WHITE HOUSE FARM MEDICAL CENTRE
JOB DESCRIPTION
Name of Practice:
White House Farm Medical Centre
Job Title:
Medical Receptionist
Responsible to:
Partners/Practice Manager
Main Purpose of Job:
To provide a point of contact for patients and to act as a focal
point of communication between patients, doctors and other
members of the Primary Health Care Team.
The uniform provided must be worn at all times.
1. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES
As a member of the administrative team the Medical Receptionist will be employed to
undertake clerical and administrative duties as deemed suitable by the Partners and Practice
Manager. Special requirements for this post will be
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An ability to use own judgment, resourcefulness and able to work under pressure
without direct supervision.
 To have excellent communication skills and patience.
 To be reliable and flexible
 To be a good team player, supporting other administrative staff and members of the
primary care team.
You will carry out all duties with regard to Protocols and Guidelines in use at the practice.
2. CONFIDENTIALITY AND RECORD KEEPING
You will act at all times with regard to the confidentiality and sensitivity of issues to do with
patients, their care and treatment. Ensure accurate and legible notes of all data and
information is recorded in the patient medical records.
3. RECEPTION DUTIES
 Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any
other visitors to the practice. Being polite and courteous at all times. The practice
image and reputation is partly reliant upon the reception team, particularly during
reception or telephone contact with patients and visitors.
 Ensure reception and waiting room areas are maintained in a tidy manner. To tidy
and replenish stocks of leaflets and magazines at the end of either morning or
afternoon surgery sessions.
 Deal with all general enquiries; explain procedures and liaise with members of the
primary care team when dealing with enquiries.
 Make new and follow-up appointments for patients of the practice, via the practice
computer system either face to face contact or by telephone.
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Receive and direct patients to appointed consultations with Doctors/Practice Nurses
and other members of the Primary Health Care Team. Knowledge and use of the
Call System should be applied within practice guidelines. The Receptionist must
apply special skills when dealing with disabled or elderly patients, seeking support
where required.
Use of lift to support disabled or elderly patients. The Receptionist may direct
patients to use the lift installed at the practice. If necessary, seeking assistance for
the patient to travel to their consultation room.
Be fully proficient in the use of the telephone system, to receive/make and transfer
telephone calls. To know how to transfer the telephone system to Out of Hours
service at the end of each working day or, return the system to normal practice
service.
To take and transfer messages efficiently using practice procedures, ensuring
accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery.
Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those
seeking temporary cover, ensuring relevant forms are completed.
Home visits are requested from patients and their representatives’. The receptionist
should enter the request on the Duty doctor’s visit screen via the computer system.
Ordering an ambulance for emergency, urgent or routine situations as directed by the
doctors/nurses following practice procedure.
Signed repeated or acute prescriptions should be filed in alphabetical order at the
reception desk for distribution to patients.
Where necessary, direct patients to make requests for repeat prescriptions following
practice procedures.
Receive internal post, date stamp and arrange distribution.
Receive parcels and packages to the practice, arrange for distribution.
Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non-General Practice) services,
accept payment and issue receipts for same. Requests for private medical reports
etc.; to be passed to the appropriate doctor.
4. CLERICAL DUTIES
 Where necessary to be able to retrieve and re-file manual patient records, ensuring
strict alphabetical order and use of the marker card system.
 Where necessary ensure correspondence, reports, results are filed promptly and in
chronological order and use of the marker care system. Maintain the medical records
in tagged chronological order.
 To be aware of the Quality Improvement in clinical and organizational indicators of
the GMS Contract introduced in April 2004 and support the doctors to work towards
improvement by identifying information and adding data to patient records following
appropriate coding.
 Enter patient information to the patient record via the computer system as required,
and after appropriate training. For example, messages, visit data, data from hospital
information, cervical smear data. This list is not exhaustive but a guide to the type of
information applicable.
 To perform tasks/actions following clinical assessment of pathology results. The
task/actions will be generated by a doctor who will require contact with patients
following pathology results. Pathology results must only be relayed to the patient
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concerned unless otherwise indicated by the doctor or in the event the patient gives
their express permission for information to be passed to their representative.
To enter new registration data to practice computer system using information from
New Patient Registration form completed by the patient/doctor.
Logging accurately the receipt of new patient medical records.
To tag in chronological order new patient medical records received.
To arrange for a printout of the full computer record, to accompany manual records
when patients are deducted from the practice list and records are returned to the
Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
To make Chronic Disease Management clinic appointments via the practice
computer system, generating letters to patients for pre-booked appointments.
To relay emergency referrals to hospital, Social Services, Community Mental Health
team etc., by use of the practice fax machine on direct instruction from doctors.
Subsequently, confirm receipt of fax with recipient and log information to patient
computer record.
5. REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
 To take requests from patients for repeat prescriptions via the media as per practice
procedure.
 To issue those requests via the practice computer system, following the Repeat
Prescription Policy at all times, and after appropriate in-house training.
 Liaise with local Chemists and other members of the Primary Health Care Team
regarding prescriptions and drug information.
 Deal with general enquiries and prescription queries, liaising with doctors after
morning or afternoon surgeries.
6. PREMISES
 Reception staff may be tasked with the responsibility of opening and locking the
practice premises. When given this responsibility, it is important that procedures are
followed for deactivation/activation of the alarm system. Extreme care must be taken
when locking premises. All internal and external doors must be made secure and
internal lights are extinguished when leaving the building.
7. GENERAL PRACTICE RESPONSIBILITIES
 Attend relevant meetings.
 Have knowledge of an act at all times within the boundaries of Health & Safety
Legislation and Data Protection Acts.
 Have basic understanding of all practice policies.
8. TRAINING
 The Medical Receptionist will always work along-side another member of the clinical
and administrative team, the Practice Nurse and/or Doctor will be available for
reference/supervision. Duties listed in this job description will become applicable
after full and appropriate in-house or external training.
 To be aware of education needs, and be prepared to attend training courses to
update such as scheduled T.A.R.G.E.T training sessions or external training.
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Training needs will be identified during annual appraisal or appropriate to practice
procedural change.
This job description is not an exhaustive list of duties but indicates the main ones attached to
the post. It may be necessary to amend the duties at a future date, after discussion, to take
into account the changing patterns of the practice. It may also be necessary for the post
holder to undertake general tasks as required to assist and support doctors, nursing staff,
and colleagues.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Post Title: Medical Receptionist – White House Farm Medical Centre
ATTRIBUTES/REQUIREMENTS
ESSENTIAL
Education, Qualifications and
Vocational Training
Qualifications in
Customer Care
highly desirable.
Good level of
computer literacy
(qualification if
possible)
DESIRABLE
HOW IDENTIFIED
Customer Care
Certificate.
Computer keyboard
or Typing
qualification
advantage due to
level of computer
work
Certificates
Previous work in a
customer care
environment either
general practice or
retail trade.
Computer knowledge
Previous work in
General Practice
CV
Interview
Reference
Knowledge and Skills
Teamwork
Customer Care
Assertive skills
Knowledge of Data
Protection and
Confidentiality
Interview
Certificates
And/or references
Physical Attributes
Calm approachable
manner
Ability to work in a
highly stressful
environment.
Ability to multitask
Enthusiastic
approach to
working within a
team and customer
care environment
Interview/CV –
evidence via
reference from
previous employers
Additional Factors
Must be flexible to
work additional hours
– as scheduled in
advance or at short
notice
Must be flexible to
work additional
hours – as
scheduled in
advance or at short
notice
Discussion with
candidate
Relevant Experience
At interview
Computer
knowledge