Accredited Clinical Coder - Band 5 - Clinical Coding

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description for more detail.

JOB PURPOSE:

To accurately extract relevant clinical information from the Patient Health Care Record and to assign appropriate codes following established National Coding Guidelines

To interface with clinicians, healthcare workers, and other relevant personnel in order to ensure coding accuracy and integrity are maintained at the highest level

To mentor and support all junior staff

KEY TASKS:

Communication and Team Working

a. To seek guidance from Trust clinicians to address coding issues and discrepancies related to their specific specialities

b. Assign correlation of data from electronic patient record to 3M Medicode software for data, service improvement and HRG gathering

c. To promote among clinicians, health care workers and any other associated outside agency, awareness of the Clinical Coding role and its uses within the trust to raise the stature of Clinical Coding as the essence of professionalism

d. Facilitate improved communication within the department and between other departments, clinicians, managers, ward staff and other personnel

e. To interface with other Trusts, offices, and personnel in seeking ways, means, and ideas to improve the coding office processes

Planning and Organising

a. To assist the Team Manager in maintaining departmental performance with regard to quality and quantity by upholding agreed standards

b. To assist the Team Manager in work allocation, supervision and planning tasks to all members of staff

c. Monitor own performance against previously agreed objectives

d. To support the team ensuring monthly targets are met

e. Organise own day to day work task, completing priority coding foremost

f. Operate own workload day to day

Managing People and Resources

a. To take personal responsibility to ensure the correct usage of all resources provided to perform assigned tasks

b. Assist the Team Manager in monitoring performance of junior members of staff

c. To identify and participate in any cost improvement measures as required

Training and Teaching

a. To seek and attend in-house training, workshops, formal training, open discussions, and briefing from various expert sources in order to maintain coding proficiency

b. To seek knowledge and experience levels required to maintain national Accredited Clinical Coder (ACC) status

c. To be responsible for attaining and maintaining proficiency levels necessary to sustain coding data accuracy and integrity

d. Attain and maintain proficiency levels in all tasks within the coding office and perform these duties as required

e. Mentor junior members of staff in speciality coding

f. Mentor junior members of staff in coding direction and assistance

g. Assist the Team Manager in the training and development of junior members of staff as required

h. To maintain IT knowledge and 3M knowledge

i. To maintain medical terminology and coding conventions and to increase skill in long term development

Policy, Service, Research Development

a. Participate in audit and monitoring of standards

b. To participate in the development of an evidenced-based and patient focused service

c. To be responsible for increasing their own professional research knowledge by promoting a questioning and analytical approach to coding

d. To practise 3M DQA software to undertake HRG audit on a monthly basis.

e. Adhere to local coding office Policies and Procedures, conforming to National Standards as established by the Clinical Coding Team Manager

f. Ensure correct procedures are adhered to relating to telephone calls into department and take appropriate action as necessary

g. To work within an overall framework of Clinical Governance

h. To support the Team Manager in the implementation of Trust Policies such as Risk Assessment and Incident Reporting management

i. Comply with patient confidentiality and GDPR at all times

j. Implement agreed Local Polices and Clinical Coding Guidelines, update training materials when changes require

Administration

a. To attend discussions, meetings, and functions that have a direct bearing on the clinical coding process, as required. Ensuring coding processes are not compromised

b. Develop knowledge of the correct procedures and use of the Individual Performance Review (IPR) system

c. To uphold highest levels of efficiency relating to the correct usage of the eCare, 3M Medicode, ICE, Evolve and any other data storage systems required to maintain standards

d. Frequent prolonged effort for workload on a computer

e. Frequent indirect exposure to emotional circumstances

f. Constant requirement for prolonged concentration and sitting for long periods at workstation.

Health, Safety and Security

a. Use and encourage others to be familiar with the personal security systems within the workplace, according to practice guidelines

b. To initiate the emergency alarm when required if assistance is required for staff and patient safety

c. Identify the risks involved in work activities and undertake them in a way that minimises risks

d. Work in line with Health and Safety policies and procedures within the workplace

e. Uses the trust incident reporting system to report any issues that may affect the working environment.

Personal Development/Clinical & Professional

a. To at all times strive to use correctly the following guidelines: International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS-4) within the Trust

b. Maintain National Standards established by the NHS Digital National Clinical Coding Standard Reference books

c. To support the Trust in complying with National Standards, for example CNST, Controls Assurance and National Clinical Coding Standards

d. Judgement for all complex training factors in presentation and feedback scenarios

e. To process and codify patients medical records and any other relevant documentation.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Minimum 2 years NHS experience.
• Refresher course in past 2 years.
• Experience in Team environment.
• Clerical experience.
• Awareness of patient confidentiality and GDPR.
• Working knowledge of an electronic patient record system.
• Working knowledge of Medicode encoder/other encoder.
• Wide specialty coding

Desirable

• Working with the public

Qualifications

Essential

• Accredited Clinical Coder (ACC)
• Good general education (Degree level or equivalent)
• Anatomy, Biology, Physiology
• Certificate in Medical Terminology
• Clinical Coding Standards Course

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work calmly in a busy environment
• Evidence of supporting junior staff
• Good IT skills
• Time management skills
• Polite and efficient manner
• Group working skills
• Ability to analyse
• Able to maintain levels of high concentration

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Supportive of others and is a team player.
• Motivated
• Flexible approach to working hours/duties
• Has an eye for attention to detail
• Analytical

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Harwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

Suffolk

IP33 2QZ

Employer's website

https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)