Clinical Administrators
Character over Talent
We select on character over talent, which means potentially promising applicants may not fit with us – they don’t have the right character, their inclusion would be detrimental to the team. No one is bigger than the team. The team always comes first.
The role of the Clinical Administrator in Macduff Medical Practice
Clinical Administrators play a vital role within Medical Practices, they are the initial link between our patients and clinicians and have one of the most varied roles anywhere in the reception industry. Today’s modern Clinical Administrators have excellent interpersonal skills and must be articulate, computer literate, sensitive to the needs of the patient, and have the ability to multitask on any number of levels, often on a daily basis, and sometimes within a pressured environment. It’s not for everyone, but if you do decide that this role would provide you with challenges, job satisfaction, and a sense of achievement, we’ll make sure that you have the right training, at the right time, to be able to cope with these challenges.
Do I need to have medical qualifications?
Although some Clinical Administrators may have come from a medical background, there are no formal medical qualifications needed for the role. But confidentiality is key, and they are bound by the same confidentiality clauses applied to GPs and other clinicians. Clinical Administrators are only allowed to discuss patient information with those of whom are necessary. Patient confidentiality is the single most important component of Medical Practice, and forms the bedrock of how we operate. You will need to have a broad understanding of how to use a computer, have good keyboard skills, the ability to be trained how to use our medical programmes, and a willingness to learn. We are striving to achieve a paperless working environment and so a knowledge of electronic filing practises would certainly be an advantage, but it is about your openness to learn our system.
Clinical Administrators don’t apply any clinical triage to patient requests – they record and pass information from and to the patients
Working as part of a team
Working as part of a team is the key to our continued success at Macduff Medical Practice. Our Clinical Administrators are expected to work autonomously, within our guideline framework, and are encouraged to express themselves professionally in order for us to grow and develop. Working within a close support network means that you don’t have to be perfect at everything, and you don’t have to remember everything, but your training will allow you to have the mental tools to analyse challenges in order to achieve successful outcomes.
Leadership
We believe in Values Based Leadership; and we support each other all the time. We try to bring out the best in each other and put others’ needs in front of our own. We are all accountable for our own actions, in both performance and conduct, and we are all responsible for helping each other to achieve our best. We want to focus on achieving great results, but we want to have fun along the way. We don’t believe in drama – but we do believe that there are situations that have yet to be resolved, and we want everyone to be part of our work culture that brings out the best in everyone.
What does the training involve?
As part of the Recruitment and Selection process our Clinical Administrators are selected for their suitability to be trained to carry out their future roles. In the first week of being with us we will go through the basics of induction involving Health and Safety, Employment Legislation, pay and conditions, and a general overview of the Practice. The overview includes IT and security training, and shadowing other members of staff in order to get a first hand impression of the diversity of the position. During this time we will be assessing your level of IT and situational awareness competences so that we know where to start. This initial analysis is very important because not everyone learns the same way, and new staff arrive with an array of skills that will complement our daily operation. We have a six-month probationary period where we will monitor your learning progress and ensure that you have sufficient time to learn the requisite skills for the role.
You will be given an initial four-week training programme which will include formal training in the following areas:
- Our clinical medical system (Vision Cegedim) and Docman (Document Management)
- Electronic Mail Management
- The Vision clinical rotas
- Prescription tracking
- Reception skills including:
- The telephone system
- Taking and making calls
- Our filing system
- Our search facilities
- Completing clinical documentation
- Sending SMS messages
- Receiving information from Primary Care
Clinical Administrators may not divulge or discuss any patient identifying information to third parties without the express permission of the patient
Your training will continue for as long as required in any given areas; but you will not be given all of the areas of responsibility until you are comfortable with the workload. It is for this reason that we have a six-month probation programme.
Is this Practice NHS?
The vast majority of medical practices in the UK are independent contractors to the NHS, and Macduff Medical Practice contracts to NHS Grampian. We do, however, comply – as a minimum – with NHS qualifications and standards; but we are an independent business.
Who will I be working with?
You will be working with colleagues within your peer group on a daily basis, and will be planned into a rota. The rota will ensure that you know where you will be operating from and what role you will be carrying out. The Management Team will be your overall supervisors, but we don’t subscribe to micro-management – you are trusted to carry out your role in order to fit in with the team and the dynamics of the day. The Management Team are also there to listen to any concerns that you may have; and they will work with you to achieve positive outcomes.
Clinical Administrators do not make clinical decisions – but they do administer the clinical decisions made by clinicians. This can be through messaging or telephone communication.
Stress in the working environment
Stress in the workplace is something that we take very seriously in our Practice. Having the confidence that there is a strong supporting network around you gives confidence that you can be helped. An honest and open approach to stress related contributors is a good starting point.
But there is no hiding the fact that stress exists in this role; and having mental resilience is a necessary trait that we are looking for. Patients calling the Practice do so because they are in need of help; this may be advisory help or passing on that they need a clinical consultation – we are cognizant ‘that they call us for a reason’. We do like to be in a position where we can help them; but a sad part of this role is where we are not in a position to help; either through not having the clinical cover, the lateness of the request, or that the timelines of the request cannot be met.
This does sometimes mean that the patient’s frustrations, in relation to their needs not being met, results in stress; and we have mechanisms in place to de-escalate the stress in order to set the conditions and standards for a more positive outcome. A key stress contributor can be the perception that the Clinical Administrator (often referred to as a Receptionist) is the barrier to the patient having their needs fulfilled. We ensure that the information taken from the patient is documented and flowed to the right person at the right time.
We do adopt a Zero Tolerance to bullying, harassment, and intimidation; and so you can feel safe in the knowledge that we will be both supportive and protective of your wellbeing. Zero tolerance does work both ways; and we ensure that our staff communicate professionally at all times; and are subject to the same exacting standards contained within our policy.
Equality and Diversity
We consider equality, diversity and inclusion to be the bedrock of our culture; and take positive steps to continually educate our staff to promote positivity at every stage of our operation. In this case:
- Equality in the workplace means equal job opportunities and fairness for employees and job applicants.
- Diversity is the range of people in your workforce. For example, this might mean people with different ages, religions, ethnicities, people with disabilities, and both men and women. It also means valuing those differences.
- An inclusive workplace means everyone feels valued at work. It lets all employees feel safe to:
- come up with different ideas
- raise issues and suggestions to managers, knowing this is encouraged
- try doing things differently to how they’ve been done before, with management approval
