Detailed job description and main responsibilities

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

The Emergency Department has two reception areas (Main Reception and Majors). Receptionists will be trained to work in both areas.

 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.
• To gain comprehensive understanding of Medway EPR computer system, providing support to new users and existing staff.
• To deal with enquiries from patients and staff, both internal and external.
• Book and cancel Patient Transport / Interpreters as appropriate and maintain the system of requirements.

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.
• Scanning of discharged and admitted CAS Cards, LAS PRF.
• Keeping the work stations neat and tidy at all times.
• Ensuring accurate data entry of patient data on all systems.
• Effectively deal with complex enquiries from patients and staff, both internal and external.
• Ensure adequate paperwork, i.e. CAS Cards, Trauma and ISIS ward Proforma and photocopying paper.
• Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) discharge.
• To gain comprehensive understanding of Medway EPR computer system, providing support to new users and existing staff.
• Ensuring that the porters collect the confidential waste as well as coding and notes to be taken back to health records.
• Promote the department to deliver the goals of Whittington Health.
• To work as an effective, responsible team member, supporting colleagues and highlighting issues and potential solutions. To contribute to team and departmental discussions in order to develop and modernise the service.

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
• To be available for major incidents if required
• This job description is not exhaustive but is intended as a guide to the principal duties and responsibilities of the post. It will be subject to periodic review and change in line with service needs.

Staff will be expected to be available to work bank holidays