Apprentice Practice Support Worker

Bishops Close Medical Practice

SPENNYMOOR (DL16 6ED)

Closes in 12 days (Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 6 May 2026

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Summary

A fantastic opportunity has arisen to join the team at Bishop's Close Medical as a Practice Support Worker. You will gain experience in primary care and customer Service/secretarial work. The role is to ensure that the reception and admin area runs smoothly and provides a high-level of service to patients, doctors, nurses and others. 

Wage

£15,600 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Customer service practitioner (level 2)
Hours
37.5 hours per week. Mon - Fri between the hours of 0800 – 2000 where needed and also some Saturday work.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 1 June 2026

Duration

1 year

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

Telephone Duties

  • Making appointments
  • Taking requests for prescriptions
  • Giving out results
  • Ambulance transport bookings
  • Home visit requests
  • Deal with general enquiries and minor complaints
  • Contacting other providers

Reception Duties

  • Register new patients and temporary residents
  • Greet and direct patients and visitors
  • Making appointments
  • Handing out prescriptions
  • Ensure outstanding queries are explained and handed over to the next shift, as necessary
  • Respond to the needs of doctors and nurses during surgery
  • Collect payments from patients for non-NHS services
  • Deal with general enquiries and minor complaints

Filing

Pulling Lloyd George envelopes when requested and filing of correspondence (hosp letters, etc.)

Prescriptions

  • Dealing with requests for repeat prescriptions
  • Raising prescriptions as per practice protocols
  • Dealing with queries relating to repeat prescriptions

General

  • Input and extract information from the practice computer system
  • Copy medical records for third-party reports and access to records requests
  • Observe health and safety guidelines at all times
  • Provide secretarial support, including processing hospital referrals, following up queries, etc.
  • General housekeeping (e.g. keeping reception and waiting areas tidy)
  • Participate in washing up/keeping the kitchen area clean and tidy
  • Any other reasonable duties as necessary

Where you'll work

HEALTH CENTRE
BISHOPS CLOSE
SPENNYMOOR
DL16 6ED

Training

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

Training provider

EAST DURHAM COLLEGE

Training course

Customer service practitioner (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Use a range of questioning skills, including listening and responding in a way that builds rapport, determines customer needs and expectations and achieves positive engagement and delivery.
  • Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills, along with summarising language during face-to-face communications; and/or
  • Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate communication skills, along with reinforcement techniques (to confirm understanding) during non-facing customer interactions.
  • Depending on your job role and work environment: Use an appropriate ‘tone of voice’ in all communications, including written and digital, that reflect the organisation’s brand.
  • Provide clear explanations and offer options in order to help customers make choices that are mutually beneficial to both the customer and your organisation.
  • Be able to organise yourself, prioritise your own workload/activity and work to meet deadlines.
  • Demonstrate patience and calmness.
  • Show you understand the customer’s point of view.
  • Use appropriate sign-posting or resolution to meet your customers needs and manage expectations.
  • Maintain informative communication during service recovery.

Training schedule

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. All training will take place in the workplace. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

More training information

Course content

  • Use a range of questioning skills, including listening and responding in a way that builds rapport, determines customer needs and expectations and achieves positive engagement and delivery.
  • Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills, along with summarising language during face-to-face communications; and/or
  • Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate communication skills, along with reinforcement techniques (to confirm understanding) during non-facing customer interactions.
  • Depending on your job role and work environment: Use an appropriate ‘tone of voice’ in all communications, including written and digital, that reflects the organisation’s brand.
  • Provide clear explanations and offer options in order to help customers make choices that are mutually beneficial to both the customer and your organisation.
  • Be able to organise yourself, prioritise your own workload/activity and work to meet deadlines.
  • Demonstrate patience and calmness.
  • Show you understand the customer’s point of view.
  • Use appropriate sign-posting or resolution to meet your customers' needs and manage expectations.
  • Maintain informative communication during service recovery.

Your training plan

  • The successful candidate will complete the Level 2 Customer Service Apprenticeship Standard. This will be delivered in the workplace, with a tutor visiting once a month. 
  • The only times you would be required to attend college would be for induction, and if you have any maths and English functional skills to complete. Maths and English classes would be weekly until the exams are passed. If you hold either GCSE grade 4 or above, or a level 2 in maths and English or equivalent, you will not be required to do these again. 

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 3)
  • Maths (grade 3)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Number skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

About this employer

Bishop's Close Medical Practice is a Spennymoor based practice with over 8500 patients providing high quality patient care.  Our core values and ethos is to place patients at the centre of everything and aim to keep patient journeys simple & smooth. 

https://www.bishopsclosemedicalpractice.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

  • Progression onto the next level of qualification and the possibility of full-time employment.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

EAST DURHAM COLLEGE

Sarah English

sarah.english@eastdurham.ac.uk

0191 518 8262

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000030056.

Apply now

Closes in 12 days (Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 11:59pm)