Working in a GP surgery is a great opportunity for doctors who want a calmer work environment with consistent scheduling. Working as a GP can provide a better work-life balance than you would get working in hospitals. This is one of the reasons why working in a GP surgery has so much competition. If you are interested in working in one, you should know what to expect.
Working With Patients
Whether you work in a medical or non-medical role, you can expect to interact with numerous patients on any single day. Those who talk to the patients the most are the receptionist, the nurses and, of course, GPs.
Receptionists are responsible for welcoming the patients to the practice and balancing their needs and demands with the instructions from the doctor. Receptionists are also responsible for keeping appointments and ensuring things run smoothly as far as the “front office” is concerned.
Nurses can work in numerous roles, and it is not uncommon for a GP surgery to have more than one nurse. They handle numerous tasks according to their roles and qualifications including giving immunizations and travel jabs, providing phone consultations, performing blood pressure and glucose level checks, changing dressings, and answering questions that do not need to be elevated to the doctor.
Different Types of Days
There is no telling how a day will go in a GP surgery, but most days will be very busy. Also, you might see the same patients or patients with the same issues every day depending on the practice areas the office focuses on.
While they do arise from time to time, emergencies are rare in a GP office. That said, someone might require a transfer to another private practice or hospital, and you might be required to handle that too.
Those who love interacting with different types of people in non-emergency environments will find working in a GP surgery to be an excellent option.
Ensuring The Practice Runs Smoothly
If hired as a practice manager, working in a GP surgery presents different opportunities and challenges, and it also comes with additional responsibilities. To make the practice run as smoothly as possible, you will be responsible for paying the bills, hiring, staffing and scheduling, and buying supplies.
Buying supplies is an especially important task because the practice cannot run without them. Several considerations come into play when sourcing medical products such as quality, price, and convenience. Buying medical diagnostic machines online as well as other medical supplies ticks all these boxes and makes your job much easier.
Recording and Protecting Patient Data
Every GP surgery collects patient data. This data must be collected, recorded, and stored correctly and securely. In small practices, the person assisting the GP is expected to handle all these tasks.
Working in a GP surgery is an exciting opportunity that provides a lot of flexibility and career growth. Knowing what to expect before you start working there is a good way of knowing whether it would be the right option for you.
