Business Administration Level 3 apprenticeship

Collingwood Surgery

TYNE AND WEAR (NE29 0SF)

Closes in 13 days (Monday 14 July 2025)

Posted on 30 June 2025


Summary

To provide a high-quality, professional reception and administrative service to patients, doctors, staff, colleagues, health service professionals and others.  To act as the first point of contact for patients contacting the practice and to portray the practice in the highest possible professional basis.

Wage

£14,722.50 to £23,809.50, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Business administrator (level 3)
Hours
Monday - Friday, between 08:00 - 20:00. Hours of the day vary.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Sunday 3 August 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

  • Be the first point of contact for patients and visitors, whether this be in person or by telephone.   
  • Book in, amend and cancel patient appointments inline with the practice/hub appointments procedures, ensuring optimum efficiency of the appointment system. 
  • Ensure that patients without appointments but who need "urgent consultations" are booked into appropriate slots and referred to a GP where necessary. 
  • Receive and accurately record requests for home visits, assessing urgency in accordance with the Practices' protocols. Print off home visit summary sheets. 
  • Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and temporary residents, ensure procedures are completed. 
  • Register new patients onto the computer system. 
  • Advise patients of relevant charges for private services, accept payment and issue receipts for the same. 
  • Produce repeat prescriptions according to practice procedures and ensure timely distribution of completed prescriptions. 
  • Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc are filed electronically in correct patient records. 
  • Ensure reception and waiting areas are kept neat and tidy. 
  • Re-stocking of information leaflets as appropriate. 
  • Answering incoming telephone calls, ensuring calls are documented and redirected accordingly. 
  • Undertake administration tasks as required (e.g. reports, recalls, audit, etc.).  
  • Action start and end-of-day procedures ensure answering machine service for out-of-hours information is directed appropriately – switched to answer machine at close of business each day. 
  • Ensure up-to-date maintenance of computerised filing systems (patient records). 
  • Check emails on a daily basis. 
  • Regularly check patient tasks to ensure they have been actioned in a timely manner. 
  • Inform other team members if notified of the death of a patient. 
  • Sort and deal with items in a communal work box. 
  • Check specimen fridge daily for lab specimens. 
  • Record fridge temperatures daily.

This job description is not exhaustive and may be adjusted periodically after review and consultation. You will also be expected to carry out any reasonable duties which may be requested from time to time.

Secondary Responsibilities:

Be a representative for the practice in one or more of the following categories known as a champion:

  • Carers, cancer, domestic violence, military veterans or any other appropriate area require a champion. 
  • Chaperoning-from time to time there may be a need to chaperone appointments. Ensuring that chaperone training has been taken, and the necessary steps are carried out both efficiently and discreetly.  
  • Checking that there is sufficient clinical stock and stationery on a weekly basis, placing orders where necessary. 
  • Check all clinical and admin rooms and ensure that they are clean and tidy and fully stocked daily to ensure clinics run smoothly and efficiently and all equipment is in good working order. 
  • Being a keyholder for the hub and ensuring that the building is opened and locked up correctly and securely.  
  • Managing room bookings for the hub and reporting general maintenance issues to property maintenance. 

Employees must work safely at all times in accordance with legislative requirements and practice policy and procedures. 

Where you'll work

COLLINGWOOD SURGERY
HAWKEY'S LANE
NORTH SHIELDS
TYNE AND WEAR
NE29 0SF

Training

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

College or training organisation

GATESHEAD COUNCIL

Your training course

Business administrator (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

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

This training plan has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

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
  • IT skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative

About this company

We offer a very high quality of general practice, and with a history of over 90 years of continuous service to our local community, we have a reputation as a leading and innovative practice.

After this apprenticeship

Progression for the right candidate.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

GATESHEAD COUNCIL

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000328760.

Apply now

Closes in 13 days (Monday 14 July 2025)

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After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.