About this role
Job summary
We are a forward thinking, busy and friendly General Practice based in Guildford, looking to recruit an enthusiastic person to join our Patient Services Team in a Senior role.
Merrow Park Surgery provides care for 12,000 patients in its surrounding areas.
Main duties of the job
We are seeking an enthusiastic, organised and motivated Senior Receptionist/Administrator to join our friendly and supportive Patient Services Team.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced primary care receptionist/administrator who is looking to take the next step in their career and take on a senior role within a busy GP practice. The successful candidate will play a key part in supporting the day-to-day running of our front-line patient services, helping to ensure that patients receive an efficient, professional and compassionate service.
Key Responsibilities
Supporting and supervising members of the Patient Services Team.Providing a high standard of customer service to patients, colleagues and external stakeholders.Managing reception and administrative processes efficiently and accurately.Processing and managing patient requests through the Practice's Total Triage system.Opening and closing the practice in accordance with established procedures.Scanning, coding and processing clinical correspondence and patient records accurately and in a timely manner.Maintaining the integrity and accuracy of electronic patient records.Liaising with patients, GPs, healthcare professionals and external agencies.Assisting with staff training, workflow management and service improvement initiatives.Supporting the Practice Management Team with operational and administrative tasks as required.
About us
We have a varied team of clinicians in the practice. As well as GPs and nurses, these include newer roles such as GP Assistant and Health and Wellbeing Coach. We work closely with our primary care network in East Guildford, to provide additional services to our patients. These services include an "in-house" mental health service, social precribers and first contact physiotherapists.
The Patient Services Team, support our clinical team during our opening hours. They work in a shift pattern between the hours of 8am and 7pm.
We are looking for a candidate to cover various shifts throughout the week. Morning shifts are 8am - 1pm and afternoon shifts are 1pm - 7pm.
In Return, We Offer:
Competitive rate of payOn-site ParkingA supportive and welcoming team environment.Access to our Wellbeing App - Wisdom offering confidential 24/7 wellbeing, mental health, and lifestyle support.Access to Bright Exchangeproviding access to thousands of money-saving deals and retail discounts, including offers from big-name brands and local businesses.Opportunities for development.NHS Pension Scheme.Eligible to register for NHS blue light discount cardAccess to ongoing training and development opportunities.A varied and rewarding role at the heart of patient care.The opportunity to make a real difference to the experience and wellbeing of our patients.Minimum Expected hrs is 37.5hrs.
We will need candidates to be able to work a set mix of early and late shifts.
Job description Job responsibilities
Care Navigation
Oversee and coordinate the care navigation processes within the PST team to ensure all patient requests are triaged and directed appropriately according to clinical protocols and practice procedures.
Provide support and training to new staff in effective care navigation and triage processes.
Liaise directly with duty doctors to manage complex or urgent cases, ensuring patients are signposted correctly and efficiently.
Monitor care navigation outcomes to identify areas for improvement and implement service changes where required.
Act as a point of escalation for reception staff dealing with difficult or uncertain care navigation scenarios.
Administration
Ensure all administrative protocols and procedures are followed by the reception team, providing guidance where needed.
Act as a senior point of contact for complex patient enquiries or complaints, resolving issues with professionalism and sensitivity.
Monitor the quality and accuracy of patient record-keeping, ensuring compliance with data protection and confidentiality standards.
Oversee new patient registrations, de-registrations, and record updates, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
Supervise the processing of appointments, tasks, and email communication within the team, ensuring timeliness and attention to detail.
Coordinate cover for clinics such as menopause, dermatology, and minor ops in the absence of colleagues.
Delegate administrative tasks to team members while maintaining overall responsibility for their timely and correct completion.
Maintain oversight of the practice website content in coordination with the management team, ensuring information is up to date and accessible.
Premises Management
Assist with the opening and securing of the premises, ensuring staff are aware of the correct procedures and are trained accordingly.
Be a point of contact for premises-related issues and liaise with external contractors when necessary.
Conduct regular checks to ensure consulting rooms and communal areas are clean, safe, and adequately stocked for clinical use.
Report and monitor all Health and Safety concerns, escalating where appropriate and ensuring corrective actions are taken.
Maintain oversight of the reception area to ensure it remains welcoming, orderly, and compliant with health and safety regulations.
Training and Development
Support the training and induction of new reception staff, providing mentoring and coaching as required.
Identify development needs within the team and work with management to arrange appropriate training or support.
Lead by example in attending and contributing to team meetings, PLT sessions, and other development opportunities.
Ensure all team members are compliant with mandatory training and assist in tracking their training records.
Keep own knowledge and skills up to date, particularly in regard to care navigation, clinical systems, and NHS processes.
General Responsibilities
Act as deputy to the Assistant Practice Manager as required.
Assist in the implementation of new systems, processes, or software and support team members during transition periods.
Attend management meetings when requested to provide updates and feedback from the reception team.
Promote a positive and professional working environment, encouraging teamwork and a patient-centred approach in all duties.
Uphold and model the practices values, policies, and commitment to excellence in patient care and service delivery.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Experience of a range of clerical and administrative work. Ability to deal with telephone enquiries in a friendly and efficient manner. Knowledge of medical terminology
Desirable
Experience of using clinical systems such as Emis, Docman etc.
Other requirements Essential
Flexibility to meet the needs of the business DBS required
Personal Qualities Essential
Ability to work under pressure Honest Smart appearance Forward thinker Flexible
Knowledge and Skills Essential
Ability to communicate confidential information effectively and accurately using appropriate communication tools To be able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team as well as independently Excellent communication skills, including ability to listen. Excellent interpersonal skills Accuracy and attention to detail Good numeracy skills Effective customer service skills Ability to make decisions, use own initiative Ability to prioritise a varied workload to strict deadlines
Desirable
Total triage experience
Qualifications Essential
Demonstrable ability to meet the Practice Vision & Values. Qualified to GSCE level or equivalent (Maths & English)
Desirable
NVQ 2 within Business Administration or Customer Services or willing to work towards Microsoft office / ECDL Word processing or RSA 2 standard
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 Merrow Park Surgery
Address Kingfisher Drive
Guildford
Surrey
GU4 7EP
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.merrowparksurgery.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)