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JOB DESCRIPTION – RECEPTIONIST

RESPONSIBLE TO: Senior Receptionist

Job Summary:

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.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the practice. Acknowledge a patients arrival at the desk within 2/3 minutes of arriving, if the situation is unmanageable at the time due to the amount of patients waiting then advise the patients in the queue you will be with them as soon as possible and call for assistance.
• Deal with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments. This requires a helpful attitude even when experiencing negative, unresponsive and sometimes verbally abusive behaviour from patients. Never lose your temper with patients; refer to your line manager if you feel unable to help.
• Communicate test results using taught skills and ensuring accuracy
• Alert Management on patients records
• 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.
• Be aware of your surroundings and of the patients in the waiting room. Be aware of which doctors and nurses are currently working in the building and whether they have arrived for their clinics. Observe clinics running late and advice patients waiting and offer apologies.
• Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed.
• Receive and make telephone calls as required. Phones must be answered within 6 rings and no more. Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery. Be polite and helpful at ALL times. If a patient’s behaviour becomes unacceptably abusive refer the call to your line manager. Do not shout or respond in a rude manner to the patient.
• Keep your working environment clean, tidy and free from clutter at all times.
• Ensure that you provide an efficient, professional and detailed handover to the member of staff taking over from you before you leave your duty.
• Drink/rest breaks are not permitted unless your contract has specifically detailed these. Obtaining drinks should only be done by absolutely ensuring that your position is covered whilst you leave it to make a drink. At no time should you leave your post to make a drink if it cannot be covered by another member of the team. This means that phones should never be left with only 1 person to answer them.
• Enter requests for home visits onto the home visit sessions on EMIS ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to Duty Doctor.
• Participate on a daily basis in task management and Docman tasks and ensure that tasks are kept up to date at all times.
• Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.
• Enter patient information on to the computer as required and as appropriate and within the correct time frame for safety of receipt of the information
• Patient notes and correspondence:
• Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to
• Ensure correspondence, reports, results/scanned etc are filed promptly and in the correct records, ensuring that all recent correspondence is available when patients are seen.
• Ensure records are kept in good repair with all necessary information on the outside cover clearly visible.

• Make and serve refreshments, ensure the kitchen is kept clean and tidy and air and tidy the waiting room in turn with other staff. If you are on refreshment duty, empty the dishwasher if it is ready (unless you are required to return to your post very quickly)
• 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. Follow the opening up protocol carefully.
• 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. Follow the closing up protocol carefully.

• Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately, this should be on the same day that they attend the practice to register.
• Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Practice 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. 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, to 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
• Understanding and utilising appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining hygiene in work areas and keeping the premises free from hazards
• Reporting potential risks identified

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 recognizes 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-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, 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
• Attending any external training course thought appropriate to the role

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 team’s performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients’ needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognize people’s 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
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent
Part-time hours: 25 per week

Salary: £10.42 per hour

Benefits:

• Company pension
• On-site parking

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Education:

• GCSE or equivalent (required)

Experience:

• receptionist: 1 year (required)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 06/08/2023