About this role
Job summary
Deputy Practice Manager Maternity Cover
We are seeking to recruit a Deputy Practice Manager to join our team at Sandgate Road Surgery. Located in West Folkestone just a short walk from the Folkestone Leas. Our practice provides primary care services to approximately 12,600 patients.
The role is covering maternity leave, part time or full time hours available . Salary is circa £16 - £19 per hour but is negotiable based upon experience. Planned start date: November 2026
We are an innovative 5-partner training practice with 4 salaried GPs and 2 skilled Advanced Clinic Practitioner- led nursing team. Dr Nguyen, our clinical director leads our Primary Care Network (PCN) and we take an active role in new initiatives.
Main duties of the job
Duties and Responsibilities
Work closely with the Reception Manager to oversee reception and administrative teams. Lead and manage the prescribing team, providing guidance and resolving queries. Act as the primary contact for IT related issues, taking initiative to troubleshoot and resolve problems efficiently. Support daily operational functions, ensuring all staff understand and fulfil their responsibilities. Participate in weekly management meetings. Collaborate with the wider management team and GP partners to achieve practice targets and performance goals. Take responsibility for coordinating clinician rotas, including GPs, Nurses, and Matrons. Assist with clinic management Lead on maintenance matters, reporting and escalating issues as required. Handle patient complaints, updating internal systems and ensuring compliance with practice policies. Support the Practice Manager with HR related queries, meetings, and documentation. Assist with staff onboarding, ensuring all new starters meet compliance requirements and receive an induction on their first day of employment/placement. Contribute to staff development by supporting the management team with appraisals. Attend meetings with the smear team and ensure the team update progress to Dr Hadi (QOF Lead) quarterly. Deputise for the Practice Manager as and when required. Assist the Practice Manager with payroll, holiday and absence leave reports. Provide administrative support by taking and preparing meeting minutes.
About us
Requirements
Essential:
Strong decision maker Able to lead a team Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders Strong written communication skills Ability to learn and troubleshoot IT problems Previous experience of working in GP Practice
Desirable
Knowledge of EMIS, Anima, Docman and other practice software that could be relevant to the role. Certificate/Diploma in Primary Care and Health Management Awareness of CQC Requirements Knowledge of Health & Safety Legislation Knowledge of Human Resources Law Financial Acumen
Note: This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, or qualifications required.
Job description Job responsibilities
OVERVIEW
This is a role established to support the Practice Manager in carrying out day-to-day activities and to
Provide an element of cover or source of advice in the event of their absence.
The post-holder will work closely with, and under the direction of, the Practice Manager to improve
Standards across a wide range of clinical and administrative activity. The position is suitable for
Someone who wishes to demonstrate initiative and to develop their own skills further with a view to
progression.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Supporting the Practice Manager in the day-to-day operations of the practice, ensuring staff achieve their primary responsibilities.
To provide support to the Practice Manager in project work, and in the running of key systems and procedures such as payroll, pensions, accounts and health and safety.
The post-holder will need to become familiar with all functions of the clinical system and their applications, plus national and local quality standards for primary care.
To provide leadership, support and training for current and new staff ensuring that data quality guidelines are understood and adhered to.
Ensuring staff adhere to policy and procedure at all times.
The post holder will be aware of the various statutory requirements and will assist in implementation as directed by the Practice Manager. There is a need to work closely with reception and clinical staff to ensure the smooth running of the practice, reporting any problems encountered to the relevant person.
Convene meetings, prepare agendas and paperwork, take minutes and ensure distribution of minutes as necessary
Organise out of hours/meeting cover
Monitoring compliance with health and safety legislation, providing leadership and direction for staff
To manage the diary for all clinicians holidays, meetings etc. and to make sure all the information is incorporated into the appointment schedules.
To be responsible for the maintenance of the holiday register for non-clinical staff.
Organising any Locum or internal staff cover needed for Doctors, nurses or administration teams
Organise duty rotas, co-ordinate leave requests
2
Maintain and update appointments system for leave/duty changes
Assist with production and upkeep of practice procedures manuals and toolkit
Deal with more complex enquiries and requests from patients
To be the first line of contact for patients with respect to the complaints procedure and to take appropriate action as set out in the Practices complaints procedure, with the support of the
Practice Manager where appropriate
Maintaining the complaints database
Maintaining the significant event database, providing advice to staff and briefing the team at meetings as required
Identifying trends and devising solutions to reduce risk and repeated occurrences of significant events
Arrange for contractors to carry out any urgent repairs needed to the building
Act as the primary point of contact for NHS (E), PCN, community services, suppliers and other external stakeholders in the absence of the Practice Manager
Deputise and liaise with Systems Manager in the absence of the Practice Manager
Health & Safety:
The post-holder will implement and lead on the full range of promotion and management of 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 (but will not be limited to):
Ensuring job holders across the practice adhere to their individual responsibilities for infection control and health and safety, using a system of observation, audit and check, hazard identification, questioning, reporting and risk management.
Up to date knowledge of health and safety and infection control statutory and best practice guidelines and ensure implementation across the business
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 across the business
Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others
Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards, and initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed
Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
Undertaking periodic infection control training
Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
3
Production of performance and quality information:
To ensure that documentation (electronic and paper-based) exists to support performance standards across the full range of performance-based activity QOF, Enhanced Services etc.
To assist in the production of information for clinical audit.
To undertake ad-hoc work related to the performance of the practice under the guidance of the practice manager.
Data quality
To work within the clinical computer system to improve data quality, using the expertise of other data staff where appropriate.
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 recognizes the importance of peoples 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, 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,
Taking responsibility for own development, learning, and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others.
This role is considered a developmental position and the jobholder will be encouraged to develop personal and business skills.
Quality
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk.
4
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 teams performance.
Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs.
Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.
Communication:
The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will:
Communicate effectively with other team members.
Communicate effectively with patients and carers
Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
Most instruction and communication of activity will be via the practice manager.
External communication will be with patients, Clinical Commissioning Groups and other NHS bodies, and other GP practices and service providers.
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.
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.
Other Personal tasks
Become involved with key aspects of the practice managers workload and be able to respond to information requests and updates as necessary, being able to run key tasks such as payroll in the event of absence.
Dealing with patients, and contacts within the NHS and other practices, both in person and on the telephone.
Administration cover for absences and help with extra-ordinary workloads.
Be generally involved in the administration of a small business.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Experience of working within a team Experience within management
Desirable
Experience of working in primary care Experience of working in a GP practice
Qualifications Essential
Strong decision maker Able to lead a team Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders Strong written communication skills Ability to learn and troubleshoot IT problems Previous experience of working in GP Practice
Desirable
Knowledge of EMIS, Anima, Docman and other practice software that could be relevant to the role. Certificate or Diploma in Primary Care and Health Management Awareness of CQC Requirements Knowledge of Health & Safety Legislation Knowledge of Human Resources Law Financial Acumen
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name Sandgate Road Surgery
Address Sandgate Road Surgery
180 Sandgate Road
Folkestone
Kent
CT20 2HN
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.sandgateroadsurgery.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)