Medical Secretary jobs in Northampton NN1

PATIENT ADVISOR JOB ADVERT AND DESCRIPTION

Hours – 15 - 22.5 hours per week (2 or 3 days a week)

Shift Patterns – Working between 10:30am and 6:30pm. Monday to Friday, with some Saturdays for extended hours. Days defined by a rota.

Locations – Water Eaton Health Centre and Whaddon Medical Centre

Salary – Based on experience

Practice Overview

Whaddon Healthcare is an innovative, well established CQC rated Outstanding GP Practice which also provides a range of specialist Community Services including Cardiology, Respiratory, Gynaecology and BLMK Long Covid Service.

We work over 2 purpose-built sites in Bletchley with a list size of 21,500 and growing.

You will be working with a large and friendly team.

Job Summary

The Patient Advisor acts as the first point of contact for patients, providing a courteous, efficient, and empathetic service at all times. The role supports the wider practice team to ensure that patients receive high-quality, safe, and accessible care.

The post-holder will welcome and assist patients, manage enquiries, operate telephony, and triage systems, complete key administrative tasks, and contribute to the smooth day-to-day running of the practice.

Patient Advisor Reception Duties

The duties of the role are detailed below:

1. Receiving and Directing Patients

• Receive and direct patients on arrival at the reception desk in a friendly and courteous manner, ensuring their requirements are met professionally and efficiently.
• Provide help to patients with general enquiries, and assist them to make appointments, using the online appointment system.
• Receive, record, and accurately pass on messages via email or the clinical system.
• Answer telephone calls promptly in a polite and professional directing callers as appropriate.
• Provide clear information about practice procedures, appointment systems, and accessing services.
• Advise patients on approximate waiting times and of any unexpected delays.
• Book patient transport when the patient is unable to do so.
• Book interpreters for patients when needed.
• To take in fees from patients where applicable and issue receipts.
• To give patients any forms / referral letters that are waiting for collection checking ID.
• Receive and appropriately escalate patient concerns or complaints while maintaining empathy and professionalism.

2. Operation of Telephone and Triage System (SystmConnect)

• Answer incoming calls and make outgoing calls as required.
• Assist patients via the patient triage system.
• Ensure phones are answered promptly monitoring the incoming calls.
• Ensure that system is operational at the beginning of each day.

3. Administrative Duties

• Register new patients, ensuring accurate data entry onto the clinical system.
• Update patient contact details and ensure records remain accurate.
• To post outgoing letters at the end of each shift.
• To undertake photocopying as needed, including photocopying patients’ notes when required.
• Call patients for recall and data collection purposes and correctly record data in patient’s medical record.
• Ensuring that there is always a supply of the practice leaflet available at reception.
• Make up registration packs (GMS1 & New Patient Health Check Form).
• Complete tasks via SystmOne or relevant clinical/document systems.
• Complete tasks assigned via reception clipboard.
• Email referrals and support the referral process as requested by clinical team.

4. Patient Records

• To assist with tagging of new patients’ medical records prior to summarisation.
• Request missing medical records from patient services when required.
• To assist with the scanning of patient related documents during busy periods.

5. Start and End of Day Procedures

• Prepare the reception area for opening, ensuring systems and spaces are ready for patient arrival.
• Keep reception and waiting areas clean, tidy, and presentable throughout the day.
• Update staff room allocation boards for the following day.
• Secure practice premises at closing, ensuring all doors, windows, and lights are safely managed.

6. General Tasks

• Always maintain strict confidentiality.
• Chaperone support when requested.
• Support colleagues and contribute to positive teamwork.
• To attend team meetings when scheduled.
• To participate in appraisals and PDP (Personal Development Plan) and team training opportunities.
• Help cover colleagues’ duties during absence, increased workload, or operational needs.

Health & Safety:

• The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:
• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
• Reporting potential risks identified.

Equality and Diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers, and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice 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 non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities, and rights.

Personal/Professional Development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
• Online Mandatory Training

Quality:

• The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients’ needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload, and resources.

Communication:

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Please note, changes in government policy may result in a change in working hours or assigned duties.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Excellent communication skills, both face-to-face and over the telephone.
• Sensitivity, tact, and diplomacy when dealing with patients, colleagues, and external agencies.
• Self-motivated with a high level of personal integrity.
• Well, organised with strong attention to detail.
• Reliable with a strong work ethic.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing demands and priorities.
• Able to work independently and on own initiative.
• Committed to always maintaining strict confidentiality.
• Able to remain calm and professional under pressure.
• Strong time management skills with the ability to meet deadlines.
• Capable of multitasking and prioritising workload effectively

Desirable

• Experience working within a fast-paced healthcare or customer service environment.

Skills

Essential

• Computer literate with good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word and Excel).
• Accurate and efficient administrative skills.
• Good standard of education (GCSE level or NVQ Level 2 or equivalent).

Desirable

• Knowledge of clinical systems such as SystmOne or SystmConnect.
• Knowledge of surgery connect.
• Knowledge of Accurx
• Administrative qualification.
• Full UK Driving Licence.

Experience

Essential

• Previous reception, administrative or call centre experience.
• Experience working in a public-facing role.
• Experience using database systems.

Desirable

• Previous experience working within a GP Practice or healthcare organisation.

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Sick pay

Education:

• GCSE or equivalent (required)

Experience:

• Reception/Call Centre: 1 year (required)
• Microsoft Package: 1 year (required)
• Public face to face Customer Service: 1 year (required)

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person