JOB DESCRIPTION
1. JOB IDENTIFICATION
Job Title:
Practice Medical Receptionist
Responsible to:
Associate Business Partner
Department:
Reception Team
No of Job Holders:
9
Last Update
January 2015
2. JOB PURPOSE
To provide a high quality, professional reception and administrative service to patients, doctors, staff,
colleagues, health service professionals and others. To act as the first point of contact for anyone
contacting the Practice to portray the Practice in the highest possible professional manner.
3. DIMENSIONS
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7 Partners
1 Registrar
4 Salaried GPs
10,500 patients
1 Associate Business Partner
1 Medical Secretary
9 Receptionists
2 Nurse Summarisers
1 Nurse Practitioner
2 Practice Nurses
2 Healthcare Assistants
1 Caretaker
Outer City Practice working in a deprived area
4. ORGANISATIONAL POSITION
Partners (7)
Associate Business Partner
Nurse Practitioner
Practice Nurses
Salaried GPs
Health Care Assistants
Secretary Summarisers
Community Nurses
Receptionists
Caretaker
5. ROLE OF DEPARTMENT
The primary role of the Practice is to provide high quality and responsive primary general medical
services to all patients registered with the Practice. The role of the reception team is to facilitate
appropriate access for patients and to deal effectively and efficiently with all queries.
6. KEY RESULT AREAS
Reception
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Greeting patients and visitors at the reception desk courteously
Receiving and making calls as required. Diverting calls and taking messages as appropriate.
Ensuring that all messages and calls are dealt with promptly and providing general information as
required
Ensuring strict adherence to the proper use of emergency and “same day” appointments.
Using judgement, resourcefulness, common sense and initiative within the parameters of the role
particularly in assessing the degree of urgency of a particular request.
Providing support systems for the morning and afternoon Duty Doctor
Advising patients of relevant charges for private services, accepting payment and issuing receipts
for same.
Responding to all queries and requests for assistance from patients, relatives, carers and other
visitors efficiently and politely
Answering general enquiries, explaining Practice policies particularly the Practice Complaints
Procedure and dealing with difficult situations
Entering requests for homes visits into the house call book if requested to by the duty doctor,
stating time received, detailing all relevant information and ensuring a paper summary is printed off.
Carrying out any general administrative duties which enhance the efficient running of the reception
area in general
Ensuring reception and waiting areas are kept neat and tidy and that adequate supplies of pens,
appointment cards, forms etc are available
Maintaining confidentiality of patient information and records at all times
Clerical and Administrative
 Encouraging good filing practice emphasising the need for accuracy
 Retrieving and re-filing records as required ensuring that strict alphabetical order is adhered to
 Scanning, where appropriate, all reports, results, correspondence etc into Docman timeously and
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accurately
Ensuring that correspondence, reports, results etc. are filed in the correct computer record via
Docman as soon as possible
Entering data onto the computer records, timeously and accurately
Ensuring that records are kept neat and tidy and in good repair
Giving the results of tests to patients if appropriate
Photocopying medical records
Distributing incoming mail
Providing relief cover for other receptionists as appropriate
Actively participate in training, meetings and assist, when required in the training of temporary or
new staff
Promote team working
Repeat Prescriptions
 Receiving patients’ requests for authorised repeat prescriptions and action where possible within 48
hours
 With the exception of controlled drugs, preparing prescriptions ready for the doctor’s signature
 Ensuring that details of the issue of such repeat prescriptions are entered on the appropriate patient
records.
 Referring any requests for repeat prescriptions for which the information is incorrect or insufficient to
the appropriate doctor for action
 Providing a point of contact for patients with enquiries relating to repeat prescriptions and ensuring
follow-up action is taken if the enquiry cannot be resolved immediately.
 Making regular checks on prescriptions ready for issue and bringing to the attention of the
appropriate doctor any that are not collected.
 Liaising with local pharmacists to facilitate the smooth running of the repeat prescribing system.
7a. EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY
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Personal computer – to communicate (e-mail and internet activity), extract and record information
in particular the Practice Clinical system (INPS Vision & Docman) to manage and record patient
appointments, registrations, medication and so on.
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Telephone – communication both internally and externally
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Photocopier – duplicating information
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Fax machine – sending and receiving information
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Other office equipment including scanner and printer when required
7b. SYSTEMS
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INPS Vision – to manage and record patient appointments, registrations, medication
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Docman – to manage and record patient letters, results, tests
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Internet, Intranet & email
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SCCRS – to manage and record cervical cytology data
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SCI Store & Gateway – to manage and record patient referrals, test results etc
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House Call Book – to manage and record patients’ requests for home visits
8. ASSIGNMENT AND REVIEW OF WORK
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Work assignment is determined by the needs of the Practice, the Clinicians, the Associate
Business Partner and the patients.
The Postholder is directly responsible to the Associate Business Partner and ultimately to the
Partners of the Practice.
The Duty Receptionists and the Associate Business Partner are available for advice and guidance
when required, but the postholder is expected to be self directed and self motivated to enable the
smooth running of the reception service.
Annual appraisal by either one of the GP Partners or by the Associate Business Partner – chosen
by the Postholder.
Ad hoc meetings eg sickness/absence return to work as required
9. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
The post holder is required on a daily basis to:
 use their judgement, resourcefulness, common sense and initiative within the parameters of the
role particularly in assessing the degree of urgency of a particular request and respond
appropriately
 prioritise workload and respond appropriately to requests for support
 use their knowledge of systems, Practice policies, the environment and so on to make decisions
required to carry out duties in an appropriate and timeous manner
10. MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB
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Maintaining high standards of patient care in a busy and changing environment
Being able to remain calm when faced with a difficult or abusive situation
Managing the many varied tasks that the post involves which may at times seem to conflict
11. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
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Externally - as the first point of contact for the Practice, the Postholder deals with a large number of
patients and visitors on a daily basis and has frequent contact with Practitioner Services, Primary
Care Trust, local hospitals, other Medical Practices, community Pharmacists, medical
representatives, the ambulance service etc
Internally – patients, Partners, GPs, staff including the wider Practice Primary Health Care Team,
relatives, carers
12. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
Physical: Sitting at workstation for periods of time; standing at reception; frequent moving and walking
to clinical rooms; light physical effort
Mental: Working in a busy environment with frequent interruptions; concentration when taking
messages, recording information and so on; time management and prioritising under pressure and
demands
Emotional: Meeting patients’, relatives’ and carers’ needs and expectations; exposure to distressing
information
Environmental: Occasional incidents of violence and regular exposure to anti-social behaviour and
verbal abuse
13. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB
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Good general education
Well developed skills in – keyboard, communication, telephone, time management, organisational,
Develop a knowledge of the relevant IT systems and Practice policies
Must be approachable & friendly, empathetic and helpful, a good listener, polite, presentable,
confident
Be able to communicate effectively and appropriately across all levels of staff and members of the
public
Be able to remain calm under pressure or in difficult situations
Be flexible to meet the needs of late running surgeries or urgent requests from doctors
Understand the importance of maintaining patient and data confidentiality
14. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
A separate job description will need to be signed off by each job holder to whom
the job description applies.
Job Holder’s Signature:
Date:
Head of Department Signature:
Date: