OVERTON PARK SURGERY
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Practice Administration Assistant
HOURS:25
REPORTS TO:Deputy Practice Manager
ACCOUNTABLE TO:Partners/Practice Manager
MANAGES:Not Applicable
LOCATION:Practice Premises
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
As part of the Administration Team the post-holder is expected to provide a professional service to both patients and doctors assisting with routine administrative duties of the practice.
The role includes proactively coordinating the care of patients identified by the practice as at risk of hospital admission; managing patient referrals, including offering patient choice; providing administrative support to GPs; patient registration and GP2GP transfer of patient records.
The post holder is expected to work collaboratively with the general practice team; GPs, Practice and Deputy Practice Manager to meet the needs of the patients, ensuring that practice policies and procedures are followed and compliance with CQC Essential Standards of Care.
Key Tasks
1.0Patient Referrals and GP/Patient support
1.1To manage patient referrals to secondary and other specialist services on behalf of the referring GP.
1.2Note as audiotyping is not routinely undertaken in house and completion of referrals will require amending of letters received from Dict8 outsourcing service, from GP emails or patients tasks.
1.3Referrals may take the form of emailed/faxed forms, ‘e-referral’ electronic referrals, telephone contact with the specialist and/or sending of referrals letters.
1.4Where appropriate the post holder should ensure patient choice of service provider is offered.
1.5The post holder is responsible for working closely with GPs and locum staff to ensure that practice standards for the correct identification of patients for referrals are adhered to.
1.6The post holder is responsible for ensuring referrals are completed within accepted practice standards. Note the practice standard for completing urgent referrals is within 12 hours of the decision to refer and for routine referrals within 3 working days.
1.7To ensure these standards can be maintained the post holder is expected to work flexibly with colleagues to ensure cover for leave and effective handover of outstanding work.
1.8To maintain details and data on referrals as requested by the practice management team.
1.9To contact patients at the request of their GP to arrange follow up care and/or provide information.
1.10To act as the main point of contact with the other practice secretary for patient queries in regard to referrals or follow up
2.0I.T. tasks
2.1To support the Deputy Practice Manager with daily IT tasks, including maintenance of IT hardware and troubleshooting.
2.2To develop and maintain the practice website and waiting room information screens.
2.3To support the development of online patient services.
2.4To maintain the systmone and intranet secretarial address books and ensure all referral templates are current.
2.5To support health campaigns such as influenza and pneumococcal through publicising and inviting patients for vaccination.
2.6To maintain the out of hours special notes website (ADASTRA).
2.7To be responsible for the NHS Health Checks recall system, including managing invites using systmone reports.
3.0Avoiding Unplanned Admissions
3.1The post holder will maintain the current Risk Register for the practice alongside the DeputyPractice Managers who have responsibility for ensuring the register includes an appropriate number of patients (as specified by the contract requirements) and the GPs who may identify patients at risk of admission.
3.2As part of this responsibility the post holder will ensure patients on the Risk Register are appropriately identified and READ coded on SystmOne.
3.3As patients are removed from the practice list/Risk Register the post holder is responsible for identifying a replacement patient as soon as practicable.
3.4The addition of new patients to the At Risk register should be completed in liaison with the Deputy Practice Managers to ensure the numbers/type of patients meets with contract requirements and the patients Allocated GP to ensure the patient meets the clinical criteria of being at risk of hospital admission.
4.0Patient Care Plans
4.1The post holderwill produce a draft initial care plan for each patient on the Risk Register.
4.2They will work with the practice to ensure where possible hospital admission or attendance at A&E is avoided through the provision of an agreed up to date care plan and patient support.
4.3They will be responsible for reviewing patient care plans when this is triggered through A&E attendance, hospital admission or a change in circumstances as well as responsibility for ensuring the practice reviews these patients on a regular basis at weekly practice meetings.
4.4A review of the patients care plan and management will be triggered by the patient’s attendance at A&E, Out of Hours contacts or admission/subsequent discharge. The post holderwill inform the allocated GP of all events for patients on the Risk Register.
4.5The post holderis responsible for liaising with the Allocated GP to confirm what further invention or action should be taken by the practice health care team to prevent further admissions. This may include a home assessment or practice appointment with the a member of the Practice Nursing Team (including the nurses responsible for older person care) or GP home assessment/visit.
4.6It is envisaged that ALL patients discharged from hospital will be re-assessed within 5 working days of notification of the patient’s discharge and the post holderwill be responsible for overseeing this process.
4.7The practice is also required to review the reasons for patient admissions at regular team meetings which the post holderis expected to attend. post holderwill investigate the causes for admission and coordinate all updates to patient care plans arising from these discussions.
4.8The patient’s Care Plan will be a dynamic document and the post holderwill be responsible for ensuring patients, practice and Out of Hours services all have access to the latest version.
4.9The post holderwill therefore be responsible for updating care plans, completing Adastra notes and providing a copy of the care plan, notes summary and other relevant documentation in the patient’s home.
5.0General/Patient Administration
5.1To complete patient tasks allocated to the practice secretaries ensuring action is taken promptly and update patient records accordingly.
5.2To use SystmOne communications systems for sending and receiving messages
Retrieve letters/reports/notes, etc. as requested by doctors
5.3To fax urgent messages and forward received faxes promptly
5.4To scan and attach documents as per protocol and check scanned in documents for patient information received.
5.5To use and maintain a personal external NHS email account.
6.0Health and Safety and Keeping Patients from harm
6.1To be aware of child and vulnerable adult safeguarding procedures including local guidance and referral criteria.
6.2To be responsible for maintain vulnerable adult, child safeguarding and palliative patient flags on patients computerised medical records.
6.3To report and participate in practice audit and learning from events ensuring the practice operates a no blame culture for incidents and near misses
6.4To maintain patient confidentiality and accurate record keeping.
6.5To comply with all health and safety requirements of the practice and practice fire procedures.
6.6To report any issues of equipment breakdown and safety/risk within the practice to the Practice Manager without delay.
7.0Communication and Participation as a member of the practice team
7.1To communicate and work effectively with all team members both within the practice with other agencies.
7.2To recognise and understand the role and responsibilities of individuals working in the practice team.
7.3To take responsibility for own developmental and training needs, including participation in practice training events and appraisal processes.
Practice Statements
Confidentiality
In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.
In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers’, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.
Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
Health & Safety
Employees must be aware of the responsibilities place on them under the Health and safety at work act (1974) to ensure that agreed procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for patients, visitors and staff
Equality and diversity
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation.
Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.
Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Communication
The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
Communicate effectively with other team members
Communicate effectively with patients and carers
Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 therefore, you are required to declare all criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings and a DBS (data barring scheme) check will be carried out on your behalf.
Employee signature and date……………………………………......
Practice Manager signature and date………………………………………………
Overton Park Surgery
Practice Administration Assistant Job Description
December 2015MT