Dental Practice Manager Job Description

Since I've been going to a Practice Managers course, my first assignment was to design a job description for each member of the dental team. I tried to research dental job descriptions and do some research on the internet, but failed to find anything that was up-to-date and half decent. I've now completed my assignment, and have put my job descriptions that are suitable for dental and clinical teams onto hubs, so that anyone who's interested can take guidance from it and use it as an example if needed.

• Job Description – Practice Manager

Job Title: Practice Manager

Purpose of the Job: To liaise with the Principle and clinical team to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the practice as a whole.

To Whom Responsible: The Principle, Dentists and Hygienist

For Whom Responsible: The nursing staff

Employment Duties:

• To work to a high standard in the running of the practice, in a safe and effective manner in accordance with the ‘Code of Ethics’ of the British Association of Dentists and the GDC requirements and recommendations to dentists and their staff
• To establish and maintain productive working relationships with all members of the dental team
• To keep accurate records and ensure the recording methods are used in line with agreed practice policy and current medico-legal guidelines.

Key Tasks:

• To ensure reception runs smoothly
• Count float at beginning and end of day
• Greet patients in a friendly manner
• Answer the telephone, make, change, and cancel appointments as necessary
• Take payments, recording on a daily takings sheet and on PC patient’s records
• Cash up takings before lunch and at the end of the day, record and bank
• Back up the computer system once a day.
• To oversee all areas of the practice and ensure all protocols are in place and are followed:

Staff:

• Job Descriptions
• Associate contracts
• Employment contracts, main terms and conditions
• Disciplinary procedure
• Grievance procedure
• Equal Opportunities policy
• Harassment policy
• Violence and Aggression policy
• Confidentiality policy
• Data Protection policy
• Freedom of information procedure and guidance
• Holiday leave policy and request
• Sickness Absence and Pay policy

Reception:

• Greeting patient procedure
• Answering telephone procedure
• Booking appointment procedure
• Daily checking of day-list procedure
• Emergency appointments policy
• Patient payment policy
• Refund policy
• Failed-To-Attend charges policy
• Guarantee policy
• Continuations and 3 month rule
• System for identifying lapsed patients
• Patient recall policy (routine and lapsed patients)
• Policy for canceling and rearranging of patient appointment
• Working knowledge of all available treatments, including prices of NHS treatments, bands and fees, cosmetic and routine treatments, teeth whitening and implants.

Surgery:

• Opening and closing down of surgery procedures
• Have in place a system for dealing with mail as appropriate
• Arranging cleaner including cover in their absence
• Checking cleaning is performed to a suitable standard
• Make sure stock is ordered as instructed by the nurses, hygienist and dentists.

Referrals:

• Orthodontists, including NHS guidelines
• Urgent child referral for GA
• Urgent referral for suspected malignancy.

To maintain the practice accounts for audit:

• Understanding of incoming invoices and statements and what they relate to
• Cross checking of invoices and statements
• Annotations of invoices and statements to aid book-keeper in allocation for accounting purposes
• Basic understanding of computer based accounts
• Understanding of filing system for accounts including paid and unpaid invoices
• To update the Principle on a monthly basis state of current and loan accounts.

To carry out banking for the practice:

• Daily checking of float balance
• To maintain a daily record of takings
• System for recording and reporting of sundry sales
• Maintenance of accurate records of petty cash transactions
• Weekly justifications of takings for banking purposes
• Understanding and justification of streamline takings
• Weekly banking of all cash and cheque receipts.

To prepare associate pay schedules:

• Associate: Monthly records of UDA’s, private income, lab fees and superannuation contributions
• Hygienist: Check monthly submitted hours for accuracy.

To ensure accurate maintenance of financial and patient records:

• System for checking, updating and cross checking of computer and paper records
• System for regular updating of medical history questionnaire
• Understanding of current and treatment files and system in place for checking and refreshing files
• Daily back-ups of server PC

To act for and on behalf of the Principle to maintain the integrity of the practice:

• Must ensure that all work is in accordance with GDS, HSE, PCT and TSC protocols
• Staff to be updated, as required, on a regular basis.

To ensure the reception and nursing teams carry out their duties in support of the clinical team:

• Reception team to be monitored regularly to ensure all protocols are being adhered to
• Appropriate training and re-training of all staff to be in place.

To deal with any complaints that may arise in liaison with the relevant clinical team member:

• Patient complaint policies for NHS and private patients
• Maintain suitable records of complaints received and action taken.

To ensure accurate and efficient processing of DPB claims:

• Overall understanding of transmission system
• Transmit claims and keep a record
• Have an understanding of replies from transmissions and action to be taken
• Have in place a system for checking off sent claims
• Check off transmission on receipt.

To liaise with such external suppliers and trades people as may be required for the upkeep of the premises:

• Maintain up-to-date computer and hard copy address book.

To be supportive of the other team members in pursuance of their roles:

• Staff induction programme
• Staff appraisal system
• Organizing relevant CPD.

To place adverts and interview for staff on occasions and as required:

• Have in place standard adverts for nursing and reception staff
• Arrange interviews within suitable time-frame
• Ensure appropriate communication with successful and unsuccessful applicants.

To ensure all health and safety protocols including HA record requirements are maintained:

• Health and Safety policy
• Radiation Protection file
• IR (ME) R 2000
• COSHH assessment record
• RIDDOR polic
• Infection Control policy
• HTM 01-05 guidelines
• Instrument decontamination policy
• Waste management policy
• Inoculation injuries policy
• Hepatitis B vaccine checking and record keeping
• Medical history questionnaires updated regularly
• Decontamination of impressions and appliances policy
• Disability policy
• Checking of CRBs and recording

To carry out such duties as deemed necessary on occasions for the efficient running of the practice:

• Have systems in place to delegate practice management roles during holiday leave/absence that are essential for the normal running of the surgery.

• To be aware of and seek any support to remedy any deficiencies in the mentioned items from the Principle.

Required Qualifications: At least 5 GCSE’s at grade C or above, one being in English is required.

Beneficial Experience:

• Computer Skills
• Management experience for at least 6 months
• Worked in a dental surgery and have knowledge of dental treatments, prices, length of time for appointments etc
• Reception skills

Personal Attributes:

• The ability to take initiative in all areas and develop, where appropriate, modifications and additions to the role in conjunction with the Principle
• The ability to work alone and as part of a team
• The ability to motivate and manage staff effectively
• Excellent communication skills and listening skills
• The ability to relate well with a wide range of people, including those with special needs
• Have a friendly manner, with good telephone and writing skills
• Be honest, reliable and trust-worthy
• Be punctual
• Be presentable and take care of your appearance
• Good organization skills
• The ability to speak Welsh is desirable but not essential.

Terms of Employment: Your hours of work will be 9.00am - 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday, with one hour unpaid lunch. The successful applicant will require a CRB check, which will be reimbursed by the employer, and must have proof of registration and all inoculations, including Hepatitis B.