Vacancy: Patient Services Advisor

Responsible to

• Patient Services Supervisor (for day-to-day matters), Practice Manager / Assistant Manager (for all other matters)

Accountable to

• Practice Partnership

Job Summary

• To guide patients in the best use of resource within the practice and in the wider NHS, enabling them to access the most effective help for their presenting need.
• To be responsible for undertaking a wide range of patient service and administrative duties which link in and support the multidisciplinary team.
• Duties can include but are not limited to, greeting and guiding patients, effective use of the appointment system, booking appointments, processing of information and assisting patients as required.
• To act as the central point of contact for patients, the distribution of information, messages and enquiries for the clinical team, liaising with multidisciplinary team members and external agencies such as secondary care and community service providers. 
• To be familiar with and abide by the principles and core values that underpins the NHS.

Shifts – comprising of 5 hours per shift, from either 8:00am to 1:00pm or 1:00pm to 6:00pm or 1.30pm to 6:30pm Monday to Friday. May include double shifts. The distribution of these shifts has been agreed with you. In addition to your normal weekly hours you will be required to work additional hours to cover for staff absences. Monthly rotas are issued to staff in advance.

You will also be required to cover on some occasions evenings and weekends to assist with enhanced access and other clinics.

Main Responsibilities

• Ensure that patients’ and visitors’ enquiries are handled courteously, efficiently and confidentially
• Answer incoming calls in a friendly, polite and professional manner. Consider the request, taking appropriate action or redirecting to other personnel as appropriate.
• Take telephone messages, appointments details and home visit requests accurately and efficiently and enter details on to computer system as appropriate
• Signpost patients to the most appropriate service, seeking advice if this is not clear.
• Alert doctors to urgent concerns or outstanding telephone calls or visits, as appropriate
• Relay test results to patients
• Ensure that outstanding matters and information are handed over to colleagues at shift change 
• Check prescription requests and ensure they are directed to the requested collection point
• Print off repeat prescriptions from computer as necessary
• Handle patients’ positive and negative feedback initially, seeking advice from or referring to Patient Services Supervisor or Assistant Practice Manager as appropriate
• Check own nhs.net email account frequently during shift and ensure that all messages are responded to and actioned promptly and as appropriate
• Check practice generic and reception nhs.net email accounts frequently during shift and ensure that all messages are responded to and actioned promptly and as appropriate
• Send, receive and record facsimile messages
• Be conversant and deal with procedure for new patients wishing to register with the practice
• Be conversant with online Patient Services and Care Navigation and record outcomes as appropriate
• Be responsible for security of the building if last person leaving
• Be conversant with Panic Alarm system and act upon this if necessary
• Attend and participate in team, staff meetings and other meetings as required
• Be fully conversant with patient services procedures and developments 
• Ensure that filing, record keeping and distribution of documents and mail are undertaken efficiently and promptly.
• Assist with sending out of patient recall letters and other similar correspondence 
• Ensure that patient services area, waiting room, consulting rooms, meeting rooms and outside areas in the immediate vicinity of the practice are clean and tidy, and that there is an adequate supply of stationery and other routine items available.  
• Ensure that noticeboards are kept up to date and that appropriate literature is displayed.
• Arrange refreshments for doctors meetings and ensure that adequate supplies are available.
• Ensure that kitchen areas are kept clean and tidy.
• Arrange for photocopier and other equipment repairs to be carried out as soon as possible
• Contribute to a safe working environment
• Assist with mentoring/training new staff, as directed by Patient Services Supervisor or Assistant Practice Manager
• Any other ad hoc duties as required

Confidentiality

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

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, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will 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, free from hazards
• Actively reporting health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder’s role 
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
• Reporting potential risks identified
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

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 that 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, with such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance/appraisal review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development and follow up any learning outcomes.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work 
• Attend and contribute to Practice Learning Events. 

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Alert colleagues to issues of quality and risk, escalating to the Patient Services Supervisor or a clinician where appropriate
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision, ensuring that effective, high quality patient care is at the heart of all actions.
• 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

Contribution to the implementation of services

The post-holder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Person Specification – Patient Services Advisor

Qualifications	Essential	Desirable
Educated to GCSE level or equivalent	X
GCSE Mathematics & English (C or above)		X
AMSPAR Receptionists Qualification		X
NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care		X
Experience	Essential	Desirable
Experience of working with the general public	X
Experience of administrative duties	X
Experience of working in a health care setting		X
Skills	Essential	Desirable
Excellent communication skills (written and oral)	X
Strong IT skills	X
Clear, polite telephone manner	X
Competent in the use of Office and Outlook	X
EMIS / Systmone user skills		X
Effective time management (planning & organising)	X
Ability to work as a team member and autonomously	X
Good interpersonal skills	X
Problem solving & analytical skills	X
Ability to follow policy and procedure	X
Personal Qualities	Essential	Desirable
Polite and confident	X
Flexible and cooperative	X
Motivated	X
Forward thinker	X
High levels of integrity and loyalty	X
Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations	X
Ability to work under pressure	X
Other Requirements	Essential	Desirable
Flexibility to work outside of core office hours	X