Medical Receptionist

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 Responsibilities

• Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice.
• Receive care navigation training for effective signposting to relevant services.
• Deal with all general enquiries and explain practice procedures when required.
• Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed.
• Handing completed repeat prescriptions to patients and checking names and addresses.
• Advise patients of relevant charges for private (Non-General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.
• Check patient in for their appointments.
• File prescriptions, sick notes and path lab forms in alphabetical order.
• Action tasks sent by all clinicians.
• Check new patient registration forms have been completed correctly and check their ID.
• Receive samples from patients and ensure they have been labelled correctly prior to sending to the lab.
• Deal with practice tasks and book appointments accordingly.
• Deal with home visits requests and check the home visit screen to provide summary printouts for the clinician.
• Deal with late call requests.
• Ensure total familiarity with all appointment systems including regular and incidental variations.
• Book appointments and ensure sufficient information is recorded to enable retrieval of the medical record.
• When covering reception, monitor flow of patients into the waiting room ensuring the appointment system accurately reflects the arrival of patients.
• Monitor effectiveness of the system and report any problems or variations to the Assistant Manager/Practice Manager.
• Process patients' changes of address, computer data, and medical records (have knowledge of practice boundary).
• Process repeat prescription requests in accordance with practice guidelines.
• Ensure prompt logging on to the telephone system.
• Receive and make telephone calls as required. Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery.
• To have a thorough knowledge of all practice procedures.
• To work in accordance with written protocols.
• Ensure adequate stationery is on the reception desk.
• Photocopy as requested.
• Display practice leaflets in the designated holders and on the reception desk.
• Order supplies from the Pathology Department.
• Sort incoming notes for new patients.
• Retrieve and re-file records as requested, ensuring that strict alphabetical order is adhered to.
• Ensure records are kept neat and tidy and in good repair with all necessary information recorded correctly on the outer cover.
• Ensure clinical rooms are ready to use before and after surgeries.
• Ensure adequate stationery in all consulting rooms.
• Ensure all noticeboards are tidy in all consulting rooms.
• Tidy the waiting area.
• Undertake any additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners/Practice Manager/Assistant Manager.

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. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential. Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, 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 health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised.
• Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder's role.
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually).
• Demonstrating due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity, and inclusion rights of patients, carers, and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people's rights, interpreting them consistently 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 the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities, and rights.

Safeguarding

The post-holder will safeguard and promote the welfare of adults and children with care and support needs. Their responsibilities are:

• To minimise any potential risk to adults and children with care and support needs.