Receptionist/ Administrator @ Dr Rashid Ali Surgery

Job summary

To provide a professional, friendly and efficient reception and administrative service within a busy GP practice.

The role involves acting as the first point of contact for patients, managing telephone and face-to-face enquiries, booking appointments, maintaining patient records and providing general administrative support to the clinical team.

Alongside reception duties, the post holder is responsible for the referral process, including processing routine and urgent referrals, submitting referrals to hospitals and specialist services, monitoring outstanding referrals, liaising with external healthcare providers and keeping patients informed of referral progress.

The role requires excellent communication, organisation and time-management skills, the ability to prioritise competing demands, attention to detail and a compassionate approach to patient care.

The post holder must maintain patient confidentiality, follow practice policies and ensure that both reception and referral responsibilities are carried out accurately, efficiently and within appropriate timescales.

Please note this role requires the candidate to work between the hours of 1.30pm to 6.30pm. Candidate must be able to commit to these working hours.

Main duties of the job

Responsible for providing a professional, friendly and efficient reception and administrative service, acting as the first point of contact for patients both face-to-face and by telephone. Duties include managing appointments, patient registrations, prescription requests, telephone enquiries and general administration. Responsible for processing referrals via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS), maintaining accurate patient records on EMIS, managing correspondence and supporting the clinical and management teams. Ensuring patient confidentiality and GDPR compliance, delivering compassionate patient care, recognising and escalating urgent concerns, prioritising workloads and working effectively with colleagues and external healthcare providers in accordance with practice policies and NHS guidelines.

About us

Dr Rashid Ali Surgery is an NHS GP practice based in Deepdale, Preston, providing primary healthcare services to its local community. The practice offers care for patients of all ages, including routine GP appointments, management of long-term conditions, preventative healthcare, immunisations and specialist clinics.:

The team consists of;

• Lead GP Dr Rashid Ali.
• Other GPs.
• General Practice Nurse
• Practice Manager.
• Operations Manager
• Clinical Pharmacist.
• Medicines Management Coordinator.
• Reception and Administration Team.

The practice offers services including diabetes, asthma and COPD management, hypertension, cervical screening, family planning, childhood immunisations and travel vaccinations. It is also part of the Greater Preston Primary Care Network, working alongside other local practices to improve access to healthcare.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for patients, both face-to-face and over the telephone.
• Answer telephone calls and deal with patient enquiries in a professional and courteous manner.
• Book, amend and cancel patient appointments.
• Register new patients and update patient records.
• Process prescription requests and general administrative enquiries.
• Process routine, urgent and two-week-wait referrals.
• Submit referrals via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS).
• Ensure referral documentation is accurate and complete.
• Monitor and track outstanding referrals.
• Chase delayed referrals and liaise with hospitals and specialist departments.
• Respond to patient enquiries regarding referral progress.
• Update patient records with referral information and correspondence.
• Scan, code and attach documents to patient records.
• Process incoming and outgoing correspondence.
• Provide general administrative support to GPs, nurses and the practice team.
• Identify urgent patient concerns and escalate to the appropriate clinician.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and comply with GDPR and information governance requirements.
• Prioritise daily workloads and manage competing reception and referral responsibilities.
• Work effectively as part of the practice team, following practice policies and procedures.
• Maintain a professional, compassionate and patient-focused approach at all times.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Previous experience of working within a GP surgery or primary care setting.
• Proficient in the use of EMIS Web, including navigating patient records, updating clinical information and managing administrative tasks.
• Experience of using the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS), including processing, managing and monitoring patient referrals.
• Experience of coordinating and processing referrals to secondary care services, ensuring accuracy and timely completion.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Outlook, including document preparation, email management and diary coordination.
• Understanding of patient confidentiality, data protection and GDPR requirements within a healthcare setting.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential patient information with discretion and professionalism.

Desirable

• Knowledge of NHS primary care procedures, systems and administrative processes.
• Understanding of the patient journey from initial consultation through to onward referral and follow-up.
• Experience of liaising with GP clinicians, practice nurses, hospital departments, secondary care providers and other healthcare professionals.
• Knowledge of NHS information governance requirements and safeguarding responsibilities.
• Experience of managing incoming and outgoing clinical correspondence, hospital letters and investigation results.
• Understanding of the importance of accurate patient record keeping and maintaining high standards of data quality.

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

Dr Rashid Ali Surgery

Address

Guttridge Medical Centre

Deepdale Road

Preston

Lancashire

PR1 6LL

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.drrashidalisurgery.com/ (Opens in a new tab)