Medical Administrator (Care Co-ordinator)

Purpose of the Role The medical administrator serves as a key member of the GP practice team, providing essential support to ensure smooth and efficient practice operations. This role is integral to delivering high-quality patient care by offering comprehensive administrative assistance and fostering effective communication among patients, healthcare professionals, and associated agencies. Key objectives of the role include: General Assistance: Provide support to the practice team, projecting a positive and friendly image to patients and visitors, both in person and via the telephone. Patient Reception and Direction: Receive, assist, and direct patients efficiently and courteously, ensuring they access the appropriate healthcare services or professionals. Administrative and Organisational Support: Perform a variety of administrative tasks, working closely with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to maintain effective practice operations and deliver high-quality patient care. Facilitation of Communication: Enable effective communication between patients, the Primary Health Care Team, Secondary Care, and other associated Healthcare Agencies, ensuring seamless coordination and information flow. The role of the medical administrator encompasses a variety of tasks, though the individual in this position will not necessarily be responsible for all of them: Patient Interaction and Communication • Reception Duties: Welcoming patients, managing inquiries, and providing information about the practice. • Appointment Scheduling: Booking, rescheduling, and cancelling patient appointments using practice management software. • Telephone Management: Handling incoming calls, directing them to appropriate staff, and taking messages as necessary. • Patient Registration: Registering new patients and updating existing patient records. Administrative Support • Record Keeping: Maintaining accurate and up-to-date patient records, including personal information and medical histories, both digitally and on paper. • Data Entry: Inputting data into electronic health records and practice management systems. • Correspondence: Managing incoming and outgoing mail and emails, and drafting correspondence as required. • Medical Reporting: Assisting in the preparation and distribution of medical reports and summaries. • Medical Summarising: Summarise and update medical records to ensure they are comprehensive and accessible to healthcare providers. • Referrals and Communication: Type and send referral letters and other communications to specialists and external healthcare providers. • GP Rota Management: Assist in creating and maintaining the GP rota to ensure adequate staffing and coverage. Prescription Management • Prescription Processing: Assist with the preparation and management of repeat prescriptions, ensuring they are processed efficiently and accurately. • Liaison with Pharmacists: Communicate with local pharmacies to resolve any prescription issues and ensure timely medication delivery. • Medication Queries: Address patient queries related to prescriptions and medications. Patient Care Coordination • Referral Management: Coordinating referrals to specialists and other healthcare services as directed by the GPs. • Follow-ups: Organizing follow-up appointments and tests, and ensuring patients are reminded of upcoming appointments. • Patient Liaison: Acting as a point of contact for patients regarding their care and any administrative issues. • Referrals and Communication: Support the secretarial team when required with referral letters and other communications to specialists and external healthcare providers. Safeguarding • Policy Adherence: All staff must adhere to safeguarding policies and procedures, promoting a culture of safeguarding throughout the practice in line with established guidelines. • Vigilance: Staff are required to remain vigilant to any signs or concerns of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, both within and outside of the practice environment. • Reporting Concerns: All staff have a responsibility to report any safeguarding concerns, no matter how small, to the designated safeguarding lead or appropriate individual within the practice, following the practice's reporting procedures. • Safeguarding Awareness: Staff should be aware of safeguarding issues, including those affecting vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with mental health or learning difficulties, ensuring they respond appropriately. • Training: All staff must complete mandatory safeguarding training, ensuring they are informed and equipped to identify and act on safeguarding concerns in accordance with practice and legal requirements. • Confidentiality: Safeguarding information must be handled with the utmost confidentiality, shared only with relevant professionals and authorities in accordance with safeguarding procedures. • Collaboration: Staff should support collaboration with external agencies and safeguarding authorities when appropriate, to ensure the welfare and safety of patients is maintained. Confidentiality and Security • Data Protection: Ensuring all patient information is kept confidential and secure, following legal and ethical guidelines. • Access Control: Managing access to patient records and sensitive information, ensuring only authorized personnel can access it. • Policy Compliance: Ensure the practice complies with healthcare regulations and guidelines, such as GDPR and NHS policies. Health and Safety Policy Adherence: The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, the Practice Health and Safety Manual and the Practice Infection Control Policy and published procedures. Personal security systems: Will be utilised within the workplace according to Practice guidelines Risks: Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks. Reporting potential risks to Practice Management team. Training: Undertake and make effective use of training to update knowledge and skills. Infection control procedures: Adhere to these procedures and maintain work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards. Equality, Diversity, and Rights • Support for Equality and Diversity: Support the equality, diversity, and rights of patients, carers, and colleagues. • Rights Recognition: Act in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a manner consistent with practice procedures, policies, and current legislation. • Respect for Privacy and Dignity: Respect the privacy, dignity, needs, and beliefs of patients, carers, and colleagues. • Welcoming and Non-judgmental Behaviour: Behave in a manner that is welcoming, non-judgmental, and respectful of individuals circumstances, feelings, priorities, and rights. Quality Assurance and Improvement • Alerting Team Members: Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk. • Self-Assessment: Assess own performance and take accountability for actions, either directly or under supervision. • Team Effectiveness: Contribute to team effectiveness by reflecting on own and team activities and suggesting improvements. • Interagency Collaboration: Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs. • Time Management: Effectively manage own time, workload, and resources. Communication • Team Communication: Communicate effectively with other team members. • Patient and Carer Communication: Communicate effectively with patients and carers. • Alternative Communication Methods: Recognize and respond to people's needs for alternative methods of communication. Contribution to Service Implementation • Policy Application: Apply practice policies, standards, and guidance. • Policy Discussion: Discuss with team members how policies, standards, and guidelines will affect own work. • Audit Participation: Participate in audits where appropriate. • System Optimisation: Contributing to the development and implementation of new administrative procedures and technologies to enhance practice efficiency. Personal and Professional Development • Training Participation: Participate in any training programs implemented by the practice as part of employment. • Performance Review: Engage in an annual individual performance review and take responsibility for maintaining a record of personal and/or professional development. • Self-Development: Take responsibility for own development, learning, and performance. • Skill Sharing: Demonstrate skills and activities to others undertaking similar work to enhance team capabilities. Job description Job responsibilities Purpose of the Role The medical administrator serves as a key member of the GP practice team, providing essential support to ensure smooth and efficient practice operations. This role is integral to delivering high-quality patient care by offering comprehensive administrative assistance and fostering effective communication among patients, healthcare professionals, and associated agencies. Key objectives of the role include: General Assistance: Provide support to the practice team, projecting a positive and friendly image to patients and visitors, both in person and via the telephone. Patient Reception and Direction: Receive, assist, and direct patients efficiently and courteously, ensuring they access the appropriate healthcare services or professionals. Administrative and Organisational Support: Perform a variety of administrative tasks, working closely with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to maintain effective practice operations and deliver high-quality patient care. Facilitation of Communication: Enable effective communication between patients, the Primary Health Care Team, Secondary Care, and other associated Healthcare Agencies, ensuring seamless coordination and information flow. The role of the medical administrator encompasses a variety of tasks, though the individual in this position will not necessarily be responsible for all of them: Patient Interaction and Communication • Reception Duties: Welcoming patients, managing inquiries, and providing information about the practice. • Appointment Scheduling: Booking, rescheduling, and cancelling patient appointments using practice management software. • Telephone Management: Handling incoming calls, directing them to appropriate staff, and taking messages as necessary. • Patient Registration: Registering new patients and updating existing patient records. Administrative Support • Record Keeping: Maintaining accurate and up-to-date patient records, including personal information and medical histories, both digitally and on paper. • Data Entry: Inputting data into electronic health records and practice management systems. • Correspondence: Managing incoming and outgoing mail and emails, and drafting correspondence as required. • Medical Reporting: Assisting in the preparation and distribution of medical reports and summaries. • Medical Summarising: Summarise and update medical records to ensure they are comprehensive and accessible to healthcare providers. • Referrals and Communication: Type and send referral letters and other communications to specialists and external healthcare providers. • GP Rota Management: Assist in creating and maintaining the GP rota to ensure adequate staffing and coverage. Prescription Management • Prescription Processing: Assist with the preparation and management of repeat prescriptions, ensuring they are processed efficiently and accurately. • Liaison with Pharmacists: Communicate with local pharmacies to resolve any prescription issues and ensure timely medication delivery. • Medication Queries: Address patient queries related to prescriptions and medications. Patient Care Coordination • Referral Management: Coordinating referrals to specialists and other healthcare services as directed by the GPs. • Follow-ups: Organizing follow-up appointments and tests, and ensuring patients are reminded of upcoming appointments. • Patient Liaison: Acting as a point of contact for patients regarding their care and any administrative issues. • Referrals and Communication: Support the secretarial team when required with referral letters and other communications to specialists and external healthcare providers. Safeguarding • Policy Adherence: All staff must adhere to safeguarding policies and procedures, promoting a culture of safeguarding throughout the practice in line with established guidelines. • Vigilance: Staff are required to remain vigilant to any signs or concerns of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, both within and outside of the practice environment. • Reporting Concerns: All staff have a responsibility to report any safeguarding concerns, no matter how small, to the designated safeguarding lead or appropriate individual within the practice, following the practice's reporting procedures. • Safeguarding Awareness: Staff should be aware of safeguarding issues, including those affecting vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with mental health or learning difficulties, ensuring they respond appropriately. • Training: All staff must complete mandatory safeguarding training, ensuring they are informed and equipped to identify and act on safeguarding concerns in accordance with practice and legal requirements. • Confidentiality: Safeguarding information must be handled with the utmost confidentiality, shared only with relevant professionals and authorities in accordance with safeguarding procedures. • Collaboration: Staff should support collaboration with external agencies and safeguarding authorities when appropriate, to ensure the welfare and safety of patients is maintained. Confidentiality and Security • Data Protection: Ensuring all patient information is kept confidential and secure, following legal and ethical guidelines. • Access Control: Managing access to patient records and sensitive information, ensuring only authorized personnel can access it. • Policy Compliance: Ensure the practice complies with healthcare regulations and guidelines, such as GDPR and NHS policies. Health and Safety Policy Adherence: The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, the Practice Health and Safety Manual and the Practice Infection Control Policy and published procedures. Personal security systems: Will be utilised within the workplace according to Practice guidelines Risks: Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks. Reporting potential risks to Practice Management team. Training: Undertake and make effective use of training to update knowledge and skills. Infection control procedures: Adhere to these procedures and maintain work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards. Equality, Diversity, and Rights • Support for Equality and Diversity: Support the equality, diversity, and rights of patients, carers, and colleagues. • Rights Recognition: Act in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a manner consistent with practice procedures, policies, and current legislation. • Respect for Privacy and Dignity: Respect the privacy, dignity, needs, and beliefs of patients, carers, and colleagues. • Welcoming and Non-judgmental Behaviour: Behave in a manner that is welcoming, non-judgmental, and respectful of individuals circumstances, feelings, priorities, and rights. Quality Assurance and Improvement • Alerting Team Members: Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk. • Self-Assessment: Assess own performance and take accountability for actions, either directly or under supervision. • Team Effectiveness: Contribute to team effectiveness by reflecting on own and team activities and suggesting improvements. • Interagency Collaboration: Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs. • Time Management: Effectively manage own time, workload, and resources. Communication • Team Communication: Communicate effectively with other team members. • Patient and Carer Communication: Communicate effectively with patients and carers. • Alternative Communication Methods: Recognize and respond to people's needs for alternative methods of communication. Contribution to Service Implementation • Policy Application: Apply practice policies, standards, and guidance. • Policy Discussion: Discuss with team members how policies, standards, and guidelines will affect own work. • Audit Participation: Participate in audits where appropriate. • System Optimisation: Contributing to the development and implementation of new administrative procedures and technologies to enhance practice efficiency. Personal and Professional Development • Training Participation: Participate in any training programs implemented by the practice as part of employment. • Performance Review: Engage in an annual individual performance review and take responsibility for maintaining a record of personal and/or professional development. • Self-Development: Take responsibility for own development, learning, and performance. • Skill Sharing: Demonstrate skills and activities to others undertaking similar work to enhance team capabilities.