About this role
Job summary Lead a team that keeps primary care moving
Every day, thousands of clinical documents flow into our GP practices. Your role is to make sure they're processed quickly, accurately and safely so clinicians have the right information at the right time.
As our Documents Team Lead, you'll spend most of your time working alongside your team processing documents yourself, while also providing day-to-day leadership, coaching and operational oversight.
You'll monitor workload, support colleagues, improve processes and make sure patients don't experience delays because paperwork gets stuck.
Main duties of the job
Operational Management
Lead the day-to-day operational delivery of GP Assistant services across multiple GP practices.Ensure all workstreams, including document triaging, referrals, PathLinks, medical reports, safety are managed effectively and delivered within agreed timescales.Monitor workload, performance, and capacity across the service, taking action to address backlogs, risks, and service pressures.Contribute to the development of processes that improve efficiency, quality, and consistency of service delivery.Ensure Standard Operating Procedures for Team are developed, reviewed, implemented and adhered to in a timely manner.Leadership and People Management
Provide day-to-day supervision and operational support to GP Assistants.Support induction, training, and ongoing development of staff to ensure effective service delivery.Hold regular check-ins and contribute to one-to-one meetings and performance discussions as required.Support monitoring of attendance, wellbeing, conduct, and capability, escalating concerns in line with organisational policy.Support Function Leads in managing workload allocation and maintaining accountability within their workstreams.Quality, Governance and Risk
Undertake audits and quality assurance checks within the function.Support management of complaints, incidents, and significant events, ensuring appropriate escalation and learning.Ensure adherence to organisational policies, information governance requirements, and NHS standards.Identify and escalate operational risks, capacity issues, and performance concerns.Workforce Planning and Resource Management
Support day-to-day allocation of work and coordination of staffing resources.Monitor staffing levels and highlight resourcing concerns to the Service Manager.Support monitoring of mandatory training and compliance requirements.Stakeholder Management
Act as a point of escalation for operational issues within the function.Maintain effective working relationships with GPs, Practice Managers, and clinical teams.Support communication with external providers regarding administrative pathways and processes.Service Improvement
Contribute to service improvement initiatives within the function.Identify trends and recurring issues through operational monitoring.Support implementation of agreed service changes to improve quality and efficiency.Service DeliveryEnsure high quality of timely delivery of service in line with Service Level AgreementsRole model correct ways of working with employees as a player/manager.
About us
Penrose Health is on a mission to deliver outstanding healthcare to every patient we serve.
We care for 75,000+ people across 9 sites in South East London, supported by a team of 200+ clinicians and staff. Our model is built on permanent, diverse teams, strong governance, and a clear focus on continuity, quality, and access.
We work closely with NHS partners to deliver a full range of services from routine checks to complex, long-term care backed by robust systems and a culture of continuous improvement.
We're proud to hold a CQC "Good" rating and consistently receive strong feedback from patients.
Learn more at penrosehealth.co.uk.
Job description Job responsibilities
This role is fundamentally a player-manager role - you will be working with your team to make sure your service area delivers effectively - both as a whole and taking on a proportion of work to role model to your team best ways of working and how to efficiently execute.
The Team Lead is responsible for the day-to-day supervision and coordination of their allocated function, ensuring work is delivered efficiently, accurately and to a high standard. They will monitor workload, productivity, quality and capacity across the team, taking proactive action to address issues and maintain service performance.
Acting as the first point of escalation for team members, the Team Lead will provide guidance, support and direction on operational matters, escalating significant risks, staffing concerns and service backlogs to the Service Manager where appropriate. They will undertake regular audits and quality assurance activities to ensure compliance with company standards, policies and procedures.
The role plays a key part in developing team capability, supporting the induction, training and ongoing development of colleagues within their specialist area. Team Leads will also contribute to the creation and continuous improvement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), helping to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, quality and service delivery.
The Team Lead will provide regular updates on team performance, risks, capacity and operational challenges, ensuring managers have clear visibility of service performance and emerging issues.
This is fundamentally a player-manager role, with approximately 80% of time spent undertaking operational duties and 20% dedicated to management and leadership responsibilities. Team Leads are expected to remain actively involved in service delivery, carrying a proportion of the team's workload while providing oversight, coaching and support to colleagues. By working alongside their team, they will role model high standards of performance, demonstrate efficient and effective ways of working, and provide practical leadership that supports both team development and excellent service delivery.
Person Specification
Knowledge & Experience Essential
- Experience working within primary care, healthcare administration, or a similar operational environment. - Good understanding of GP practice administrative processes, including document workflows, referrals, and clinical administration. - Experience coordinating workloads and supporting operational performance within a busy service. - Experience providing day-to-day support, supervision, or informal leadership to colleagues. - Experience working in an 80:20 player-manager role.
Desirable
- Experience managing or supervising a team. - Experience working across multiple sites or services. - Knowledge of NHS performance standards, and governance processes. - Experience of service improvement or operational transformation projects.
Skills Essential
- Strong organisational and workload management skills. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills. - Ability to prioritise effectively and manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment. - Ability to lead by example and positively influence colleagues. - Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to make sound operational decisions. - Ability to monitor quality, identify risks, and take appropriate action. - Competent user of Microsoft Office and digital healthcare systems.
Desirable
- Ability to analyse operational data and produce performance reports. - Experience delivering training, coaching, or presentations. - Experience developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). - Experience supporting service redesign, process improvement, or change initiatives.
Behaviours Essential
- Demonstrates professionalism, integrity, and accountability. - Committed to delivering high-quality patient-centred services. - Builds positive working relationships and collaborates effectively with colleagues and stakeholders. - Takes ownership of issues and follows them through to resolution. - Demonstrates resilience and remains calm under pressure. - Promotes a culture of respect, inclusion, and continuous improvement. - Willing to support colleagues and contribute to team success. - Able to work as an effective player-manager, balancing operational delivery with leadership responsibilities. - Demonstrates flexibility to meet service demands and support multiple practices where required.
Desirable
- Acts as a role model for organisational values and behaviours. - Champions innovation and continuous improvement. - Supports the development and growth of others through coaching and mentoring.
Qualifications Essential
- Educated to A-Level standard or equivalent experience. - Evidence of continuing professional development.
Desirable
- Degree-level qualification or equivalent experience in healthcare, business, or operational management. - Leadership, management, coaching, or supervisory qualification.
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 Penrose Health
Address 3 Staunton St, London SE8 5DA
LONDON
London
SE8 5DA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.penrosehealth.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)