Temporary Contract- General Practice Assistant- GPA

Job summary

Stourside Medical Practice supports the health needs of 6000 residents in and around Halesowen.

We are looking to recruit a maternity cover General Practice Assistant until 2nd April 2027 to carry out a high level clinical administration role to support the GPs The primary function of this role is to provide clinical administration and clinical support to the different teams within the practice, to ensure continuity and consistency in workflow delivery. Flexibility is important for this role as there will be a lot of variety and no two days will be the same. HCA level clinical work may be incorporated into the role for an already qualified individual but there will not be the opportunity for training in this area for someone non-qualified.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, you are encouraged to submit your application as early as possible.

Main duties of the job

A role with a balance expected to be 25% clinical and 75% administrative for a successful candidate holding a current clinical qualification and 100% administrative for one who does not hold a current qualification. Clinical duties would include dressings, phlebotomy, ECGs and Long Term Condition Reviews. Non clinically you would support the GPs and and provide a high quality administrative support service. This is a high pressure role with a heavy workload and variety of tasks to juggle throughout the day. An ability to prioritise, have attention to detail and to remain calm under pressure is essential.

About us

We are based in the centre of Halesowen and have an experienced team of non-clinical staff , salaried GPs and practice nurses with the practice actively involved in a thriving Primary Care Network with a variety of allied health professionals supporting the practice including Pharmacists, Social Prescribers, Physiotherapist and Mental Health support workers.

Job responsibilities

Job Summary

See attached job description for a full job description. A GPA will support the practice by performing both clinical and non-clinical administration with the target of freeing up GP time to allow them to focus on the patient.

• Principal Duties & Responsibilities
• Clinical duties include Phlebotomy, dressings, ECGs and Long Term Condition Reviews

• Workflowing prioritising correspondence for the GP in terms of actions. Signposting some post to others such as clinical pharmacists etc and actioning appropriate actions yourself.
• Extracting all information from clinical letters that needs coding and adding to notes
• Arranging appointments, referrals, tests and follow up appointments of patients
• Completing 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
• Helping the GP liaise with outside agencies e.g. getting an on call doctor on the phone to ask advice or arrange admission while the GP can continue with their consultation(s)
• Complete medicines management preparation (prescriptions) ensuring all relevant checks have been made before sending to a GP for issue. This will include organising blood tests, sending out patient questionnaires and gathering other necessary information
• Following a protocol to file or action Normal Laboratory Results
• Build the Clinical Meeting monthly agenda and ensure accurate minutes taken with any follow on actions completed in a timely manner
• To action and file questionnaire responses from patients such as pre-appointment, medication review and chronic disease questionnaires
• Following practice protocols signpost patient Triage requests to the appropriate person or by sending a self-book link.
• Assist the clinical safeguarding lead by reporting, gathering and communicating information for children and adults as needed.
• Cover reception duties during busy periods or to cover unexpected leave/sickness

The duties and responsibilities in this job description are intended to be indicative but not exhaustive of the responsibilities of the post holder. As the role develops develops, the requirements of the job may develop and change. The job description will be reviewed and updated in discussion with the post holder to reflect these requirements.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE A-C or 5-9 maths and English

Desirable

• NVQ Level 2 or 3 or Care Certificate Qualification
• Recognised clinical coding qualification

Personal Skills

Essential

• Ability to remain calm when dealing with difficult or distressed people / circumstances.
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team.
• Able to think ahead and anticipate issues.
• Ability to problem solve.
• Ability to be assertive, but polite and patient.
• Excellent organisation skills required along with ability to prioritise and work to very high standards of performance.
• Commitment to health and safety, equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practices in employment and service provision.
• Understanding of the needs for confidentiality and compliance with protocols.
• Able to adapt a flexible working approach.
• Willingness to undertake training both in house and externally.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 2 years high level administration experience in a patient facing organisation
• Strong IT skills- pick up new systems quickly
• Ability to multi-task and work under pressure
• Attention to detail
• Team player

Desirable

• Primary care experience
• Experience in Emis and Docman
• Workflow and coding experience
• Medication knowledge