Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRPTION

Job title

CCB PCN General Practice Assistant (GPA)

Hours

37.5 hrs per week

Contract

Permanent

Pay scale

£24,422

Line manager

Job summary

A General Practice Assistant (GPA) will support the smooth running of clinics by performing clinical and administrative tasks on behalf of the GP, freeing up their time to focus on the patient.

Duties

The main duties of the postholder are to:

sort clinical post and prioritise it for the GP in terms of actions.

signpost some post to others within the team, eg. clinical pharmacist

extract all information from clinical letters that needs coding and adding to notes

arrange appointments, referrals, tests and follow up appointments of patients

prepare patients prior to going in to see the GP, taking a brief history and basic readings in readiness for the GP appointment.

test urine, take blood pressure readings, perform ECGs and undertake phlebotomy

helping to raise awareness of health and well-being and how it can be promoted

new patient health checks

complete basic (non-opinion) forms and core elements of some forms for the GP to approve and sign such as insurance forms, mortgage, benefits agency forms, etc

explain treatment procedures to patients

help the GP liaise with outside agencies e.g. the on-call service, hospitals

support the GP with clinical procedures.

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, to 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

reporting potential risks identified

reporting defects in equipment and the general fabric of the practice to the practice manager/Health and Safety/Infection Prevention and Control lead as appropriate.

taking action to assess the management of risk to reduce where possible the impact on patients and staff.

consistently observing the practice Infection Prevention and Control policies, procedures and best practice guidance in order to maintain high standards of Infection Prevention and Control.

Equality and Diversity

The postholder should:

act 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

respect the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

behave in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

act 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

respect the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

behave in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal and professional development

The postholder must:

hold, or being working towards, a GP Assistant Certificate qualification

participate in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

take responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

attend all relevant annual updates

inform the lead GP of any concerns regarding GPA role and any professional development needed

be aware of own professional boundaries and what to do when these have been reached.

Quality

The postholder will:

strive to maintain quality within the Practice:

alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

work to practice protocols

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 postholder should:

recognise the importance of effective communication within the team

communicate effectively with other team members

be familiar in all mediums of communications such as email, tasks, telephone etc

communicate effectively with patients and carers

recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

communicate effectively to outside agencies

communicate clearly with their lead GP

Contribution to the implementation of services

The postholder 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

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

Disclosure and Barring Service

Recognise and work within own competence taking personal accountability for actions and professional conduct as regulated by the NMC Code of Conduct.

Prioritise, organise and manage own workload recognising personal limitations.

Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.

Alert relevant staff members to issues of quality and risk making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance where appropriate.

Participate in quality improvement and innovations.

This job involves substantial access to vulnerable adults and or children and as such an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring service check (DBS) is required.

Information Governance

Ensure information is recorded accurately and objectively and reported back to community or general practice nursing team in a timely manner.

Utilise a range of IT applications and technology where appropriate.

Flexibility

Due to changing circumstances, it is possible that the duties and responsibilities of this role may need to be altered from time to time in discussion with the post holder. Therefore, the role requires the post holder to take a flexible approach. This role profile is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role with initial and on-going discussions with the nursing team leader.

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRPTION

Job title

CCB PCN General Practice Assistant (GPA)

Hours

37.5 hrs per week

Contract

Permanent

Pay scale

£24,422

Line manager

Job summary

A General Practice Assistant (GPA) will support the smooth running of clinics by performing clinical and administrative tasks on behalf of the GP, freeing up their time to focus on the patient.

Duties

The main duties of the postholder are to:

sort clinical post and prioritise it for the GP in terms of actions.

signpost some post to others within the team, eg. clinical pharmacist

extract all information from clinical letters that needs coding and adding to notes

arrange appointments, referrals, tests and follow up appointments of patients

prepare patients prior to going in to see the GP, taking a brief history and basic readings in readiness for the GP appointment.

test urine, take blood pressure readings, perform ECGs and undertake phlebotomy

helping to raise awareness of health and well-being and how it can be promoted

new patient health checks

complete basic (non-opinion) forms and core elements of some forms for the GP to approve and sign such as insurance forms, mortgage, benefits agency forms, etc

explain treatment procedures to patients

help the GP liaise with outside agencies e.g. the on-call service, hospitals

support the GP with clinical procedures.

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, to 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

reporting potential risks identified

reporting defects in equipment and the general fabric of the practice to the practice manager/Health and Safety/Infection Prevention and Control lead as appropriate.

taking action to assess the management of risk to reduce where possible the impact on patients and staff.

consistently observing the practice Infection Prevention and Control policies, procedures and best practice guidance in order to maintain high standards of Infection Prevention and Control.

Equality and Diversity

The postholder should:

act 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

respect the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

behave in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

act 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

respect the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

behave in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal and professional development

The postholder must:

hold, or being working towards, a GP Assistant Certificate qualification

participate in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

take responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

attend all relevant annual updates

inform the lead GP of any concerns regarding GPA role and any professional development needed

be aware of own professional boundaries and what to do when these have been reached.

Quality

The postholder will:

strive to maintain quality within the Practice:

alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

work to practice protocols

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 postholder should:

recognise the importance of effective communication within the team

communicate effectively with other team members

be familiar in all mediums of communications such as email, tasks, telephone etc

communicate effectively with patients and carers

recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

communicate effectively to outside agencies

communicate clearly with their lead GP

Contribution to the implementation of services

The postholder 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

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

Disclosure and Barring Service

Recognise and work within own competence taking personal accountability for actions and professional conduct as regulated by the NMC Code of Conduct.

Prioritise, organise and manage own workload recognising personal limitations.

Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.

Alert relevant staff members to issues of quality and risk making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance where appropriate.

Participate in quality improvement and innovations.

This job involves substantial access to vulnerable adults and or children and as such an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring service check (DBS) is required.

Information Governance

Ensure information is recorded accurately and objectively and reported back to community or general practice nursing team in a timely manner.

Utilise a range of IT applications and technology where appropriate.

Flexibility

Due to changing circumstances, it is possible that the duties and responsibilities of this role may need to be altered from time to time in discussion with the post holder. Therefore, the role requires the post holder to take a flexible approach. This role profile is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role with initial and on-going discussions with the nursing team leader.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• The successful candidate will possess a professional, positive and welcoming manner
• Ability to support clinical professionals, provide health support and advice directly to patients
• Able to undertake a range of administrative tasks relating to both the surgery and our patients.

Desirable

• It would be advantageous if the applicant has previous clinical experience but it is not essential.

Qualifications

Essential

• The postholder must hold, or being working towards, a GP Assistant Certificate qualification

Experience

Essential

• The successful candidate will possess a professional, positive and welcoming manner
• Ability to support clinical professionals, provide health support and advice directly to patients
• Able to undertake a range of administrative tasks relating to both the surgery and our patients.

Desirable

• It would be advantageous if the applicant has previous clinical experience but it is not essential.

Qualifications

Essential

• The postholder must hold, or being working towards, a GP Assistant Certificate qualification

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

Chippenham, Corsham & Box Primary Care Network

Address

The Lodge Surgery

Lodge Road

Chippenham

Wiltshire

SN15 3SY

Employer's website

https://www.hathawaysurgery.co.uk/chippenham-corsham-box-primary-care-network/ (Opens in a new tab)