receptionist

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and pro-active part-time receptionist to join the team based at Mersea Island Medical Practice.

Our GPs, nurses and clinical teams don't exist in isolation. For effective patient care we need a strong and supportive administration team, who keep each branch operating at its best and most efficient.

The role of a receptionist is critical to the smooth day to day running of the practice, and the focus is on supporting patients to access the appointment most suited to their needs and responding to all queries in a timely manner.

Duties:

• Answering the telephone in a polite and professional manner with a focus on supporting patients to access the appointment most suited to their needs and responding to all queries in a timely manner. Receive and make calls as required. Take messages as appropriate.


• Efficient use of the appointment system, booking appropriate clinicians including Extended Access (EA) appointments, booking into the correct appointment and times. Recording sufficient and accurate information.


• Liaising professionally between clinical, admin staff, patients, and other agencies to carry out appropriate tasks including but not exclusively: patient access requests, how to use on line services/portals, copies of text results and letters.


• Completing tasks in a timely manner, accurately and ensuring actions are communicated between patients and other agencies, reporting any issues arising to a senior member of staff.


• Process post (incoming and outgoing) including liaising with workflow and courier, other services as required, maintaining confidentiality and ensuring data breaches are minimised.


• Actioning prescription requests accurately, timely and in line with current policy.


• Providing results to patients on request of clinicians as indicated on tasks and email, giving basic information with no elaboration. Escalating any additional request for information to an appropriate clinical member of the team.


• Ensure that new registrations are dealt with in a timely manner and that all information entered onto the clinical system is accurate with a focus on attention to detail. Any gaps in information are followed up and actioned immediately.


• Explaining practice policies to a new patient and those requiring temporary registrations following the current guidance issued.


• Scanning documents and appropriate records accurately and in a timely manner into the clinical systems ensuring that the documents are legible.


• Liaising with the advance nurse practitioner (ANP) and care homes regarding ward rounds.


• Giving out and receive specimens following the strict procedures in place.


• Advising patients of charges for private services, accepting payment and issuing receipts.


• Responding to all queries and requests for assistance escalating to senior team members to reduce the risk of incidents and complaints.


• Entering requests for home visits and late calls onto the computer including all relevant information and where necessary refer to the duty doctor.


• Ensuring reception and waiting areas are kept tidy and free of debris. Reporting all health and safety issues to an appropriate member of staff.


This list is not exhaustive and may be subject to change at request of the operations manager and GP partners. Please see attached for further details.
About the Candidate

You will have a good standard of education including maths and English and have experience of working and providing customer services. Ideally you will have reception experience and it would be beneficial if you have experience working within primary care, however this is not essential.

You will need to have strong IT skills and be able to use computer based systems. Experience of System1 would be desirable, however full training will be given to a suitable candidate.

You will have excellent communication skills both written and orally, and have good social skills. You will have a friendly and positive approach towards patients and other visitors either in person or over the telephone.

Some flexibility is required, as you will sometimes need to work additional or alternative hours to cover for colleagues.

The Colte Partnership is very much 'at the heart of primary care', being the largest GP partnership in North East Essex; comprised of 9 local GP practices across Colchester and Tendring. We care for approx. 98,000 patients. Our head office is in Feering.

We pride ourselves on working to be at the forefront of primary care in our region, and have many exciting ventures on the horizon.

Each of our branches has its own character, and family friendly ethos, which is why our patients love coming to us (and tell us so in our regular patient surveys). However, being a large partnership means we can offer so much more than a local branch can by itself - with specialist clinics, social prescribing and innovative support such as regular dementia cafes, armed forces support and even child first aid classes for parents.

We strive to look after our employees as well, with generous annual leave, flexible and family friendly working, and support during difficult times such as free counselling.

We also work as three collaborative primary care networks (PCNs) which span across Colchester and Tendring:

• ARA - Ambrose Avenue Group Practice, Riverside Medical Centre & Ardleigh Surgery


• RMT - Mersea Island Medical Practice, Tiptree Medical Centre & Rowhedge Medical Centre


• WCW - Walton Medical Centre, Colne Medical Centre & Wivenhoe Medical Centre


Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Please note this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for a basic Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any current or unspent criminal convictions.