delivery and to evaluate outcomes, feeding back to senior members within the organisation.
Key responsibilities
To develop a thorough knowledge of the employing organisation and to work in accordance with written protocols.
To implement agreements and policies concerning data sharing and client/patient consent.
To provide excellent customer care, demonstrating empathy; patience and a holistic approach to client/patient care, with commitment to follow-through of care plans and building effective working relationships.
To be able to triage calls, directing clients/ patients appropriately to relevant personnel/ services.
To have excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively facilitate communication in writing (letters and electronically) and verbally with a wide range of providers and users of services, including patients; carers; voluntary; social; primary health care teams and secondary care providers.
To have a sound and up to date knowledge of local health and social care policy, together with service availability and how to access those services.
To maintain an accurate database of services available to clients/patients
To understand, and be able to disseminate, health promotion information, using this to identify clients who might benefit from these services and to signpost accordingly.
To keep accurate records of all client/patient contacts, using the organisation databases and templates as directed, updating as necessary.
To be able to carry out audit of organisation and own activities; coordinate satisfaction surveys; produce reports and give presentations within the organisation and locality.
To be able to organise and facilitate meetings for the organisation and for clients/patients (on a one-to-one or group basis) such as carers groups and to be able to take minutes of such meetings.
To understand the common needs and safeguarding issues of vulnerable patient groups, including the elderly; housebound and those with long-term conditions, including physical and mental disabilities.
To understand the legal; ethical and regulatory principles of the NHS and know personal boundaries and when to seek help.
To be aware of own impact in the process of care; the need for reflection on practice and resilience when faced with challenging situations.
To understand the importance of confidentiality.
To respond appropriately in emergency situations.
To report any incidents that might compromise health and safety for self, other staff, or customers/patients.
To take part in annual appraisal, developing a personal development plan, from which training needs will be identified and training undertaken.
To assist in the training of other colleagues where appropriate.
To work in accordance with Equal Opportunities Policy; Data Protection; Health and Safety, an organisational dress code.
Other liaison/health promotion activities as agreed with the organisation.
Attributes and personal abilities
Positive attitude towards staff and customers/ patients.
Able to take initiative and prioritise workload.
Demonstrate effective organisational skills.
Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
Good interpersonal skills.
Commitment to effective communication and attention to detail.
Respect for confidentiality.
Able to deal with conflict and distress.
Able to work in a challenging and changing environment, responding quickly and flexibly to new developments.
Able to problem solve.
Willing to learn and develop within the organisation.
Communication skills
Confident in communication methods and able to communicate effectively with a range of customer and provider groups.
Confident in the use of computer databases and able to record information accurately and in a timely manner
Able to convey clear messages to seniors in the organisation; customers/patients/carers, and other provider agencies, including the production of reports and giving presentations.
Team-working
Able to relate to, and work with, all professional and non-clinical staff within the organisation.
Able to motivate other team members to support care plan and health promotion initiatives.
Able to demonstrate an understanding of own impact on the process of care, and resilience when faced with challenging situations.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Minimum GCSE English and Maths or equivalent
Desirable
- Previous experience in reception or administrative role with customer contact and evidence of ability to use initiative and work independently.
- Confident in communication through a wide ran of channels and competence in use of relevant IT databases.
- Current Adult and Child Safeguarding training level 1
- Basic life support training
Employer details
Employer name
Kew Surgery
Address
85 Town Lane
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 6RG
Employer's website
https://www.kewsurgery-southport.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
