Medical Secretary

Job summary: To provide general secretarial support to the doctors and health professionals, including typing and general administration work. Job responsibilities: To provide an efficient copy typing service for GPs and health professionals as required. This includes the typing of letters, reports, patient referrals, minutes, etc. in an accurate and quality manner. To make appointments as required. Understand all referral routes available and use relevant forms/proformas. Understand, utilise and manage the 2WW referral system. Ensure patient records are kept up-to-date with information relating to change of name/address etc. Deal with patient enquiries. To attend meetings and take minutes as required. To establish and maintain filing and administrative systems so that written or computer information is easily accessible and secure. To retrieve medical records and assist with the completion of medical/insurance records as requested by patients, solicitors, insurance companies, etc. File patient records and correspondence in patient medical records. To receive incoming and initiate outgoing telephone calls in order to facilitate timely and appropriate communications with others, taking messages and dealing with appropriate queries. To maintain the computer clinic system in an accurate and secure manner. To assist with the gathering of statistics and information when required. To provide cover for members of the secretarial team during periods of sickness and annual leave. 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: 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 & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include: Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually) Reporting potential risks identified Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. 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 peoples 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 that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights. Personal/Professional development: The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include: Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work Quality: The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will: Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs Effectively manage own time, workload and resources 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 Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly Contribution to the implementation of services: The post-holder will: Apply practice policies, standards and guidance Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work Participate in audit where appropriate