Admin staff and receptionists carry out the day to day duties of the surgery. They take phone calls, operate booking systems and greet patients. Practice managers run the business side of doctors' surgeries and health centres, there may also be operations managers, reception managers or finance / strategy / business managers depending on the surgery.
Entry requirements –
There may be no formal entry requirements to start working as a receptionist or administrator in general practice, although you may be able to do CPD in clinical coding, triage etc. You could also join through an apprenticeship. To become a manager or team leader you may need to complete some courses or complete an apprenticeship. To work in finance / business or strategy you may need to have other qualifications including degrees. Ideally you will need a good standard of English and maths, where appropriate this may be GCSEs or Functional Skills.
Career progression –
You may want to consider apprenticeships or CPD to strengthen your knowledge and skills. You could consider a career in management or look to specialise in a particular area such as phlebotomy or as a GP assistant.
What skills do you need?
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- business management skills
- knowledge of English language
- administration skills
- leadership skills
- the ability to work well with others
- excellent verbal communication skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently