Reception Skills

1. Reception Skills GP MEDICAL PRACTICE

2. Say Hello with a Smile, Be Polite and Be Understanding • Wear a Name Badge! • Say ‘How can I help you, today?’ • Ask the Person’s Name • Ask for more Information, if necessary • Do NOT enter into a long (social) discussion. • Deal with the Request, whatever it is. • Remember to maintain Privacy, Confidentiality and Dignity • Discourage the formation of a Queue! Ask colleagues for help. • Talk Clearly and Calmly – do not Raise your VOICE. Say Hello

3. Patients may present with a variety of requests and needs. These may include wanting : • To make an Appointment • To obtain Test Results • To organise a Home Visit • To Access to Medical Records • To request a Repeat Prescription • To make a formal Complaint • To ask about an existing Referral or request a Private Referral • To leave a Message or ask for a Call Back from a clinician • To Register as a New Patient or change personal details • To ask about On Line Services, Appointments, Prescriptions , Records etc • To Pay for Private Work or Services • To receive a Delivery • To see Someone, a Visitor or representative • To ask for Something Else – no two days are the same, expected the unexpected How Can I Help You Today?

4. The Practice has an extensive appointments system, which is normally made up 6 weeks in advance. • Patients can be encouraged to book appointments online. • There are never no appointments or no doctors available. There is always a doctor no duty. • Avoid asking the question – “Do you want to be seen today”. • Offer the next available appointment with a named doctor if requested or next available appointment with any doctor. • Offer an appointment today or tomorrow if a need is established. You might offer another clinician, nurse, pharmacist etc. • Ask patients, if they have considered contacting a pharmacist or ‘111’. • Explain that a Doctor or other clinician may contact them by telephone. Appointments

5. Pathology results normally take at least two days to process. • Test Results are viewed by the clinicians and marked as either Normal or requiring attention. • Test Results are not normally available until after 2pm on the day following bloods being taken. • Patients will normally be contacted by the Practice if a result is not Normal. • Pathology and Radiography Results may take longer. Test Results

6. Callers are always encouraged to request Home Visits before 10:30am. • The Caller should be asked to provide details of the patient requiring a visit and be asked to explain why the visit is needed so that the doctor can determine the urgency. • The Caller should be told that the Doctor may call back. • Visits will normally take place after morning surgery has finished unless urgent. • A Record should be kept of the time of the request, the reasons given and the address and contact number for the patient. • A printout of the patients summary record should be made available for the visiting GP or clinician. Home Visits

7. In the main, the Patient’s Medical Records are kept on the Vision Clinical Computer System. • Prior to the Computer System becoming the prime record, patient’s notes were kept in A4 Folders. • Patients have the legal right to view or ask for the copy of their medical record. • Such requests for access to medical records should be made in writing. Initially there is no charge. • Requests will be dealt with in accordance with a legal timetable. Instant access is not always practicable. • Staff may print off a referral letter, test result or clinical letter to help with a specific enquiry. A record should be made that access has been given. Medical Records

8. Patients may request Repeat Prescriptions either at the Reception or Online. • The Practice accepts requests by telephone but not but FAX. • Prescriptions may be issued using the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). • Repeat Prescriptions may be sent direct to the patient’s nominated pharmacy or made available for collection after 1pm on the working day following the request. • Patients can change their nominated pharmacy. • Any Prescription Requests not on the Repeat system need to be referred to a doctor for approval or otherwise. • Patients should be encouraged to register for online services. Repeat Prescriptions

9. The Practice has a local Complaints Procedure. Staff should make themselves aware of the content of the Procedure. • There is a ‘leaflet’ to hand to patients. • The Procedure is explained on the Practice Web Site • Ask to patients to write to the Practice Manager or offer a meeting with the Practice Manager • Make a full note of any verbal complaint • Pass all complaints to the Practice Manager • Do not offer any comment on any complaint personally. • Normally, a complaints should be made by the patient; someone else with the patients written consent and be made within 12 months of the event. Complaints

10. Patients may from to time to time ask about a Referral that has been made to NHS or Private Hospital Services. • The patient may ask for a letter to be prepared to submit to a private consultant, • Patients may also ask questions about NHS E-Referrals. This may include wanting access on line to the NHs Referral system, to cancel or change a booked appointment. The patient needs a password to gain access. • Ask the Practice Secretary to deal with such requests. Referrals

11. All Messages must be recorded in Duplicate, noting the name of the caller and or patients, a telephone number, date and time. • The Message should name the person it is intended for and set out the basis detail of the message. • A Message system is in use for the Community Nurses, District Nurses, Health Visitors and Midwives. • It is IMPORTANT to check that messages have been received and acted upon. • Messages might be transmitted using the Message system on Vision, or a Wipe Board, or Diary. Messages

12. It is important to adhere to the basic principles of CONFIDENTIALITY when dealing with patients, their relatives or carers. • For instance, if a family member enquires as to whether a patient is in the surgery the answer is that you are able to divulge any information about the presence of a person in the surgery. • Again, for instance, a child seeing a clinician without a parent present may have the right to do that depending on their age and circumstances. • Be aware of any notes on patients records about Right of Attorney, Carer or Parental Rights. • Practice Staff should be aware of the arrangements for offering a CHAPERONE to any patient that requests one. Confidentiality

13. The Practice has an ‘Open’ List and will not normally refuse to accept new patients. • New Patients should be ask to complete a Registration Form and Questionnaire and provide evidence of their identity and proof of their address and entitlement to NHS Treatment. This might include two utility bills, but not a mobile phone bill. • Temporary Patients may be accepted who require immediate treatment and care. • Practices may also accept patients who are homeless, or travellers. • Practice Staff should be familiar with the content and advice given on the NHS web site, www.nhs.uk. • New Patients should be provided with a copy of the Practice Leaflet. Registration

14. Patients can register online to access the Practices Online Services by completing the form on the Practice web site. • Patients should be directed to the Practice’s Web Site and will need an initial PASSWORD to initiate registration. Practice Staff should make themselves familiar with the content of the Practice web site, www.theuplandsmp.nhs.uk. • The Online Services include the ability to book some appointments, to request repeat prescriptions and send a message to the Practice and to gain access to a Summary Medical Record. On Line Services

15. The Practice is not permitted to charge patients for the provision of NHS Services, although fees may be charged for a range of Private Services. • The Practice publishes a Scale of Fees. Fees are no longer charged for providing copy records. • Payments may be made by a World Pay Card Machine, by cash and if necessary by Cheque. • An Invoice should be given for each payment requested and a receipt issued for each payment received. • It is vitally important to record the receipt of any Cash and to store it in a lockable Safe place before it is banked. • Incoming Cash should not be used to pay for Practice Expenses. Paying for Private Services

16. The Reception Staff are responsible for receiving incoming Post and Courier Mail along with all other deliveries of vaccine stock and stationery items. • Any Royal Mail or Courier deliveries should be passed to the Administration Staff. • Any delivery of Vaccines should immediately be passed to the Nursing Team as it is likely that vaccines will require refrigeration and it is important not to break the ‘cold chain’. • Any delivery of other stock such as medical supplies and stationery, should be moved to storage as soon as possible and not be left blocking circulation routes. Deliveries

17. The Reception Staff should welcome ‘expected’ visitors to the Practice and inform the person they are visiting that they have arrived. • Unexpected visitors such as Medical and Pharmaceutical Representatives may not be seen by doctors or nurses without a prior appointment. • A Diary of agreed visitor appointments should be kept. Visitors

18. Practice Staff should make themselves aware of whether the Doctors are happy to be disturbed by ‘staff’ or ‘visitors’ during a consultation session either in person or by telephone. • Reception Staff should monitor the waiting room to ensure that patients are not waiting more than 10 minutes beyond their appointment time and offer an explanation. • The Waiting Room and Notice Board should be kept tidy at all times. • Patients should be encouraged to use the automated booking-in screen. • Reception Staff should be aware that patients may wish to speak in private and arrange for conversations to take place away from the Reception Counter if necessary. General