Receptionist

Long Stratton Medical Partnership has an opportunity for an enthusiastic and proactive receptionist to join our team on a part-time basis for 24 hours per week, working the following shift pattern:

• Monday 8am - 2pm
• Tuesday 12pm - 6pm
• Wednesday 8am - 2pm
• Friday 12pm - 6pm

The hourly rate is minimum wage for the first 3 month probationary period, rising to £12.81 on successful completion of competencies.

The receptionist provides a professional, efficient, caring and confidential first point of contact for patients, carers and visitors. The post-holder will help patients access the most appropriate service through the practice's total triage model, support the wider practice team and contribute to safe, accurate and responsive day-to-day operations.

Key responsibilities:

• Welcome patients and visitors in a courteous, calm and respectful manner, maintaining privacy at the reception desk and in waiting areas.
• Respond to general enquiries, explain practice procedures and help patients access appropriate clinical, administrative or external services without offering clinical advice.
• Identify urgent, deteriorating or potentially unsafe situations and escalate them immediately in accordance with practice protocols. Reception staff must not make clinical decisions or independently determine clinical priority.
• Support patients who may be distressed, vulnerable, angry, confused or experiencing communication barriers, using appropriate de-escalation and seeking assistance when required.
• Register new and temporary patients promptly and accurately, including processing information received through the digital registration service and checking demographic and contact details.
• Arrange, amend and cancel appointments in line with appointment-booking rules, clinical instructions and the practice's total triage arrangements.
• Process requests for home visits in accordance with the practice protocol, recording all relevant information accurately and escalating the request to the appropriate clinician.
• Manage practice email and shared work queues as allocated, responding or redirecting items promptly and securely.
• Process changes of address, telephone numbers, email addresses, consent and communication preferences accurately, confirming identity and practice boundary requirements where appropriate.
• Follow the practice procedure for reporting and processing patient deaths, ensuring that actions are completed sensitively, accurately and within required timescales.
• Understand the practice complaints procedure, respond professionally to concerns and direct or escalate them to the appropriate person without becoming defensive or attempting to investigate them independently.
• Provide reasonable cover for colleague absence and undertake other duties appropriate to the role, competence and grade when requested by the partners or management team.
• Assist with reasonable shared workplace duties, including keeping reception, staff and refreshment areas clean, tidy and appropriately stocked.
• The role involves frequent use of SystmOne, SystmConnect and X-On Surgery Connect. The post-holder must use each system competently, follow agreed workflows and escalation routes, and maintain accurate contemporaneous records.
  
  For further information, please see the attached job description.