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- Manage the confidential health records of patients in hospitals, GP surgeries or other health settings
- You'll need to be highly organised, good with IT and great people skills
- Opportunities to progress into management and more technical roles
As a health records clerk, you'll be responsible for maintaining accurate patient records.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Creating, checking and updating patient records
- Storing test results and letters
- Recording illnesses and treatments using a system of codes known as clinical coding
- Recording patient admissions, transfers, discharges and deaths
- Transferring details from paper records into computer systems
- Collecting statistics like admission numbers, discharges and waiting lists
You may also be responsible for forwarding test samples to laboratories. If you're based in a GP practice or health centre, you may also be expected to greet patients, book appointments and deal with enquiries from GPs.
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You could work in an NHS or private hospital, in an office or at a GP practice.
You'll need
For this role, you'll need excellent communication skills, the ability to stay calm under pressure, administration skills, initiative, analytical thinking skills, and basic computer knowledge.
You could take a college course to learn some of the skills and knowledge needed in this job, such as Principles of Business Administration, or Business Administration.
You can apply directly for this job, for which you might need GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C). Previous experience of office work, including word processing and spreadsheet computer packages may also prove useful.
You could also get into this job through a business administrator advanced apprenticeship.
You may need to pass background checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
It might be beneficial to join organisations such as the Institute of Health Records and Information Management; The Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists; and BSMSA.
CAREER PROSPECTS
You can study with the Institute of Health Record Information and Management (IHRIM) for a more senior role or to specialise in areas such as clinical coding.
With qualifications and experience you could become a medical secretary or a health records manager.