Apprentice Medical Receptionist/Administrator

Summary

The purpose of the role of Medical Receptionist is to prove efficient and effective reception and clerical support to the Practice, exercising absolute discretion and confidentiality, to ensure the smooth running of surgeries and other services provided to patients.

Wage

£15,722.50 a year

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Training course

Business administrator (level 3)

Hours

37.5 hours per week (Monday-Friday) working on a rota basis between 7.45am and 6.30pm. Consisting of 3 x 10 hour days, 1 x 7.5 hour day and a rotating day off.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 14 July 2025

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

· Dealing with all appointments and patient requests, ensuring that surgery time is effectively utilised, allocating pre-bookable and urgent appointments appropriately and monitoring the flow of patients during surgeries.

· Carrying out all clerical tasks to prepare for surgery sessions, ensuring that clinical staff have the patient documentation necessary to undertake consultations and procedures efficiently.

· Providing a comprehensive reception service, responding to a range of enquiries in a polite and efficient manner, adhering to practice protocols and dealing with difficult situations in a calm and controlled manner.

· Dealing with all telephone requests and enquiries in a courteous and efficient manner, referring callers to appropriate personnel and ensuring messages are relayed and in a timely manner, particularly those requesting urgent advice.

· Taking comprehensive details for patients requesting home visits and ensuring that these are recorded in accordance with the protocol to allow steps to be taken for triage.

· Dealing with prescribing requests, ensuring that scripts are approved, prepared, signed and ready for issue within agreed timescales or, if the patient needs to be seen, arranging appropriate follow-up.

· Maintaining manual patient records in a tidy, accurate and up to date condition (both individual files and the overall filing system), tracking missing folders and documents as required by clinical staff.

· Ensuring that any change of patient details/personal circumstances are recorded accurately and actioned on both the manual and computerised record system.

· Undertaking a variety of clerical tasks in support of patient service activity including ambulance bookings, insurance and benefit documentation, vaccinations, breast screenings etc.

· Explaining practice arrangements and requirements for registration and arrangements for new patients seeking care, ensuring that all documentation is fully completed

· Participating in the extended hours rota providing clerical support to the appointment surgery and working with the doctor on call

· Attend all statutory training courses as required.

· Interaction with colleagues in the reception, secretarial and admin team

· Reports to Team Leaders/ Deputy Practice Manager

· Liaises with nursing team and medical/clinical personnel

This Job Description is not exhaustive and is a guideline to the scope of duties involved. It will be reviewed at regular intervals. It is not intended as a rigid inflexible specification and will be subject to the changing requirements of Central Gateshead Medical Group.

Where you'll work

Prince Consort Road
Gateshead
NE8 1NB

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

ACCESS TRAINING LIMITED

Your training course

Business administrator (level 3)

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What you'll learn

Course contents

Skilled in the use of multiple IT packages and systems relevant to the organisation in order to: write letters or emails, create proposals, perform financial processes, record and analyse data. Examples include MS Office or equivalent packages. Able to choose the most appropriate IT solution to suit the business problem. Able to update and review databases, record information and produce data analysis where required.
Produces accurate records and documents including: emails, letters, files, payments, reports and proposals. Makes recommendations for improvements and present solutions to management. Drafts correspondence, writes reports and able to review others' work. Maintains records and files, handles confidential information in compliance with the organisation's procedures. Coaches others in the processes required to complete these tasks.
Exercises proactivity and good judgement. Makes effective decisions based on sound reasoning and is able to deal with challenges in a mature way. Seeks advice of more experienced team members when appropriate.
Builds and maintains positive relationships within their own team and across the organisation. Demonstrates ability to influence and challenge appropriately. Becomes a role model to peers and team members, developing coaching skills as they gain area knowledge.
Demonstrates good communication skills, whether face-to-face, on the telephone, in writing or on digital platforms. Uses the most appropriate channels to communicate effectively. Demonstrates agility and confidence in communications, carrying authority appropriately. Understands and applies social media solutions appropriately. Answers questions from inside and outside of the organisation, representing the organisation or department.
Completes tasks to a high standard. Demonstrates the necessary level of expertise required to complete tasks and applies themself to continuously improve their work. Is able to review processes autonomously and make suggestions for improvements. Shares administrative best-practice across the organisation e.g. coaches others to perform tasks correctly. Applies problem-solving skills to resolve challenging or complex complaints and is a key point of contact for addressing issues.
Takes responsibility for initiating and completing tasks, manages priorities and time in order to successfully meet deadlines. Positively manages the expectations of colleagues at all levels and sets a positive example for others in the workplace. Makes suggestions for improvements to working practice, showing understanding of implications beyond the immediate environment (e.g. impact on clients, suppliers, other parts of the organisation). Manages resources e.g. equipment or facilities. Organises meetings and events, takes minutes during meetings and creates action logs as appropriate. Takes responsibility for logistics e.g. travel and accommodation.
Uses relevant project management principles and tools to scope, plan, monitor and report. Plans required resources to successfully deliver projects. Undertakes and leads projects as and when required.

Your training plan

Business Administration Level 3 Apprenticeship alongside internal training on policies and procedures.

Training delivered by Access Training through a mixture of projects, training workshops and one-to-one support.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade 4)
Maths (grade 4)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Creative
Initiative
Calm in stressful situations

Other requirements

With this being a medical centre a high level of confidentiality and trust is required.

About this company

As a large practice, the medical group offer a comprehensive range of clinical services within the Gateshead area.

After this apprenticeship

The opportunity for long term permanent employment for the right candidate upon completion of the apprenticeship. The current Reception Team Leader started as an Administration apprentice.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ACCESS TRAINING LIMITED

Leah Phillipson

lphillipson@accesstraining.org

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000326721.

Apply now

Closes in 22 days (Friday 11 July 2025 at 11:59pm)

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