Job overview
Job Summary
Receptionists working within the Emergency Department are the first point of contact for patients and visitors attending the department and are expected to demonstrate a high level of professionalism, care, courtesy and respect when greeting patients.
Working in a busy environment, Emergency Department Receptionists will book patients into the department, answer telephone queries and undertake a range of administrative duties to support the effective running of the department.
Key Relationships
The post holder will work as part of the Emergency Department administration team and will work closely with the following post holders:
Service Manager
Administration Manager
Senior Support Officers
Emergency Department Matron(s)
Emergency Department Nurses
Emergency Department Consultants
General Practitioners
Administrative colleagues in other clinical service areas
Main duties of the job
Receptionists working within the Emergency Department are the first point of contact for patients and visitors attending the department and are expected to demonstrate a high level of professionalism, care, courtesy and respect when greeting patients.
Working in a busy environment, Emergency Department Receptionists will book patients into the department, answer telephone queries and undertake a range of administrative duties to support the effective running of the department.
Hours
The emergency department is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including bank holidays. You will be rostered to work a range of shift patterns which include days, evenings, nights and weekends. The shift patterns are listed below: -
Shift Hours
Early 07:00 – 15:00
Day 10:00 – 18:00
Late 15:00 – 23:00
Twilight 1 16:00 – 00:00
Night 23:00 – 07:00
30 Minutes Break
Main Duties
The Emergency Department has two reception areas (Main Reception and Majors). Receptionists will be trained to work in both areas.
Working for our organisation
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Reception
Registering and greeting patients on arrival
Answer telephone calls in a polite and courteous manner, identifying yourself, the department and hospital.
Deal with queries face to face, on the telephone or via fax
Ordering notes for patient admission, for doctor's perusal and soft tissue clinic.
Scanning of CAS Cards and LAS PRF documentation.
Ensuring accurate data entry of patient data on all systems
Amend patient and GP details as required
Clerking — Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) discharge
Book appointments for fracture clinic and soft tissue clinic
Logging all IT issues and notifying Senior Administration colleagues log number(s)
Ensuring that scanned 'red top' referrals and fracture clinic appointments are taken to the appropriate department each day
Collecting discharge paperwork from the Urgent Care Centre (UCC), and Emergency Care Departments including the GPs for scanning
Keeping workstations neat and tidy at all times.
Ensuring that the porters collect the confidential waste as well as the bags for coding and health records.
Majors
To provide administrative support to all clinical staff on duty
To register all ambulance patients attending the department, including checking their demographics and updating this information using the Trust IT system (Medway).
To ensure that patient observations are recorded accurately on the system within 15 minutes of all ambulance patients arriving in the department.
Answer telephone calls in a polite and courteous manner, identifying yourself, the department and hospital.
Deal with queries face to face, on the telephone or via fax.
Update the majors whiteboard with details of clinical staffing.
Monitor decision to admit (DTA) data on the EPR system and request notes for patients being admitted to the wards.
Order notes for patient admission.
Book transportation as instructed by clinical colleague.
Work the Nurse-In-Charge to monitor the LAS screen and ensure that LAS handovers are entered onto the system appropriately
Record doctors arrival and departure times.
Issue locum doctors with passwords.
Logging all IT issues for the clinical staff.
Training and Development
To attend training relevant to the post and the Trust's mandatory training.
To keep abreast of all new developments within job-role - participating in training and development as identified at appraisal; to improve existing skills and develop new skills, in accordance with the needs of the Service.
To guide, and support new starters.
Special Conditions
Emergency Department Receptionists will work on a rota which supports the department 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. It is an expectation for all staff to work a range of shift patterns to support the needs of the service.
Shifts will include days, evenings, nights and weekends.
Emergency Department Receptionists are expected to undertake any additional clerical duties as advised by the Administration or Service Manager
Staff will be expected to be available to work bank holidays
Person specification
Skills
Essential criteria
1. Excellent computer literacy
2. Excellent interpersonal written and verbal communication skills
3. Ability to multitask with attention to details
Experience/Qualifications
Essential criteria
4. Minimum 2 years NHS experience or equivalent receptionist experience role
5. GCSE (5 grades A-C) or equivalent experience
Desirable criteria
6. Knowledge of medical terminology
Knowledge
Essential criteria
7. Excellent working knowledge of data protection
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS
To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:
8. Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
9. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
10. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
11. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
12. Participate in required training and supervision.
13. Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct
Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.