Jobs in health and social care section. The two job roles which I am going to research and describe are a GP and Receptionist.

Section B

The two job roles which I am going to describe is a GP and Receptionist.

The GP plays an important role in the GP surgery e.g. how the GP surgery is organised, funded and how well the GP surgery is doing which is published annually by the PCT based on views from registered patients.

Becoming a GP requires special skills and personal qualities such as:

Strong scientific ability as medicine the field in which the GP is in is a science.
Excellent communication skills. This will allow the GP to identify their patients problems accurately which will mean that they will be able to give the necessary treatments. Consequently, this will mean that the GP will have less stress and job satisfaction. Also this is beneficial to the patients too as they will understand the treatment options they have and are more likely to follow the advise due to a good relationship of trust between the patient and GP.
Patience. This is because treatment can take a long time. Consequently this can mean that the patient meets the GP on a regular basis hence if the Gp shows patience the patient will also be more relaxed about their treatment. Also, patience is important because the main job of the doctor is to listen to the patients needs carefully and as the patient has not undergone full medical training like the GP they would take longer understanding the solutions to their problem.
Being able to work under pressure. This is important because being a GP involves hard work, stress and one attribute of a GP is the one who can work under pressure but not show the stress they are behind thus it will not affect their patients. Also, even under pressure the GP needs to make quick but important decisions.
Compassionate. A compassionate GP will understand your suffering and empathise with you so does anything they can to relive you. If the GP is compassionate the patient will appreciate the medical advise and solutions more.
Good role model. A patient follows what their GP advises as they feel that they are professionally trained to help them. Hence, they need to be positive role models. For example if the GP is encouraging someone to stop smoking the GP should not themselves smoke.
Good teamwork skills. This is because if a GP has good teamwork skills they can understand the needs of staff which means that there is good communication. This allows the smooth running of the GP surgery as important issues can be discussed amongst staff.
Practical skills for examining patients and carrying out clinical procedures. This is a key skill that a GP needs to have and they get this skill and improve this skill when training. This is highly important because it is a matter of someone’s life here hence you need the right type of skills which are up to perfection.

Good listening skills. This is important part of communication. If the GP does not hear what the patients symptoms are they will give the incorrect diagnosis which can be fatal as the patient is being treated for something that they do not have which can damage cells.
Good organisation skills. This is important because as a GP there will a lot of paperwork involved, bad organisation skills can lead to documents being lost which can cause problems such as if someone’s medical record is lost. This is breaking the confidentiality of information care value and the medical record could be in the hands of any one who can misuse it hence good organisation skills is a key skill that a GP must have.
Flexibility. This is vital as a GP in order to meet the needs of the patients and staff alike they need to adapt to needs of the practice even if it means working for longer after a hard days’ work. This way the GP can ensure the best possible health care is being provided and that the staff are being kept happy as they contribute significantly to the smooth running of the GP surgery.
Good leadership skills. This is important because the GP needs to work with the staff to ensure that the running of the GP surgery is as smooth as possible for example through having regular meetings with the staff. Good leadership qualities will mean that the GP surgery is running smoothly and making sure that the staff are happy for example having a GP surgery which offers the chance for the staff to improve their skills e.g. through yearly updates.

Receptionist

A receptionist is a person whose main duty is to answer the telephone and greet customers. They are usually at a desk in the waiting area. A receptionist is the first person that the client will meet hence they are the ones that make the first impressions.

Hence they need to have certain skills and personal qualities such as:

Friendly and approachable. This is because clients need to be able to communicate with the receptionist. Receptionists are a clients first impression of the company hence they need to portray a positive image.
Organisational skills. This is vital since you need to be able to give the right information about each person and any mistake can be serious. Being a receptionist involves ‘taking calls, receiving telephone, book meetings’. [Ref: ].They need to be able to take down correct details and pass correct details to avoid conflict. Therefore, communication skills too are vital.
Focus to detail. This will disable any mistakes to occur which can slow down the running of the organisation for example if the contact details are incorrect or if the health details are incorrect which can lead to the doctor/nurse to prescribe wrong medicines which can be very harmful to health.
Ability to multi task. This is because being a receptionist involves doing more than one thing at once for example greeting customers and taking the telephone while keeping a calm and assertive attitude to portray a good image of the company.
Good IT skills for example knowledge of how to use Microsoft Office products e.g. Microsoft Excel. Computer skills are essential as everything is done on the computer for example booking appointments as it is quicker and more efficient than the traditional pen and paper approach hence basic IT skills such as using Microsoft Office products like Microsoft Excel is essential.
Good interpersonal skills. This is crucial as the receptionists primary job is to be calm, friendly and look professional to create a positive impact on the clients.
Ability to prioritise work load. This is important because there are certain tasks which have a higher priority than others for example sending blood test samples the hospital before the time is up. Ability to prioritise work load will mean that the GP surgery is run as smooth as possible and the job of the nurse or GP for example in a GP surgery is not delayed.
Able to offer long-term commitment. This is important because the patients will know the receptionist and form a close bond with them. They symbolise the organisation. If the receptionist does not offer long term commitment the patient will not be able to form a bond with the receptionist which will affect communication skills which will in turn portray the organisation such as a GP surgery in a negative light.
Non – judgemental. This is important because receptionists will meet different types of people and no one person will be like the other. Hence for receptionists it is vital for them to be open minded hence not be discriminatory and realise that people have different viewpoints.
Sensitive. This is important because the patient needs to feel that they can talk to the receptionist about any query they have. This helps the patient and portrays a positive image of the organisation such as a GP surgery. This develops strong bond between the patient and receptionist.
Able to be calm under pressure. Working as a receptionist pressure is a typical thing to be expected. Various tasks have to complete and patients need to be greeted. If the receptionist is not able to work under pressure they will portray a negative image of the organisation.
Able to be assertive. People do not like to wait they have many other important things on their mind. This is human nature. The way this impatience shows is by some patients being rude or aggressive. For example a patient might state that they want an appointment at the time they want and now. The receptionist being assertive will mean that they will give other options around their problem such as coming in as an emergency patient. This way they will act fairly and maintain order in the organisation.

The appropriate skills can be acquired when studying for the course for example studying for the BSc degree in the case of the GP. Furthermore, skills can be acquired through experience and attending classes such as update classes which happen once a year.

I have conducted interviews with both the GP and Receptionist and this is the responses I have had.

Interview with the Receptionist:

My interview with the Receptionist who is 40 years old and been working at Dr. K Lahon surgery for 17 years has revealed that ...

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I have conducted interviews with both the GP and Receptionist and this is the responses I have had.

Interview with the Receptionist:

My interview with the Receptionist who is 40 years old and been working at Dr. K Lahon surgery for 17 years has revealed that for to pursue the career of being a receptionist does not require any particular GCSE grades or qualifications but one skill that is compulsory for a receptionist to have, in this modern, industrial society is computer skills. For example being proficient in Microsoft Office products such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel. The receptionist stated that has become proficient in using computers by doing a computer studies course for 2 months. The receptionist has gained most of her skills from the Computer Studies course and her skills are updated by her attending ‘updates’ which all the receptionists in the surgery have to go to. ‘Updates’ as the receptionist describes is a ‘training day where I like other receptionists have to go to every year to boost our skills and learn new skills’. There are special qualities an individual should have in order to do the job of a receptionist. These are as stated in the interview ‘patience, knowledge of computer and basic scientific knowledge and friendly’. Additionally the interview with the receptionist has revealed that there are many advantages as well as disadvantages of being a medical receptionist in particular. The advantages as stated by the receptionist are getting a ‘good salary’ and the feeling of ‘helping in the efficient running of the surgery’. The feeling of helping in the GP surgery boosts the self esteem and self image which overall contributes positively to the overall health and well being as the receptionist feels that she is contributing positively to the running of the GP surgery whose primary aim is to improve the health of people. However being a receptionist like any other job has its disadvantages. In the interview the main disadvantage of working as a receptionist but particularly a medical receptionist is the fact that ‘some patients can get very rude’. This happens when they ‘have to wait a long time or when they do not get an appointment they want’. The receptionist stated that the patients do not realise is that it is not their fault and all they are trying to do is contribute to the smooth running of the GP surgery. There are many types of receptionist such as a medical receptionist and a receptionist who is part of an advertising firm hence different types of receptionist have different jobs and responsibilities. The jobs and responsibilities of a medical receptionist such as the medical receptionist I have interviewed are as stated ‘to make appointments for the GP and nurse, to print scripts and telephone patients about an appointment that they will need’ e.g. if the results of a blood test has arrived and finally ‘booking and cancelling an appointment’. Since the medical receptionist who I have interviewed has been working at the GP surgery for so long (17 years) she has the experience which means that she can print the prescriptions and ask for the ‘GPs/nurse signature on them and sort out whom it belongs to’. The receptionist can do this extra responsibility because of the experience of working as a receptionist. Her duties inevitably help the patients. Firstly she ‘telephones people about reports and book an appointment as it is necessary for them to see the nurse/GP’. This helps the patient because they are updated about their health by the telephone rather than going to the GP surgery which is easier thus more convenient. Secondly the receptionist ‘makes appointments and makes sure that the person sees the GP/nurse as close to their appointment time as possible’. This makes it convenient for the patient as they can base the time around their schedule. Additionally if the ‘person is not here for their appointment time’ the receptionist tells the ‘next person to go’. This benefits both the surgery as it contributes to smooth and efficient running of the GP surgery and the patient as they do not have to wait that much. Hence, the receptionist as deduced from my interview is a valuable member of the GP surgery whose duties help the patients and contributes to the smooth and efficient running of the GP surgery.

Interview with the main GP – Dr K. Lahon

My interview with the main GP – Dr K. Lahon of the Dr K Lahon Surgery who is 60 years old and working at this GP surgery since 20 years has revealed much information. Being a GP it is evident that he needs to have specific qualifications and the GP would have done particular courses in order to pursue this career as a GP. The interview has revealed that the GP has these qualifications from GCSE onwards ‘4 A levels, BSc and MBBS’. This shows that being a GP requires a lot of hard work and dedication. The GP took all science subjects at A level which is one course and another course where he learnt skills was university studies and by attending updates. Being a GP like any other person is the medical field is that it is life long learning. There will always be new diseases thus new cures or improved cures and new medicines which means that the GP as any person in the medical field will need to have knowledge about so that they can successfully diagnose their patients. The GP has learnt most of the skills he has by attending the ‘updates, courses and experience’. The GP’s qualifications would have enabled him to pursue any other ‘job in the medical field e.g. a surgeon or any other specialist field.’ The interview has revealed that the disadvantages of being a GP outweighs the one advantage which is ‘satisfaction that I have made patients better’. The disadvantages as stated in the interview were the risk element. This is because every medicine that the GP prescribes to the patient carries a risk, a risk that it will not work on the patient or worse still have side effects which are greater than the initial problem. Without a doubt there are certain qualities that a GP must have. The qualities which the Dr K Lahon identified were ‘patience and knowledge’. Furthermore although the duties of a GP are numerous the main responsibility which was identified is ‘care for my patients and staff but also manage how much money I get’. Due to the qualifications that a GP has gives the GP extra responsibility – the responsibility of ‘providing medication’. The duties of the GP doubt helps the patients immensely ‘gives them reassurance and help them get through their illness’ is one of the ways in which the GP has stated helps the patients.

Care Value Base

Care value base is the right way to treat clients hence is an ethical code (what is right or wrong). It is a set of rules and regulations that every care worker has to follow. defines Care Value Base as “an ethical code which governs how caregivers ought to act in certain situations within a health or social care setting.”

This improves the clients’ quality of life as all their four needs (Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Social needs) are being met.

One way in which the care workers improve the clients quality of life is by empowering the clients. Empower means ‘giving someone the ability to do something for themselves’ [Ref: ]. They do this by promoting the values that the care workers feel are important to the client – this allows the care worker to ‘provide individualised care’ based on an individuals needs.

The aim of health and social care services is for people to be able to develop and keep their independence. Being a care worker involves keeping a balance between helping and not interfering with someone’s personal, private life.

The 7 care values as listed in the GCSE Health and Social Care for Edexcel are:

Promoting anti – discriminatory practice

This means that every client has freedom from discrimination – this is also illegal it is against the Race Relations Act 1970.

Maintaining confidentiality of information

This means that private information about clients should not be disclosed to any third organisation – this is made sure by secure recording systems to which only the care workers have permission to see.

Promoting and Supporting Individuals rights – right to independence, safety and dignity

This means supporting individuals right to “independence, health, safety, choice and effective communication” [Ref: GCSE Health and Social Care for Edexcel]

Acknowledging Individuals’ personal beliefs and identity

This means that every one has the right to be different and this should be respected.

Protecting individuals from abuse

This means that clients should feel comfortable working with care workers.

Promoting effective communication and relationships

This means that each clients needs should be understood and information to help the client should be provided.

Providing individualised care

This means that a balance is kept between helping someone and interfering with their personal lives. This allows clients to be independent which improves the quality of their lives.

This is how the organisation implements the care value base:

Promoting anti – discriminatory practice

The GP surgery allows people from all ethnic groups to allow to come to the GP surgery. Also the GP surgery gives information about diseases which are most common in one ethnic group e.g. Anaemia in Afro Caribbean. This shows that they care about all ethnic groups and races.

Maintaining confidentiality of information

The GP surgery does not disclose information such as medical conditions and personal details about any of the patients to any organisation.

Promoting and Supporting Individuals rights – right to independence, safety and dignity

Patients are taught how to look after their health hence their right to independence is met.

Also any personal details and private conversations are not disclosed. Hence the right to safety and dignity is met.

Acknowledging Individuals’ personal beliefs and identity

Talking to the patients and asking questions about their personal details which will be kept confidential meets the 4th care value.

Protecting individuals from abuse

Any injuries or domestic problems are reported and dealt with. In this case the person is given as much support as possible and emotional care is provided. Additionally, CRB checks are carried out on all workers.

Promoting effective communication and relationships

This is achieved by allowing the patients to communicate via the telephone and people are spoken to in different languages to make them feel comfortable.

Providing individualised care

Individualised care is provided when the patient is being checked by the GP/nurse thus different support is provided for different problems.

Implementing the ‘Confidentiality of Information’ value

The GP maintains confidentiality of information by keeping conversations they have confidential and by not disclosing any information to any other client. Doctors do not have the right to disclose information about a patient’s medical records to anyone even to family members. Parents too cannot find out information about their child without their permission hence teenage pregnancies are kept private and confidential even from the parents itself. However, medical records can be shared only between professionals such as specialists but the identity of the person’s medical records will not be identified. This is so that the patient is provided with a range of treatment options hence have a greater chance of curing the problem. Nevertheless, the patient can still request for their medical information to be passed on even to a professional as it is their privacy.

There are exceptions to this Confidentiality of Information value. This is made clear when the person sign a consent form when the register with the GP surgery. For example a doctor can inform a patients partner that they have HIV/AIDS.

Additionally only the two GPs and the nurse have access to a patients medical records. When the surgery is not opened such as weekends, public holidays and the time between the morning and afternoon surgery the GP surgery has CCTV cameras for security – the security of patient records.

Implementing the ‘Providing Individualised Care’ value

Individualised care is care that is ‘designed for one person’

[Ref: GCSE Health and Social Care book for Edexcel]

A patients needs is examined by the GP/Nurse when they come in for a check up. Thus, based on this a plan is developed for the client for example a diabetic person depending on the severity of the situation have to follow a strict diet to ensure that the glucose levels are kept at a manageable level. As this plan will be based on a patients needs the plan would be individualised hence the ‘Providing Individualised Care’ value is implemented.

What if the care value base is not applied all the time

If the care value base is not applied all the time, a client’s Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Social health (PIES) will be affected.

For example: if confidentiality of information is not applied:

EMOTIONAL:

The client may not trust the care worker which will lead to a low self esteem because they feel that they are not valued hence do not matter. (emotional)

SOCIAL:

Also if the information about them having a certain disease which has been controlled by antibiotics is made aware to the general public – there will be high social stigma attached to them. Hence the person may not be able to feel that they can socialise which leads to low self image, low self esteem hence low overall health and well being.

INTELLECTUALLY:

If the client feels discriminated against they will be affected intellectually in that they will not look research what their rights are and what laws protect them as the Race Relations Act 1970 has been broken.

PHYSICALLY

Finally this can lead to negative feelings which may mean that as they are unable to trust one care worker they will not trust any care worker hence will not go to the GP surgery or hospital to get treated hence their health will deteriorate.

An example of possible conflict that a care worker could come across in everyday is the patients not getting the appointments they want, waiting too long for an appointment and disagreeing with the surgery not opening all day and in the weekends.

A typical day of a GP:

GP’s have tight schedule’s and experience stress as part of the day to day life of a GP. Firstly they experience the stress of university and meeting deadlines as well as revising and learning new concepts. However this is short term. A GP’s worst nightmare is that this stressful and long lifestyle is the part of a GPs life.

I am going to discuss the typical day of the main GP (who owns the GP surgery) – Dr. K. Lahon:

At 8:30 the GP arrives at the surgery. This is one hour before the GP surgery opens. This is so that any paperwork which was not completed the previous day can be completed. This can take from 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on how much paperwork there is. To reduce the paperwork the GP completes as much of it as he can on the day. Additionally arriving 1 hour before the GP surgery opens allows the GP to look over the appointments he has during the day – the morning and evening surgery. He can then briefly look at each patients history details which is on a secure database only to which the two GPs can look at and the nurse. This is one way how the GP surgery meets the ‘confidentiality of information’ care value.

9:30 and the morning surgery begins. Appointments are being booked by the receptionists. On average there are 2 -3 emergency patients who come in. They see the GP or nurse after the rest of the people who have an appointment see the GP/nurse. This takes up to 30 minutes extra. By 12:30 the GP finishes seeing patients.

Then, the GP goes to the reception to sign any remaining prescriptions and to collect the letters or any messages from patients or hospital doctors. Before the GP leaves for lunch, he listens to any queries that the receptionists have or if the nurse/other GP have. This takes around ½.

Hence by 1:30 he is free from to go to have lunch and come back for afternoon surgery.

At 2:00 the GP looks at blood tests that have arrived from the hospital. This is on average 6 each day. The GP then phones the receptionist to phone certain patients to inform them that their reports have arrived and that they need to book an appointment with either the main GP, the other GP or the nurse. This divides the work load equally hence reduces stress. The more serious blood reports are discussed by the main GP or the other GP. This takes ½ hour.

At 3:00 the GP checks the post and mail for example to refer patients. Then the GP deals with paperwork such as life insurance forms and child protection reports. This takes 1 hour to do each day.

It is 3:30 and the GP comes in ½ before the afternoon surgery begins. This is so that the GP can complete any further paperwork; look at the appointments so look at each patients history briefly.

At 4:30 the afternoon surgery begins and it is normal for the GP to be on tight schedule. As it is normally fully booked, I finish at 7:30 10 minutes per patient. However although the GP afternoon surgery is supposed to finish at 7:00, patients come in late, patients have many questions to answer especially if they are diagnosed with a new disease such as diabetes which takes longer than 10 minutes.

When the afternoon surgery is closed at 7:30. The GP goes over the emails which have been sent during the afternoon surgery and typing referral letters. This takes usually an 1 hour.

At 8 o clock, 1 hours after the set finishing time, 7 o clock the GP can go home. Sometimes the GP has to attend meetings e.g. meetings with the other doctors who are part of the Ealing Primary Care.

A typical day of a Medical Receptionist:

It is 8:35 when the receptionist arrives at the GP surgery. The main GP usually comes before the receptionist to complete any paper work then come the nurse and other GP after the receptionist has arrived. First thing the receptionist does is check if there is enough paper in all printers and if there is enough ink in them. Also the receptionist checks if there are enough blank prescriptions as the GP surgery goes through a lot of prescriptions in one day. Additionally, the receptionist turns on the computers in the reception area, opens the electronic appointment book on the computer. Then, the receptionist looks at what patients are coming and at what time and if they are seeing the nurse or the one of the GP’s in the morning surgery. Then the receptionist collects the medical records of the patients coming in the morning surgery and gives the medical records to the two GPs and the nurse. The telephones are switched on any messages are taken and passed on. The receptionist then makes sure that the waiting area is clean and looks presentable.

It is 9:00 and the morning surgery begins.

The receptionist checks in each patient as they arrive and are asked to take a seat. The receptionist also has to answer the phones and make appointments as well as getting prescriptions signed.

Additionally messages are taken from patients and passed on to staff. Patient’s queries are listened to.

At 12:30 the morning GP surgery is over. The receptionist files away the patients records and the afternoon surgery appointments are checked and necessary files given to the GP’s and nurse.

The receptionist is here until 2:30. The receptionist make afternoon appointments and take messages for the GP’s and nurse and phone patients home for appointments they need to make with the GPs or the nurse.

After the receptionist leaves at 2:30 the telephone is put on answer machine so that any messages can be delivered to the GPs and nurse by the afternoon receptionist. The receptionist locks the GP surgery and makes the way home.

I have described a typical day of a medical receptionist who works only in the morning GP surgery.