For a general practice to function effectively, a large number of non-clinical staff are needed. In a large practice there may be as many as eighty staff, of which around half may be in support roles. Many of these roles overlap, particularly in smaller practices. The roles include:

Receptionists

These are usually on the front desk of the practice and the first face a patient will see when attending for an appointment. Receptionists need to have good interpersonal skills, be clear communicators, able to handle conflict and deal with pressure.

Call handlers

Larger practices may have staff who only deal with telephone calls coming into the practice. They need to have a good telephone manner and verbal communication skills, have good skills in customer service, be efficient and IT literate.

Medical secretaries

Medical secretaries deal with correspondence going out from, and into, the practice. These will often be referrals to and from other clinicians. They require good keyboard skills, a good telephone manner, IT skills and a knowledge of medical terminology.

IT specialist

IT specialists deal with IT-related issues with the practice system, ensuring good information security.

 

What is the career pathway?

In larger practices there are often opportunities to develop into a supervisory or management role in the future (see our section on Practice Management).

To view a PDF of either career pathway, please click on the image below:

What training opportunities exist?

There is a range of training available locally, much of which is provided through the Wessex Local Medical Committee. Over recent times, training has been available for:

• Medical Terminology
• Conflict Resolution
• Making Every Contact Count
• Customer Service
• IT skills

Further information 

• Wessex Local Medical Committee: www.wessexlmcs.com
• The Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists: www.amspar.com