About this role
Job summary
Queens Avenue Surgery is seeking an Operations Manager to run our day-to-day operations for our 8,750 patients. The successful candidate will act as the first point of contact for operational issues raised by staff, clinicians, and patients. You will work 30 to 37 hours per week over four to five days.
Reporting to the Practice Business Manager, you will deputise on operational matters and work collaboratively to promote continuous improvement, equality, diversity, and service delivery.
A key focus of this position is leading improvement initiatives, starting with how patients access the practice and how the reception team supports them.
You will also serve as the practice's Complaints Manager and play a vital role in ensuring the surgery remains ready for Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections.
Main duties of the job
Your main duties include overseeing the daily operations of the practice, acting as the primary contact for operational issues and either resolving them or escalating them appropriately.
You will lead, coach, and develop the reception and administrative teams, taking responsibility for their line management, including annual appraisals, sickness absence management, recruitment, and planning staff rotas within the agreed budget.
A vital part of the role is ensuring the safe daily opening and running of the surgery, managing business continuity during system outages, and running the health, safety, and fire programme.
You must ensure the practice meets the 2026/27 GP contract access requirements, maintaining clear standards for care navigation so that no patient is asked to call back on another day.
Additionally, you will serve as the designated Complaints Manager under NHS regulations, ensuring all patient complaints are acknowledged within three working days, thoroughly investigated, and responded to.
You are also responsible for keeping relevant compliance evidence ready for CQC inspections.
Finally, the role involves providing first-line IT support, training staff on clinical systems, and actively promoting the use of the NHS App and online patient services.
About us
Queens Avenue Surgery is a patient-focused practice dedicated to serving our local community with high-quality, compassionate care. We pride ourselves on fostering a professional, friendly, and highly supportive team environment where every member is valued.
Our work ethic is collaborative; we believe in working together to achieve the best outcomes for our patients and supporting each other's professional growth. We promote a culture of continuous improvement where everyone counts and staff are permitted to make suggestions to enhance patient care.
We are deeply committed to the ongoing professional development of our staff, providing a full induction, regular clinical supervision, and opportunities for training to help you reach your full potential.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Day-to-day operations
a. Be the first point of contact for operational issues from staff, clinicians and patients, resolving them or escalating to the right person
b. Plan rotas and cover for reception and admin to match demand, within the agreed staffing budget, approving overtime and cover
c. Run a short daily huddle and a weekly operations meeting
d. Ensure the practice opens and runs safely each day, including business continuity during telephone or clinical system outages
e. Proactively identify and act upon areas for operational improvement, in partnership with the wider practice team
Reception and patient access
a. Lead, coach and develop the reception team, setting clear standards for care navigation, telephone and front-desk service
b. Ensure the practice meets the 2026/27 GP contract access requirements, including:
o No patient asked to call back on another day
o Non-urgent requests answered by the end of the next working day
o Clinically urgent requests answered the same day
o Opening times displayed for every access route
c. Use call, online request and appointment data to manage service levels and staffing
d. Maintain reception protocols, scripts and care-navigation guidance agreed with the partners
People management
a. Line manage reception and admin staff through one-to-ones, annual appraisals, objectives and development plans
b. Manage sickness absence and attendance, including return-to-work meetings, absence triggers and occupational health referrals
c. Manage performance and conduct through informal and first formal stages, including investigations, escalating final stages to the Practice Business Manager and partners
d. Lead recruitment and induction for reception and admin posts
e. Promote staff wellbeing and team culture, including acting on General Practice Staff Survey results
Complaints and patient experience
a. Act as Complaints Manager under the NHS complaints regulations, ensuring complaints are acknowledged within three working days, investigated and responded to
b. Share learning from complaints and feedback with the team and report themes quarterly
c. Lead the Friends and Family Test, the GP Patient Survey action plan and the Patient Participation Group
d. Manage escalated patient situations, including the unacceptable behaviour process
Compliance, health and safety and CQC
a. Keep evidence for the Safe, Caring and Responsive key questions in an inspection-ready library, so the practice is ready at five working days notice
b. Run the health and safety and fire programme: routine checks, fire drills, workplace and COSHH risk assessments, first aiders and fire marshals
c. Log and investigate non-clinical significant events and incidents, sharing learning
d. Keep operational, HR and health and safety policies current
e. Support the Lead Nurse with infection prevention and control actions in non-clinical areas, including cleaning standards
f. Keep staff compliance records current, including DBS checks, training, immunisation status and professional registration checks
Systems and improvement
a. Provide first-line IT support with the Practice Administrator, train staff in the clinical system, telephony and online tools, and escalate only what first line cannot resolve
b. Actively encourage and promote the use of patient online services and the NHS App
c. Lead operational improvement projects agreed each year with the Practice Business Manager and partners
General
a. Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children
b. Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes
c. Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times
d. Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance
e. Attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed
Person Specification
Other requirements
Essential
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
- Occupational Health clearance
- Flexibility to work occasionally outside core office hours
Qualifications
Essential
- A good standard of education, with an expectation of having both GCSE Maths and English at Grade C/4 or above, or Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English
Desirable
- Leadership and/or management qualification, such as ILM Level 3 or 5
- HR qualification, such as CIPD Level 3 or above
- Primary care management qualification (such as AMSPAR) or IGPM membership, or willingness to work towards one
Experience
Essential
- Handling complaints or difficult customer situations, including written responses
- Planning rotas and staffing to meet demand
- Leading a change or improvement project from start to finish
Desirable
- At least two years line management, including appraisals and absence management
- Managing performance or conduct through informal and formal processes
- Running a customer- or patient-facing service, such as reception, front of house or a contact centre
- Working in general practice or the wider NHS
- Preparing for a CQC inspection or similar regulatory audit
- Health and safety management and risk assessment
- Recruiting and inducting staff
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Understanding of safeguarding adults and children, confidentiality and UK GDPR
- Clear, calm and empathetic communication, including difficult conversations
- Ability to prioritise competing demands and solve problems quickly
- Using data and simple reports to manage service performance
- Confident with Microsoft 365 and quick to learn new systems
- Visible, approachable leader who sets clear standards and follows through
- Takes ownership and resolves issues rather than passing them on
- Resilient and composed under pressure
- High levels of integrity and discretion with confidential information
Desirable
- Good HR practice and employment law basics: absence, capability, disciplinary and grievance
- Coaching and developing staff
- Knowledge of the NHS complaints process
- Knowledge of the CQC assessment framework
- Knowledge of GP contract access requirements and care navigation
- Clinical system user skills (EMIS Web or SystmOne)
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
Queens Avenue Surgery
Address
Queens Avenue Surgery
14 Queens Avenue
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 2EW
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://queensavenue.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)