Job summary
Hours for this post are 18 hours per week working Monday 8:00am -13:00pm, Wednesday 08:00am-12:00pm,Thursday 8:00am-13:00pm, Friday 8:00am-12:00pm

Role
To assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.

To provide comprehensive 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.

To ensure that the working environment is kept tidy and fully operational, Health & Safety compliant and that standards and high attention to detail levels are maintained at all times.

Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Management Team, dependent on current and evolving Practice workload and staffing levels:

Main duties of the job

• Receiving patients attending for appointments with members of practice team
• Handing completed repeat prescriptions to patients and checking names and addresses
• Be able to cover all other reception duties as necessary
• Process immediate (and emergency) appointment requests and requests for future appointments from patients by telephone and in person
• Deal with requests for home visits
• Answer telephone and deal with all queries resulting from that call.
• Navigating patients to the most appropriate clinician and care required.
• Advising patients of the relevant charges for private services, accepting all types of payments and issuing receipts where necessary.
• Delivering assistance to clinicial staff when needed i.e. chaperoning (after revelant training).
• Dealing with first hand verbal complaints, if not resolved then directed to the complaints team
• Have working knowledge of telephone system, during and after hours.

About us
Pennygate Medical Centre is a large practice based in Hindley, Wigan. We have a patient list size of 19,000 patients. The Practice comprises of 9 GP Partners, 8 salaried GP's, 3 ANP's, 5 Practice Nurses, 3 HCA's and a large reception and administration team. The Practice is part of the Hindley PCN and works with ARRS staff on a daily basis.

Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Administration

• To have a thorough knowledge of all Practice procedures.
• To work in accordance of written protocols
• Filing post in medical records electronically or hard copy as appropriate
• Scan and photocopy documents as requested
• Open, sort and distribute incoming mail to appropriate members of the practice or other organisations as appropriate
• Registration of new patients computer data entry and medical records
• Deducting patients as appropriate.
• Process patients change of address computer data and medical records (have knowledge of practice area.
• Process repeat prescription requests in accordance with practice guidelines
• Process outgoing mail ensuring correct packaging, format and postage to reach destination
• Assist Secretaries and Practice Management with ad-hoc administration tasks as required

Reception

• Receiving patients attending for appointments with members of practice team
• Handing completed repeat prescriptions to patients and checking names and addresses
• Be able to cover all other reception duties as necessary
• Process immediate (and emergency) appointment requests and requests for future appointments from patients by telephone and in person
• Deal with requests for home visits
• Answer telephone and deal with all queries resulting from that call.
• Navigating patients to the most appropriate clinician and care required.
• Advising patients of the relevant charges for private services, accepting all types of payments and issuing receipts where necessary.
• Delivering assistance to clinicial staff when needed i.e. chaperoning (after revelant training).
• Dealing with first hand verbal complaints, if not resolved then directed to the complaints team
• Have working knowledge of telephone system, during and after hours

Other Tasks

• Opening up/locking up of Practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with Practice protocols.
• Prepare/restock and clear rooms before/after surgeries
• Assist with the collection of clinical waste.
• Providing refreshments for staff and visitors as required, and keeping the kitchen clean and tidy Any other tasks allocated by managers and/or appropriate to the grade
• Liaison with secondary care (after appropriate training)
• Ensure clinical rooms secure at end of each day with systems appropriately closed down.

Other Job Responsibilities
Confidentiality

• Maintain confidentiality of information, acting within the terms of the Data Protection Act 2018, with specific reference to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Caldicott guidance on patient confidentiality at all times
• Maintain an awareness of the Freedom of Information Act
• 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.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Administration experience and customer service experience.

Desirable

• Previous experience of working in a GP surgery.

Qualifications
Essential

• GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths

Desirable

• NVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care or Business Administration

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

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