About this role
Job summary
The Ridgeway Surgery in Harrow is looking for a Care Navigator to help patients access the right care and make their experience of contacting the practice as straightforward as possible.
Working closely with our clinical teams, you will review patient requests, coordinate appointments and follow-up, and guide patients towards appropriate services. You will use agreed practice pathways, with support from the duty clinician whenever advice is needed. You will also support core reception services when required, including the front desk, telephone calls and patient registrations.
This is an opportunity to develop your skills in general practice and make a difference to patients every day. We offer structured training, shadowing and supervised practice, with your responsibilities developing as your confidence and experience grow.
We are looking for someone who communicates clearly, listens carefully and remains calm under pressure. If you enjoy helping people, work well in a team and are keen to learn, we would welcome your application.
Main duties of the job
Your main focus will be helping patients reach the most appropriate care through our online consultation system, telephone and face-to-face contact. You will clarify requests, check relevant information and use practice pathways to arrange appointments or direct patients to other services.
You will work closely with the duty clinician, promptly escalating urgent concerns, safeguarding issues and any requests that need clinical judgement. You will help maintain continuity of care and support patients who need additional assistance to access services.
Day-to-day work will also include coordinating routine reviews and follow-up, handling administrative queries and keeping accurate records. When required, you will support reception by welcoming patients at the front desk, answering calls, processing registrations and assisting with general enquiries.
About us
The Ridgeway Surgery is a GP practice in Harrow, providing care from our main surgery and our branch at Alexandra Avenue Health and Social Care Centre.
Our team includes GPs, nurses, clinical pharmacists, healthcare assistants, care navigators and administrative staff. We work together to help patients access appropriate care and support people with a wide range of health needs.
We value clear communication, teamwork and a willingness to learn. Care navigators work closely with clinicians, with regular opportunities to ask questions and build their knowledge through training and day-to-day experience.
We are committed to improving how we work, including using digital tools to make services easier to access and coordinate. Joining us offers the opportunity to contribute ideas, develop your skills and play an important part in the care we provide to our local community.
Job description Job responsibilities Job title: Care Navigator
Employer: The Ridgeway Surgery, HarrowLocation: Main surgery and Alexandra Avenue Health and Social Care CentreAccountable to:Reception ManagerClinical support: Duty clinician and wider clinical team
Job purposeTo help patients access the most appropriate care, professional or service by reviewing requests, gathering relevant information and following agreed practice pathways.
The Care Navigator will work closely with the clinical team to coordinate appointments and follow-up, support continuity of care and assist patients who need additional help accessing services. The postholder will also support core reception services when required.
This is a non-clinical role. The postholder will work within their training and agreed procedures, seeking clinical advice whenever a request is unclear, raises concerns or requires clinical judgement.
Main responsibilitiesCare navigation and patient accessReview patient requests received through the practices online consultation system, by telephone and in person.
Read the full request and check relevant information in the patient record, including previous consultations, existing plans and outstanding appointments.
Contact patients to clarify requests or obtain further information, using agreed questions and procedures.
Follow practice pathways to direct requests to the appropriate clinician, appointment type or service.
Arrange appointments according to agreed priorities and clinical instructions.
Support continuity of care by arranging follow-up with the same clinician where appropriate.
Signpost patients to suitable services, including community pharmacies, community healthcare, social prescribing and voluntary sector support.
Explain the next steps clearly and check that patients understand the arrangements.
Recognise when a patient needs additional support to access care and help them use alternative routes where appropriate.
Safe working and clinical escalationRecognise urgent concerns and warning signs identified within practice training and pathways, and promptly alert the duty clinician.
Escalate safeguarding concerns and requests involving vulnerable patients in accordance with practice procedures.
Seek advice whenever information is incomplete, a pathway does not clearly apply or there is uncertainty about the appropriate action.
Refer requests requiring diagnosis, treatment decisions or clinical interpretation to an appropriate clinician.
Follow clinical instructions accurately and record the action taken.
Work within the limits of the role and the postholders assessed competence.
Follow practice procedures for emergencies and situations requiring immediate assistance.
Coordination of routine careHelp arrange long-term condition reviews, blood tests, vaccinations, screening and other planned care in accordance with practice pathways and documented clinical plans.
Check whether relevant appointments, investigations or follow-up arrangements are already in place before making further bookings.
Coordinate linked appointments where required, such as a blood test followed by a clinical review.
Identify outstanding routine care recorded in the patients notes and bring this to the attention of the appropriate team.
Support reminders, recalls and follow-up arrangements as directed.
Liaise with clinicians and administrative colleagues to help resolve outstanding requests and avoid unnecessary duplication.
Administrative requestsHandle requests concerning prescriptions, fit notes, referrals, forms and other administrative matters using agreed procedures.
Route medication requests and queries to the appropriate prescribing or clinical team, recognising when urgent escalation is needed.
Check available referral information and provide patients with appropriate updates or contact details.
Liaise with the administrative team where a referral or other enquiry requires further investigation.
Keep patients informed about the progress of their requests within the information available and the limits of the role.
Record communications and actions clearly so that colleagues can understand what has been done and what remains outstanding.
Reception supportSupport core reception services when required, including front desk cover, telephone calls and patient registrations.
Welcome patients and visitors, respond to enquiries and direct them to the appropriate colleague or service.
Book, amend and cancel appointments in accordance with practice procedures.
Process patient registrations and update demographic and contact details accurately.
Take and pass on messages promptly, ensuring that urgent matters reach the appropriate person.
Assist with routine reception administration and help maintain an organised reception area.
Handle difficult conversations calmly and respectfully, seeking support when needed.
Communication and patient experienceTreat patients, carers and colleagues with courtesy, dignity and respect.
Communicate clearly and sensitively, adapting communication to individual needs.
Support patients who have difficulty using digital systems or who face language, communication or accessibility barriers.
Arrange interpreting or other communication support in accordance with practice procedures.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and protect privacy during conversations.
Respond constructively to concerns and pass complaints to the appropriate colleague.
Help ensure patients receive consistent information about accessing practice services.
Records, confidentiality and information governanceMaintain accurate, timely records of patient requests, communications and actions.
Use clinical and administrative systems in accordance with training and practice policies.
Access patient information only where needed to carry out the role.
Maintain confidentiality and handle personal information securely.
Follow identity verification procedures before disclosing information or changing patient details.
Report information security incidents, errors or concerns promptly through the appropriate practice process.
Teamwork, training and service improvementWork collaboratively with the clinical, care navigation, reception and administrative teams.
Participate in induction, structured training, shadowing and supervised practice.
Complete competency assessments and take on additional care navigation responsibilities as agreed following training.
Attend relevant team meetings and keep up to date with changes to practice pathways and services.
Share feedback about recurring problems and suggest improvements to patient access and administrative processes.
Provide reasonable cover for colleagues within the postholders training and competence.
Complete mandatory training and participate in appraisal and development discussions.
General responsibilitiesThe postholder must follow practice policies relating to safeguarding, equality and diversity, infection prevention, health and safety, confidentiality and professional conduct.
The postholder will be expected to undertake other reasonable duties appropriate to the role, following suitable training and support.
This job description may be reviewed as practice needs and services develop, in discussion with the postholder.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Experience working with the public in a customer service, administrative or support role. Experience using computer systems to record, retrieve and update information accurately. Experience working collaboratively as part of a team.
Desirable
Experience working in general practice or another health or social care setting. Experience handling telephone enquiries and sensitive or challenging conversations. Experience coordinating appointments, handling patient requests or signposting people to appropriate services. Experience using EMIS Web, PATCHS, Accurx or similar healthcare systems. Experience providing reception support, including front desk duties and patient registrations.
Qualifications Essential
Good standard of written English and numeracy, demonstrated through qualifications or equivalent experience. Willingness to complete care navigation training, competency assessments and mandatory practice training.
Desirable
Relevant qualification or completed training in customer service, administration, health or social care. Completed care navigation or medical reception training.
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 The Ridgeway Surgery
Address The Ridgeway Surgery
71 Imperial Drive
Harrow
Middlesex
HA2 7DU
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://ridgeway-surgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)