Job summary
We are seeking highly motivated individuals to join our friendly Outpatient administration team to deliver first-class customer service to patients to provide a comprehensive administrative service working flexibly on rotation incorporating the Outpatients Booking Office, Call Centre and Reception areas forming a solid foundation to support the Outpatients departments, across Lewisham Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Bexleyheath and Greenwich Community sites.
The post holder will be one of a team providing an excellent customer and administration service, delivering smooth, safe and high quality care to enable the trust to achieve key targets.
In return for your dedication and hard work, we offer well-established, structured mentoring and staff development packages to support you in your role.
To be successful in the role you will need the following attributes and experience:
You must be customer focussed, with excellent customer service skills
You must have a positive attitude and work well within a team
You must be reliable and have excellent time keeping
You must enjoy speaking to people on the telephone and face to face
You must be able to demonstrate efficient organisational skills
You must be IT literate.
You must be energetic and hard working and flexible to support the team and the services.
Working hours will be on a rota basis 0800 - 1800 Monday to Friday.
We reserve the right to close the post before the stated closing date. Please apply early.
Main duties of the job
To provide a comprehensive administrative service working flexibly on rotation incorporating the Outpatients Booking Office, Call Centre and Reception areas forming a solid foundation to support the Outpatients departments, across Lewisham Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Bexleyheath and Greenwich Community sites. The post holder will be one of a team providing an excellent customer and administration service, delivering smooth, safe and high quality care to enable the trust to achieve key targets.
The post holder is expected to establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships with other staff members in line with our Trust values, characterised by respect, compassion, inclusion and open, honest communication.
About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:
- Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
- Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
- Improving the experience of staff with disability
- Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
- Making equalities mainstream
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- To assist in any administrational duties required to ensure a full outpatient service is provided in the Outpatient reception, Outpatient Call centre and the Booking Teams.
- To be flexible to a wide range of duties and appropriate tasks on rotation as designated by the Outpatients Supervisor in order to ensure the smooth running of the department. Including covering for colleagues in times of sickness/absence and high workloads
- Greet patients and visitors in a pleasant and professional manner, providing a courteous reception service.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to deal with queries from patients, relatives and carers. To proactively deal with potential situations of conflict, to diffuse and prevent patient complaints. To regularly deal with patients either face to face or via telephone or email who may be emotional or challenging.
- Liaison with staff both within and outside of the department, GP surgeries and other healthcare professionals on any matters relating to patient referrals/queries
- Answer all telephone calls into the department promptly in line with the Outpatient Call centre KPIs, speaking to our patients and callers with respect and courtesy, be positive and helpful in providing excellent service and assistance.
- To participate in call reviews and call monitoring to achieve department KPIs.
- To monitor and action all incoming emails to generic outpatient team inboxes.
Ensure all patient demographics are captured accurately and any changes updated on the Trust PAS when notified.
To manage new referrals and outpatient appointment waiting lists in line with RTT national targets.
To receive and respond to appointment requests. Booking, cancelling, and rescheduling all new and follow up outpatient appointments in line with the Access Policy and agreed clinic booking rules via the Trusts PAS systems.
Liaise with relevant specialty service managers and teams to escalate capacity, waiting list and service issues that require urgent action.
To check patients in and out of their appointments in real time via the Trusts PAS systems. Complete the checking out process, recording the appropriate outcome and 18-week RTT status documented on the outcome form and booking any respective appointments, ensuring all clinics are cashed up at the end of each day.
To liaise with clinicians and services where outcomes are incomplete or missing.
To check case note availability prior to clinic, escalating to the appropriate teams for missing records.
- To keep patients informed of any delays in outpatient clinics in conjunction with the nursing team.
To maintain patient confidentiality and be aware of data protection issues when entering all patient information on all Trust administration and clinical information systems.
- Book interpreter services/transport as and when required and maintain and provide access to interpreter tablets
- To maintain good working knowledge of all office procedures and to be onboard with the implementation of new processes within the outpatients departments.
- To be competent and efficient in using the trust IT and PAS systems as required in your role. To maintain and update a variety of systems used within the call centre and kiosks,
- To assist in the induction and training of new and temporary members of staff in the department.
- To participate in the PDR process to ensure personal skills are enhanced.
Attend team meetings and contribute in the setting of achievable standards to promote improvements in patient care and service development.
To undertake minutes/actions of meetings as required
- To understand when to escalate issues and reporting incidents on the Trusts Ulysses system.
- To work from outpatient reports i.e. demographics reports, PIFU lists and return post and any new reports introduced to support outpatients transformation.
- Maintain stock levels, collect, store and keep stationary secure
- Duties and responsibilities as set out in this job description may be reassigned in order to reflect developments within the trust or operational needs within Outpatient transformation
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- To assist in any administrational duties required to ensure a full outpatient service is provided in the Outpatient reception, Outpatient Call centre and the Booking Teams.
- To be flexible to a wide range of duties and appropriate tasks on rotation as designated by the Outpatients Supervisor in order to ensure the smooth running of the department. Including covering for colleagues in times of sickness/absence and high workloads
- Greet patients and visitors in a pleasant and professional manner, providing a courteous reception service.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to deal with queries from patients, relatives and carers. To proactively deal with potential situations of conflict, to diffuse and prevent patient complaints. To regularly deal with patients either face to face or via telephone or email who may be emotional or challenging.
- Liaison with staff both within and outside of the department, GP surgeries and other healthcare professionals on any matters relating to patient referrals/queries
- Answer all telephone calls into the department promptly in line with the Outpatient Call centre KPIs, speaking to our patients and callers with respect and courtesy, be positive and helpful in providing excellent service and assistance.
- To participate in call reviews and call monitoring to achieve department KPIs.
- To monitor and action all incoming emails to generic outpatient team inboxes.
Ensure all patient demographics are captured accurately and any changes updated on the Trust PAS when notified.
To manage new referrals and outpatient appointment waiting lists in line with RTT national targets.
To receive and respond to appointment requests. Booking, cancelling, and rescheduling all new and follow up outpatient appointments in line with the Access Policy and agreed clinic booking rules via the Trusts PAS systems.
Liaise with relevant specialty service managers and teams to escalate capacity, waiting list and service issues that require urgent action.
To check patients in and out of their appointments in real time via the Trusts PAS systems. Complete the checking out process, recording the appropriate outcome and 18-week RTT status documented on the outcome form and booking any respective appointments, ensuring all clinics are cashed up at the end of each day.
To liaise with clinicians and services where outcomes are incomplete or missing.
To check case note availability prior to clinic, escalating to the appropriate teams for missing records.
- To keep patients informed of any delays in outpatient clinics in conjunction with the nursing team.
To maintain patient confidentiality and be aware of data protection issues when entering all patient information on all Trust administration and clinical information systems.
- Book interpreter services/transport as and when required and maintain and provide access to interpreter tablets
- To maintain good working knowledge of all office procedures and to be onboard with the implementation of new processes within the outpatients departments.
- To be competent and efficient in using the trust IT and PAS systems as required in your role. To maintain and update a variety of systems used within the call centre and kiosks,
- To assist in the induction and training of new and temporary members of staff in the department.
- To participate in the PDR process to ensure personal skills are enhanced.
Attend team meetings and contribute in the setting of achievable standards to promote improvements in patient care and service development.
To undertake minutes/actions of meetings as required
- To understand when to escalate issues and reporting incidents on the Trusts Ulysses system.
- To work from outpatient reports i.e. demographics reports, PIFU lists and return post and any new reports introduced to support outpatients transformation.
- Maintain stock levels, collect, store and keep stationary secure
- Duties and responsibilities as set out in this job description may be reassigned in order to reflect developments within the trust or operational needs within Outpatient transformation
Person Specification
Educational & Professional Qualifcations
Essential
- Good basic educational background
- GCSE English and Maths or equivalent
- NVQ Level 3 in a related subject (e.g healthcare, customer service, business administration) or equivalent experience
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Customer Service experience or equivalent work experience
- Computer literacy and keyboard skills
- Willingness to develop computer skills.
- Working to deadlines and targets
- NHS Experience
Desirable
- Knowledge of PAS
- Call Centre or Switchboard experience
- Experience of Access Database/ Excel Spreadsheets
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to prioritise
- Able to take responsibility for own work and work without direct supervision where appropriate
- Flexible approach to working hours
- Respect for confidentiality
- Ability to deal with sensitive issues appropriately.
- Excellent Team player
Desirable
- Ability to plan and co-ordinate work.
- Innovative
- Evidence of interacting with a wide range of people
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Enthusiastic and motivated
- Punctual
- Reliable
- Positive attitude
- Organised and logical
- Diplomatic and sensitive to patients who may be distressed
- Professional
Desirable
Person Specification
Educational & Professional Qualifcations
Essential
- Good basic educational background
- GCSE English and Maths or equivalent
- NVQ Level 3 in a related subject (e.g healthcare, customer service, business administration) or equivalent experience
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Customer Service experience or equivalent work experience
- Computer literacy and keyboard skills
- Willingness to develop computer skills.
- Working to deadlines and targets
- NHS Experience
Desirable
- Knowledge of PAS
- Call Centre or Switchboard experience
- Experience of Access Database/ Excel Spreadsheets
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to prioritise
- Able to take responsibility for own work and work without direct supervision where appropriate
- Flexible approach to working hours
- Respect for confidentiality
- Ability to deal with sensitive issues appropriately.
- Excellent Team player
Desirable
- Ability to plan and co-ordinate work.
- Innovative
- Evidence of interacting with a wide range of people
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Enthusiastic and motivated
- Punctual
- Reliable
- Positive attitude
- Organised and logical
- Diplomatic and sensitive to patients who may be distressed
- Professional
Desirable
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.
