Sandy Lane Surgery
Sandy Lane
Leyland
PR25 2EB
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:
Medical Receptionist
Responsible to:
Office Manager
Accountable to:
Practice Manager
Summary of Duties:
To provide an efficient and helpful service to the practice and patients by acting as a
focal point of communication between patients, doctors and other medical staff.
Main duties and responsibilities of the post
Note:
Duties marked with an * are not usually a regular part of the role, but you may be
asked to undertake these duties.
A. Reception Duties
1. Maintain an efficient surgery/clinic appointment system.
2. Prioritise appointments according to urgency.
3. Receive patients and visitors, directing them as necessary.
4. Register new patients and make arrangements for new patient medicals
5. Assist patients in the completion of relevant NHS forms.
6. Deal with all correspondence relating to temporary residents and emergency
treatment etc
7. Ensure that all visitors sign a confidentiality declaration.
8. Ensure all home visits, requested at reception, and are entered in the home visit
book.
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9. Ensure reception and waiting areas are kept neat and tidy.
10. Record samples received from patients at reception.
11. *Update noticeboards, leaflets, magazines and other literature.
12. Deal with all enquiries, referring to the appropriate member of staff.
13. Advise patients of charges for private services, accept payment and issue receipts.
14. Action requests for ambulance transportation and enter details in appropriate
book.
15. Operation of the automated filing system to retrieve and file medical records.
16. *Ensure the consulting rooms are prepared in readiness for each surgery session,
checking the full range of forms and restocking as required.
17. Ensure the consulting rooms are checked at the end of each surgery session and
left tidy and secure.
B.
Management of Repeat Prescriptions
1. Receive patient requests for authorised repeat prescriptions.
2. Prepare a prescription form for a doctor's signature.
3. Ensure the details of the issue of all repeat prescriptions are entered on the
appropriate computerised patient record.
4. Provide the point of contact for patients and outside agencies with enquiries
relating to repeat prescriptions and ensure follow-up action is taken if the enquiry
cannot be resolved immediately.
5. Monitor patient compliance with medication and alert doctor to any discrepancies.
6. Ensure that problems and queries regarding repeat prescriptions are brought to the
attention of the duty doctor and follow-up action is taken to resolve such matters.
7. Make regular checks on prescriptions ready for issue and amend the computerised
patient record of any that are not collected.
8. Distribute prescriptions to relevant collection point and liase with chemists as
required.
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9. When taking a request for an acute prescription, sufficient details regarding the
condition of the patient must be taken and a telephone number must be recorded in
case there is need to contact the patient.
C.
Management of Medical Records
1. Ensure all correspondence, reports, results, letters etc are entered in the correct
medical record according to the agreed protocol.
2. Ensure that all practice targets, set by the office manager, for the update of patient
medical records are met.
3. Ensure records are kept neat and tidy and in good repair with all necessary
information recorded correctly on the outer cover.
4. *Summarise new patient records for entry into the computerised patient record
according to the agreed protocol.
5. *Summarise correspondence, reports, results, letters etc for entry into the
computerised patient record according to the agreed protocol.
6. *Print computerised summaries of patient records.
D.
Management of Building and Systems
1. Open premises, reset alarm and make preparations to receive patients.
2. Ensure the telephone system is operational at the beginning and end of each day
including answerphones
3. Secure premises at the end of the day, internal lights off, windows closed and
alarm activated (if required.)
E.
Operation of Practice Telephone Systems
1. Receive and make calls as required. Divert calls and take/pass messages as
appropriate. Liase with the duty doctor if required, in relation to patient enquiries.
2. Ensure that all messages taken are recorded in the appropriate book and times
recorded.
3. Take requests for home visits, record in the appropriate book, obtain relevant
notes and print patient summary.
4. Action prescription amendments from home visits.
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F.
Administration
1. *Organisation and administration of clinics including new registration medicals,
wart clinics and other ad hoc clinics that may be required.
2. *Entry of patient data onto practice computers systems for new registrations,
changes in registrations and temporary residents.
3. *Organisation and administration of vaccination and immunisation clinics.
4. *Assist the Office Manager to train new members of staff in all aspects of
reception duties.
5. *In the short-term absence of the Office Manager, assist staff and doctors in
general queries relating to reception eg appointments, use of the computer etc.
G. Other
1. Ensure security of data and information in accordance with the Data Protection
Act, the Practice's policies and procedures and other relevant legislation.
2. Promote and maintain own and other's health, safety and security, in accordance
with legislation and the Practice's Health and Safety and Security policies.
3. Support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to
include:
 acting in a manner that recognises the importance of people's rights,
interpreting them in a way that is consistent with the Practice's 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 nonjudgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights.
4. Participate in the Practice's staff appraisal system.
5. Undertake any other duties that are considered to be appropriate to the post.
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SANDY LANE SURGERY
MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST
PERSON SPECIFICATION
A
Education and Qualifications
Essential
Desirable

Means of
Assessment
CV
Good general education
B
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
Desirable

Working with computers
C
Skills and Abilities
Essential






Good communication skills,
oral and written
Good team working
Good interpersonal skills
Accuracy
Flexibility
Keyboard skills
D
Special Requirements
Essential





Experience as a Medical Receptionist in a
GP Surgery
Desirable


Self-motivating
Demonstrate initiative
Desirable
Means of
Assessment
Interview
Means of
Assessment
Interview,
Occupational
Health
Assessment and
CRB check
Possess high work
standards
Maintain confidentiality
Able to pass preemployment medical
Able to obtain satisfactory
CRB clearance
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Means of
Assessment
CV and
Interview
5