Job responsibilities
JOB TITLE: PatientAdvisor
REPORTS TO: ReceptionManager
HOURS: 38 hours per week over 4days
Job summary:
The purpose of the role is to:
Offer general assistance to the practice team and project a positiveand friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via thetelephone
Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing theappropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient andeffective way
Undertake a variety of administrative duties to assist inthe smooth running of the practice including the provision of secretarial andclerical support to clinical staff and other members of the practice team
Facilitate effective communication between patients, membersthe primary health care team, secondary care and other associated healthcareagencies
Duties and responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by membersof the practice administration team may include any or all of the items in thefollowing list. Duties may be variedfrom time to time under the direction of the reception supervisor/management,dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:
Opening up/locking-up of practicepremises and maintaining security in accordance with Practice protocols
Maintaining and monitoring the practiceappointments system
Processing personal andtelephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations andensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional
Processing and distributingincoming (and outgoing) mail
Taking messages and passing oninformation
Filing and retrieving paperwork
Processing repeat prescriptionsin accordance with practice guidelines
Computer data entry/dataallocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordancewith practice procedures.
Initiating contact with andresponding to requests from patients, other team member and associatedhealthcare agencies and providers
Clearing and re-stock consultingrooms as required.
Providing clerical assistance topractice staff as required from time to time, including word/data processing,filing, photocopying and scanning.
Dealing with clinical waste
Keeping the reception area,notice-boards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free from obstructions andclutter
Flexibility required to coverboth surgeries.
Confidentiality:
In the course of seekingtreatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitiveinformation in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the rightto expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.
In the performance of the dutiesoutlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access toconfidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staffand other healthcare workers. They mayalso have access to information relating to the practice as a businessorganisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded asstrictly confidential.
Information relating topatients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practicemay only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practicepolicies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personaland sensitive data.
Health& safety:
The post-holder will assist in promotingand maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined inthe practice health & safety policy, the practice health & safetymanual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures.This will include:
Using personal security systems withinthe workplace according to practice guidelines
Identifying the risks involved in workactivities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.
Making effective use of training toupdate knowledge and skills.
Using appropriate infection controlprocedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
Actively reporting of health and safetyhazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
Keeping own work areas and general /patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of generalstandards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role
Undertaking periodic infection controltraining (minimum annually)
Reporting potential risks identified
Equality and diversity:
The post-holder willsupport the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues,to include:
Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoplesrights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice proceduresand policies, and current legislation.
Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs ofpatients, carers and colleagues.
Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of theindividual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelingspriorities and rights.
Personal/professionaldevelopment:
The post-holder will participate in any training programmeimplemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training toinclude:
Participation in an annual individual performance review,including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/orprofessional development.
Taking responsibility for own development, learning andperformance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who areundertaking similar work.
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 ownactions, either directly or under supervision
Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting onown and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhancethe teams performance.
Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meetpatients needs.
Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
Communication:
The post-holdershould recognise the importance of effective communication within the team andwill strive to:
Communicate effectively with other team members.
Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods ofcommunication and respond accordingly.
Contribution to theimplementation of services:
The post-holder 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.
