Receptionist
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Job Advert
Receptionist 3 Permanent Posts
Salary £18,600 - £20,606 (pro rata)
Plus Distant Islands Allowance of £1,074 (pro rata)
22.5 hours per week
Applications are invited for the post of Receptionist within the Western Isles Hospital front of house reception team who provide a 24 hour 7 days a week service for NHS Western Isles. This is a key post where you will be part of the reception team where you will be expected to work on a rotational shift pattern providing and effective, efficient and confidential service, which contributes to a positive experience for patients, visitors and staff to the hospital.
We currently have 3 vacancies for enthusiastic applicants with good IT skills, strong communication and interpersonal skills, accurate key board skills, someone who works well as part of a team, with a flexible approach and the ability to work in a busy and challenging area.
Training for the position will be provided in-house. This post is subject to Disclosure Scotland checks. This post is not eligible for relocation expenses.
For further information and an informal discussion of the post please contact Margaret MacDonald, Patient Services Dept.,Western Isles Hospital, Tel: (01851) 704704.
NHS WESTERN ISLES AGENDA FOR CHANGE
JOB DESCRIPTION - RECEPTIONIST
1. JOB IDENTIFICATION
Job Title: Receptionist / Telephonist
Department: Support Services
Job Holder Reference:
No of Job Holders: 6
2. PURPOSE • To provide general main receptionist duties to all staff and departments at the Western Isles Hospital
• To provide telecoms and paging services to staff and departments at the Western Isles Hospital, Health Board Offices and the Uist and Barra Hospital.
3. ORGANISATIONAL CHART
Patient services Manager
Typist/Admin Assistant
Medical Clinical Coding & Reception Health Records Secretaries CHI supervisor
Receptionists (THIS POST)
4. SCOPE AND RANGE
• The post holder will be based at the Western Isles Hospital and provide telephonist duties that will link the Western Isles Hospital (250 extensions), Health Board Offices (75 extensions), and the Uist and Barra Hospital (50 extensions),
• The post holder will act as a central location for paging services to the staff of the Western Isles Health Board (50 internal pagers).
• The post holder will provide general receptionist duties to the staff of the Western Isles Hospital and perform appropriate duties as assigned.
These include:
1. Issuing of Keys
2. Issuing of Internal Pagers
3. Completing documentation with regards to on-call staff
4. Providing staff, patients and visitors with general directions and guidance.
5. MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Telecoms
• To ensure effective operation of the telephone I switchboards. Calls require to be answered
politely, speedily and forwarded accurately.
• To act as a first point of contact for the Health Board and provide appropriate guidance and advice to the calling party. This involves putting people on hold, dealing with complaints, dealing with aggressive callers etc.
• To ensure a qualitative customer care response to callers and clients.
• To provide individuals and departments with customised services (diversions, call forwarding etc).
• To connect Health Board staff with appropriate external agencies as per agreed guidelines. Connecting to mainland hospitals, Air Ambulance, Ambulance Control etc
• To ensure that incoming calls are prioritised as per agreed guidelines e.g. Cardiac Arrest and Emergency Service calls are given the highest priority.
Paging
• To activate internal pagers as requested by Health Board staff or outside agencies. This is done using the Blick keyboard system,
• To follow up unsuccessful external paging calls to consultants with mobile phone or home calls.
• To issue pagers and pager consumables to staff.
• To issue mobiles to on call staff.
Majax I Emergency / Cardiac
To activate Major Incident Procedures as per documented policy. Staff must be aware of the major incident procedures and the critical role the receptionist has in these procedures. In such situations the post holder will be functioning in stressful situations.
• To respond to Emergency Planning and Ambulance radio as per agreed procedures.
• To activate Cardiac Arrest response as per agreed procedures. Staff must be aware of the cardiac response procedures and the critical role the receptionist has in these procedures. In such situations the post holder will be functioning in stressful situations. Cardiac Arrests within the hospital average approximately one per week.
• To activate Cardiac Arrest test call on a daily basis as per agreed procedure.
Security
• To provide occasional monitoring of security screen and to respond in the event of an incident.
• To change the security video tapes on a daily basis.
• To secure main doors during the evening and operate the ‘out of hours access to the hospital’ as per agreed procedures.
Receptionist Duties
• To act as first point of contact in the Hospital for staff, patients, relatives and visitors, and provide them with directions and advice. This can include angry or upset patients, relatives and visitors.
• To provide contact details to members of the public regarding the complaints procedure. This can often mean dealing with individuals who are aggressive, angry etc.
• To monitor all alarm systems located at reception and report accordingly. Includes medical gases, fire, fire exits, blood bank, boilers, fridges etc and must be reported to the correct member of staff.
• To report telecom faults to BT and report to line manager as per agreed procedures.
• To act as a central location for the delivery and collection of items (e.g. lab specimens, stores, community equipment, dental boxes, addressed envelopes medical supplies, registered mail, locum packages, catering packages, accommodation details and keys, car keys, RGN folder and pager). Lab items and equipment may be contaminated and cleaning procedures must be followed after contact.
• To update hospital on-call sheet, locum consultant details, doctors monitoring forms, and mobile phone log sheet on a daily basis.
• To update diary for use of main reception area.
• To activate helicopter landing pad lights as instructed.
• To provide assistance to staff with faxing and photocopying.
• To operate the shredding machine.
• To act as a central location for lost property.
• To frank mail as requested by staff and re-address Nurses Home and Doctors mail.
• To issue and receive keys toIfrom all departments and ensure that log book is completed.
• To update internal telephone directory information.
• To organise taxis for use by staff, departments, patients, locums, and visiting consultants.
• To contact Reception staff by telephone to cover sick leave.
• To contact directory enquiries on behalf of wards and departments.
• To locate Reception wheelchairs for use by patients from the main entrance. This can be physically locating wheelchairs within wards and departments or by enquiring by telephone.
• To issue spill kits to wards and departments as and when required.
To scan medical records (Emrec).
To book Out of hours patient travel.
6. SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT
Main Reception Telephone System (PC and flat based consul). IT skills are required to operate PC system.
Alarm Systems (medical gascs mortuary, kitchen, boiler, door alarm, lone worker, fire)
Paging System (including Cardiac Arrest)
Shredder
Document Scanner
Photocopier
Franking Machine
Security Video Recorders
Main Door Intercom
Taxi Log Sheet (for departmental use)
Cardiac Arrest Log Sheet (for use by Resus training officer)
Locum Details Sheet (for departmental use)
Doctors on-call Log (for departmental use)
Key Distribution Log (for departmental use)
Majax call-out Sheet (for departmental use)
Patient Travel Systems
7. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
The post holder normally works unsupervised but within clearly defined procedures. The post holder will be expected to ‘deal with the unexpected’ in the form of potential bomb warnings, malicious calls, abusive calls and also the ability to deal with insistent callers who expect the receptionist, as the contact point for the organisation, to sort out their individual problems.
• Occasional supervisionIsupport is provided by the Senior Receptionist and the Patient Services Manager.
8. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
The post holder, as the central point of contact within the organisation, will communicate with the majority of staff in Lewis, Harris and the Southern Isles. This contact can be face to face or by telephone.
The post holder, as the initial point of contact at the Western Isles Hospital, will communicate with patients and members of the public. This contact can be face to face or by telephone and can involve receiving complaints, giving directions, and receiving and issuing equipment. As the post holder is the initial point of contact at the hospital communication may be with bereaved relatives, relatives of critically ill patients, relatives of patients in Casualty, and in some cases the patient themselves. The post holder, as the initial point of contact at the Western Isles Hospital, will communicate with outside agencies on a regular basis, This communication can be face to face or by telephone and can involve the Police, Ambulance staff and Air Ambulance, Undertakers, NHS 24, Coastguard, Fire Brigade, ministers, Post Office, Faire, Emergency Planning, Transplant Team and the Crash Team.
The post holder will assist in the training of new staff. The training of staff would normally last for 1 week and the post holder would train the staff on each system (telephone system, paging system, CCTV etc). The post holder would then monitor the new member of staff until competency is achieved.
9. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
The post holder will be required to remain at the telephone consul for long periods of time. This can be for periods of up to 3 hours at any one time. The post holder will be required to undertake repetitive movements. This involves answering hundreds of telephone calls on every shift.
The post holder, in using the flat consul or the PC based telephone system, will be required to answer all calls speedily and ensure that they are forwarded accurately, In addition, the post holder will be required, in the event of an equipment failure, to answer and divert calls using a standard telephone handset.
The post holder will be required to work on his/her own for long periods of time.
10. STANDARD ELEMENTS
Confidentiality Comply with all approved NHSWI Policies and Procedures. Comply with NHSWI Communication Strategy and Media Strategy. This involves taking the necessary precautions when transmitting information only disclosing it to those who have the right and need to know it.
All personal health information is held under strict legal and ethical obligations of confidentiality.
NHS staff must follow guidance (NHS Code of Practice on Protecting Patient Confidentiality) before disclosing any patient information. All staff must respect confidentiality of all matters that they may learn relating to their employment, other members of staff, patients and their families.
Health and Safety: Assist in maintaining own and others’ health, safety and security.
This involves: a) Complying with Board health and safety policies, procedures and participating in mandatory training. b) Maintaining a safe working environment and reporting any issues of concern as appropriate.
NHS Western Isles attaches the greatest importance to the health and safety of its employees. It is the Board policy to do all that is reasonable to prevent personal injury and hazard to health by protecting staff and others including the public from foreseeable hazards compatible with the provision of proper services to patients. The Board expects its entire staff to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work. More detailed information is given in departmental safety policies where appropriate.
Ensure own actions support equality, diversity and rights.
This involves: a) Acting in ways consistent with the Board’s policies and procedures. b) Treating those you come into contact with equitably and with respect. c) Recognising the need for aids or adaptations.
JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
I, (Print Name)…………………………………………………….. confirm that the job description(s) /person specification(s) attached have been discussed with me and are an accurate and up-to-date account of the duties and responsibilities and skills/qualifications required to undertake the post.
Job Holder’s Signature: Date:
Head of Department Signature: Date:
NHS WESTERN ISLES - PERSON SPECIFICATION
Job Title:
Department:
Location:
FACTOR ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE HOW ASSESSED
Experience of working with the Previous experience Application EXPERIENCE public working in the NHS
QUALIFICATIONS & Good General Education ECDL Application TRAINING SVQ3 in Administration KNOWLEDGE AND Good telephone manner. Knowledge of Application & SKILLS telephone, CCTV Interview Ability to work without direct and Paging Systems supervision. Good communication skills Computer Literacy Knowledge and understanding of confidentiality DISPOSITION Team Worker Interview
Ability to work under pressure Friendly & approachable OTHER Flexible and able to work Application & Interview different shifts.
About the Western Isles
The Western Isles, also known as the Outer Hebrides, are a chain of islands which lie 55km off the west coast of Scotland. The islands have a population of around twenty-seven thousand people.
Those who enjoy outdoor activities will find that the islands have a lot to offer. Outdoor pursuits such as horse riding, hiking, and fishing are popular, as are water sports such as canoeing, surfing, and kayaking. Further information about outdoor and sporting activities can be found on the Outer Hebrides Tourism Information website.
The local Council website provides information regarding schools, jobs, bus timetables, and opening times of the leisure centre.
The Board works in partnership with Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP), which means that Key Worker Status will form part of their Housing Allocation Policy. For more information, please visit the HHP website.
If you have any specific queries regarding your move, please do not hesitate to contact your Line Manager, who will do their best to answer them.
Links
visitouterhebrides.co.uk welovestornoway.com hebrides-news.com hebrideanhousing.co.uk cne-siar.gov.uk
About NHS Western Isles
The Western Isles Health Board employs over one thousand members of staff, excluding GPs and Dentists. There are three main hospitals situated in the Western Isles:
Stornoway—Western Isles Hospital (Ospadal nan Eilean Siar) Benbecula—Uist and Barra Hospital (Ospadal Uibhist agus Bharraigh) Barra—St Brendan’s Hospital
There are a number of GP and Dental Practices across the Western Isles. Community nursing services operate out of general practice premises and at community offices in key locations.
There are only two medical practices in Stornoway: the Broadbay Medical Practice on Francis Street (tel 01851 703588) and the Group Practice on Springfield Road (tel 01851 703145). Both have a pharmacy attached to the practice for the dispensing of prescriptions.
Web wihb.scot.nhs.uk
The latest information about the Board’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on the Board’s dedicated website.
Web coronavirus.wi.nhs.scot
Transport Information
The islands are accessible from mainland Scotland by ferry or by plane (please note that both services can be affected in the winter).
There are three airports on the Western Isles: Stornoway Airport, Benbecula Airport, and Barra Airport. The following destinations can be reached from these airports:
Stornoway Airport—Benbecula, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester Benbecula Airport—Glasgow, Inverness, Stornoway Barra Airport—Glasgow
All flights to and from the Western Isles are operated by Loganair.
If you live in the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland, you can apply for cheaper air travel through the Air Discount Scheme. Further information on the discounts available can be obtained via the Air Discount Scheme website.
There are nine ferry ports operating in the Western Isles. Routes run between the islands, as well as to and from the mainland. All routes are operated by Calmac. Further information on the individual routes, including timetables and prices, can be obtained via the Calmac website.
Links
Ferry Travel: Air Travel: calmac.co.uk loganair.co.uk
Car Hire: Air Discount Scheme: carhire-hebrides.co.uk airdiscountscheme.com lewis-car-rental.com