As first point of contact for our patients, your focus will be on ensuring patients and visitors to the practice receive the best possible service, you will provide a professional, efficient and friendly reception service for all patients and other visitors and you’ll enjoy making a difference to every person who walks through our doors.
This is a varied role that will see you offering a range of patient care activities, including receiving, assisting and direct patients in accessing the most appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.
You will facilitate effective communication between patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care and other associated healthcare agencies.
You will also offer 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.
ACCOUNTABLE TO:
Practice Manager
The post holder will be part of the practice team and will:
• Work effectively alongside other teams and clinicians within the practice in a professional manner to nurture a spirit of collaborative team working.
• Develop positive working relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders
• Be encouraging and supportive to colleagues across the practice
• Promote a positive working environment
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the team may include any or all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Team Leader, dependant on the current and evolving workload and staffing levels.
Patient/ Customer Care
• To meet and greet patients, members of the public and visitors to the practice in a friendly and courteous manner
• Offer general assistance to the practice team and project a professional, positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone.
• Facilitate effective communication between patients, members the primary health care team, secondary care and other associated healthcare agencies.
• Liaise with district nurses, midwives and other professionals within the community teams, on behalf of patients
• Ensure an effective and efficient service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice
• Ensure that excellent patient care is being delivered at all times
• Play an active role in the co-ordination, and review of patient surveys
• Offer solutions and actively listen to patients to resolve issues.
• Deal with complex and sensitive issues
• Receive specimens for laboratory analysis from patients and advise patients of their test results on request
• Arrange patient transport as directed
Operations
• Process telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone advice
• Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way, including sign posting patients to the most appropriate service using in-house guidance.
• 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.
• Book appointments ensuring sufficient information is recorded to ensure retrieval and accurate notes and use of the medical record.
• Monitor flow of patients into consulting and treatment rooms
• Maintain and monitor the practice appointments system, adding clinics and amending slots as directed
• Collate patient data as directed
• Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.
Prescriptions
• Receive requests for repeat prescriptions from patients, pharmacy and care home staff, and process these in a timely and accurate manner and distribute signed prescriptions on request
• Dealing with prescription enquiries that other members of staff are unable to answer from patients and local pharmacists

Other tasks
• Explain Practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed.
• Ensure that all registrations including New, immediately necessary and temporary residents are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately.
• Keep the reception area free from obstructions and clutter.
• Keeping the office well-stocked with stationery and other supplies
• To maintain a thorough knowledge of all Practice procedures and work inaccordance of written protocols
• Ensure building security- have a thorough knowledge of doors/ windows/ alarm.
• Undertake a variety of EMIS tasks to assist in the smooth running of the practice, contacting patients as requested by team leaders, managers and clinical staff when required. Responding to system wide alerts.

• Contributing to the development and improvement of services to patients
• To assist your colleagues in learning new procedures and offering support across the team when required.
• To act as a mentor and/or buddy for new team members and apprentices within the team. Assisting the Team Leader with induction and training.
Confidentiality
• The post holder must maintain confidentiality, security and integrity of information relating to patients, staff and the business.
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the postholder will have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers.
• They will 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.
• Any breach of confidentiality will be regarded as ‘gross misconduct’ according to the Staff Handbook.
Equality and Diversity
The postholder will positively support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues to include:
• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people’s 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 which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgemental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Personal/Professional Development
The postholder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, 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.
Health and Safety
The postholder 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.
Communication
The postholder 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 people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
Quality
• The postholder will strive to maintain and improve 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 team’s performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients’ needs.
Contribution to the implementation of services
The postholder will:
• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance.
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work.
• Participate in audit where appropriate
The details contained in this Job Description are not exhaustive and may change as the post develops.