About this role
Job summary
Could you help us make a difference at the very first point a patient contacts their GP practice?
We are looking for an enthusiastic and capable General Practice Assistant (GPA) to join our patient access team and work alongside our Call Handlers, GPs and GP Consultants.
This is an administrative, non-clinical role, but one with an important part to play in helping patients navigate general practice effectively.
Our GPAs will work alongside the team receiving patient contacts, helping to identify administrative actions that can be progressed without unnecessary delay, gathering or preparing relevant information and acting as an effective link between the patient access team and the supervising GP or GP Consultant where clinical input is required.
The aim is simple: to help us achieve better outcomes for patients at the first point of contact while allowing our clinicians to focus their time where clinical judgement is genuinely needed.
Main duties of the job
Work closely with Call Handlers and other members of the patient access team to help progress patient requests efficiently. Identify administrative actions that can appropriately be completed or progressed at the first point of contact. Gather and prepare relevant information to support a GP or GP Consultant where clinical review or advice is required. Act as a conduit between the patient access team and the supervising clinician, ensuring queries requiring clinical input are presented clearly and efficiently. Support patients with navigation through practice, community and wider NHS services, using agreed practice processes and pathways. Arrange and support referrals, investigations, appointments and follow-up activity when directed or appropriate within established protocols. Help track outstanding actions and ensure agreed next steps are progressed. Liaise with patients, healthcare professionals, hospitals and other external organisations. Support clinicians with administrative tasks arising from patient care. Review and process correspondence and documentation within clearly defined practice protocols, escalating anything requiring clinical judgement. Maintain accurate and comprehensive patient records. Help identify opportunities to improve patient access, administrative workflow and the overall patient experience. Work closely with colleagues across the practice as we continue to develop new and innovative ways of delivering primary care.This is not a clinical role.
About us
We are a large, forward-thinking NHS primary care organisation committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred healthcare to our local communities. We provide comprehensive primary care services across multiple sites and work closely with healthcare partners to support the health and wellbeing of our patients.Our teams are made up of dedicated healthcare professionals who are passionate about providing excellent care and continuously improving patient experiences. We value collaboration, innovation, and professional development, creating an environment where staff are supported to grow and make a meaningful difference to patients' lives.
General practice is changing rapidly, and we are continually developing the way patients access our services.Rather than every request simply being passed from one person to another, we want our teams to be able to achieve as much as possible for the patient at the earliest opportunity with ready access to GP support whenever clinical judgement is needed.
As a GPA you will become an important part of that model.
You will work alongside an experienced multidisciplinary team, gain substantial exposure to how modern primary care operates and have opportunities to develop your knowledge, confidence and responsibilities as your experience grows.
For someone considering a longer-term career within general practice or the wider NHS, this can provide an excellent opportunity to build practical primary-care experience.
Job description Job responsibilities
The post holder support the clinical teams smooth running of clinics by performing the more routine administration on behalf of the GP/clinician freeing up their time to focus on the patient.This role will have a heavy emphasis on the data access and management element of the GP
Assistant role. i.e the post holder will be responsible for fulfilling requests made by individualsand their representatives to access personal information held on them by the Practice under theGeneral Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018s right of subjectaccess, as well as organising patient medical reports for a variety of reasons, such as forinsurance purposes, Occupational Health reports etc.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Initiative Good judgement Genuine desire to develop.
Desirable
You might currently be: An experienced GP receptionist, administrator, care navigator or call handler looking for your next development opportunity. A senior administrator who would like greater involvement in patient pathways and clinical-team support. Someone who has worked elsewhere within the NHS, healthcare or social care and wants to develop experience within primary care. A graduate with a healthcare-related qualification who is interested in gaining practical experience of general practice. A Physician Associate graduate or someone with similar healthcare training who is interested in gaining broader experience of primary care and is comfortable undertaking a clearly defined non-clinical administrative role. Someone from another customer-facing or professional environment who can demonstrate strong judgement, communication skills and the ability to learn. Previous general practice experience would therefore be helpful, but it is not essential.
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 Maritime Health Partnership
Address St. Mary's Island Doctor's Surgery
Edgeway
St. Marys Island
Chatham
Kent
ME4 3EP
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.maritimehealth.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)