Mattishall and Lenwade Surgeries are seeking to recruit an experienced, enthusiastic 'Patient Services Assistant' who can provide a competent and effective service working within the Reception, Admin and Secretarial team at our busy and proactive GP practice.
Our team are trained to receive, assist, and direct patients in accessing the most appropriate healthcare service best suited for their need, with the continued delivery of high-quality health care. It is essential that applicants are experienced in all roles, particularly relating to typing, speed and accuracy, which is an essential requirement, preferably within the NHS.
Applicants must be courteous, highly motivated, pro-active, and good team players, with the ability to project a positive and friendly image to our patients and visitors, experience and knowledge of dealing with medication queries would also be a positive advantage.
The current role is for one full-time position at 37.5 hrs a week, the work rota is set over 5 days during the practice opening hours. This position may be set across both Practice sites, the main site at Mattishall & the branch site at Lenwade. It is essential that applicants hold a driving license.
This is a permanent role.
Please note, previous applicants for any roles within the Practice need not apply
The successful applicants will need to be flexible in their approach to cover team absences at short notice, where necessary.
Job Title: Patient Services Assistant - Job Description & Person Specification
Line Manager
Patient Services Manager
Accountable to
Practice Manager
Hours per week: 37.5 hrs
Job Summary
To be responsible for undertaking a wide range of Reception, Admin and Secretarial duties in the provision of general support to the multidisciplinary team. Duties can include but are not limited to, reception duties, and the processing of information (electronic and hard copy) in a timely manner, acting as focal point for patient enquiries, liaising with multidisciplinary team members and external agencies such as secondary care and community service providers. Adhering to extant policy and procedure.
Mission Statement
To provide personalised, high quality general practice care to our patients in a timely manner whilst respecting privacy and dignity of all. We aim to be high achievers in the management of our patients and medicines management standards. Our staff work to high professional standards, keeping up to date and sharing new ideas.
Primary Responsibilities
The following are the core responsibilities of the Patient Services Assistant role. There may be on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:
Reception duties will be allocated as part of the rota during the operating hours of 07:15hrs – 20:00hrs Monday – Friday.
In order to comply with future Extended Hours reception cover may apply to weekends and Bank Holidays.
Patient Services Assistant duties
Maintaining and monitoring the practice appointment system, including booking appointments
- Recording all requests for Home Visits and liaising with the Duty Doctor
- Compile patient registration packs
- Data entry of new and temporary registrations and relevant patient information as required.
- Process personal, telephone and when required e-requests for appointments.
- Answer incoming phone calls, transferring calls or dealing with the callers request appropriately.
- Signpost patients to the correct service
- Initiating contact with and responding to, requests from patients, team members and external agencies
- Photocopy documentation as required.
- Input and read code data into the patient’s healthcare record as necessary.
- Direct requests for information i.e., Subject Access Requests (SAR), insurance / solicitors’ letters and DVLA forms to the administrative team.
- Manage all queries as necessary in an efficient manner.
- Carry out system searches as requested.
- Process, update and manage the Practice Chronic Disease register recall system.
- Action SystmOne Tasks, Paths, and scanned tasks and letter lists as applicable.
- Manage and process out-going post as appropriate, dispatching to the local hospital via the collection service and out-going post via the registered mail services and the Practice franking machine.
- Manage and process incoming mail ready for scanning and direct other post to appropriate departments.
- Liaise with external providers such as secondary care hospitals, consultants, NHS or Private, as required.
- Confirm Post Natal and 8-week baby checks.
- Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times.
- Monitor and maintain the reception area and notice boards.
- Support all clinical staff with general tasks as requested.
Secondary Responsibilities
In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Patient Services Assistant may be requested to:
Partake in audit as directed by the audit lead.
- Produce meeting agendas and record the minutes of meetings.
- Support administrative, reception and secretarial staff, providing cover during staff absences.
- Complete opening and closing procedures in accordance with the duty rota.
- Ordering and monitoring of stationery supplies.
- Take part in annual appraisal process.
Generic Responsibilities
All staff at the Mattishall & Lenwade Surgeries have a duty to conform to the following:
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
A good attitude and positive action towards ED&I creates an environment where all individuals are able to achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons: it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do, and it is required by law.
Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect.
Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued, and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that you treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.
Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF)
This practice is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities for staff to maintain their health, well-being, and safety. You have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for you, your colleagues, and others, and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. All personnel are to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Environmental Protection Act 1990, Environment Act 1995, Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999 and other statutory legislation.
Confidentiality
This practice is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters, pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality at all times. It is essential that if, the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained that all staff protect patient information and provide a confidential service.
Safeguarding responsibilities
All staff have a responsibility to understand, achieve and maintain the standards set out in the Practice Safeguarding Policy; staff must report any safeguarding concerns to their line manager and must cooperate with the management team in identifying development needs and act on them. Staff are to ensure compliance with all safeguarding training requirements.
Quality & Continuous Improvement (CI)
To preserve and improve the quality of our output, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do, but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work. The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the practice to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice.
This practice continually strives to improve work processes which deliver health care with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement, where everyone counts, and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care.
Induction Training
On arrival at the practice all personnel are to complete a practice induction programme; this is managed by the HR Manager.
Learning and Development
The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude, and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake and complete mandatory training as directed by the training coordinator, as well as participating in the practice training programme. Staff will also be permitted (subject to approval) to undertake external training courses which will enhance their knowledge and skills, progress their career and ultimately, enable them to improve processes and service delivery.
Collaborative Working
All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working. Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments. Effective communication is essential, and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner.
Service Delivery
Staff at the Mattishall & Lenwade Surgeries must adhere to the information contained with practice policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are adhered to at all times. Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure.
Security
The security of the practice is the responsibility of all personnel. Staff must ensure they remain vigilant at all times and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager. Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks to anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured.
Professional Conduct
At the Mattishall & Lenwade Surgeries, staff are required to dress in a professional manner appropriately for their role.
Leave
All personnel are entitled to take leave. Line managers are to ensure all of their staff are afforded the opportunity to take a minimum of 22 days plus Bank Holiday leave pro-rata each year and should be encouraged to take all of their leave entitlement.
The person specification for this role is detailed below.
The person specification for this role is detailed below.
Person Specification – Patient Services Assistant
Qualifications: Essential, Desirable, Evaluation
A = Assessment / E = Evidence / I = Interview
Educated to GCSE level or equivalent GCSE Mathematics & English (C or above) E
AMSPAR Receptionists Qualification D
AMSPAR Secretarial Qualification D
NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care D
Experience: Essential, Desirable
Experience of working with the general public E
Experience of Secretarial/ Receptionist and Administrative duties E
Experience of working in a health care setting D
Skills: Essential, Desirable
Excellent communication skills (written and oral) E
Strong IT skills E
Clear, polite telephone manner E
Competent in the use of Office and Outlook E
EMIS / SystmOne / Vision user skills D
Effective time management (Planning & Organising) E
Ability to work as a team member and autonomously E
Good interpersonal skills E
Problem solving & analytical skills E
Ability to follow policy and procedure E
Personal Qualities: Essential, Desirable
Polite and confident E
Flexible and cooperative E
Motivated E
Forward thinker E
High levels of integrity and loyalty E
Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations E
Ability to work under pressure E
Other requirements: Essential, Desirable
Flexibility to work outside of core office hours E
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check E
This document may be amended following consultation with the post holder, to facilitate the development of the role, the practice, and the individual. All personnel should be prepared to accept additional, or surrender existing duties, to enable the efficient running of the practice.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £12.21 per hour
Expected hours: 37.5 per week
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 03/09/2025
Reference ID: R1