Health Records Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN OFFICE/PRE-FILE AREA

1. Action all telephone calls/written/emailed requests for case notes promptly using a high standard of attention to detail, recording a detailed account and outcome of each request/call, retrieve and pack notes and trace electronically to the appropriate department
2. Ensure that all notes are available for clinics daily and ensure Prepping Teams are informed in advance of appointments of any notes that cannot be found
3. Unpack all deliveries of case notes / loose sheets, pre-sort into appropriate filing areas, and then file into main store, tracing each case note onto iPM at every stage of the process
4. Distribute all incoming external and internal mail deliveries to appropriate office areas within the CRL

ARCHIVE AREA

1. Regularly reviewing storage capacity within the main store and archive area and planning for future growth to accommodate deceased and culled records. This entails moving boxes and hospital records in large quantities within a tight timeframe
2. Filing of all REI records, boxing up Deceased and A&E records
3. Ensuring all patient record requests from Crown are dealt with efficiently and spreadsheets are kept updated
4. Responsible for the retention and destruction of all patient health records ensuring all guidelines are followed as per the Records Management code of practice 2021
5. Scanning the main store as and when required to identify misfiles and growth
6. Preparing and sorting Service Personnel records ready for destruction

GENERIC TASKS ACROSS ALL MAIN OFFICE/PREFILE & ARCHIVE AREAS

1. Assist the CRL Supervisors in acting as a point of contact for Clinicians and other Staff groups, providing advice and support on all Health Records issues

1. Generate electronic pulling lists for patients via the Corporate Services function on Trustnet and utilise those lists to locate and pull case notes from the main store and Archive area
2. To undertake comprehensive searches and take all necessary actions and exhaust all avenues to ensure the completeness of clinics
3. To use personal judgement and initiative when analysing the facts that are required to locate a patients record, such as looking for a mis-file or determining when a temporary folder should be created
4. Utilise the CRL electronic emailing system to action and close electronic requests from a variety of hospitals, departments, and other areas
5. Ensure that all notes are in a good secure condition with year stickers, carry out basic repairs on badly damaged case-notes, or pass to Filing Coordinator for attention.

1. Maintain tidy filing bays by moving case notes as and when necessary, in particular when dealing with excessively large case notes are returned to file.

1. Maintain library storage in terminal digit order, including realigning, accurate filing and adhering to the Records Management Code of Practice 2021
2. Work within agreed standards and benchmarks with the ability to demonstrate initiative and flexibility to achieve good practice
3. Monitor and report on personal workload statistics in readiness for analysis by the CRL Manager
4. Participate in audits, questionnaires and surveys relating to evaluation of services
5. Deal with queries from clinical and other Trust staff and have the initiative to know when help from a more senior staff member is required
6. There is a frequent requirement to concentrate when working to predetermined schedules, whilst having the ability to respond to ad-hoc interruptions and urgent queries throughout the shift
7. During out of hours periods, action incoming telephone requests for urgent case notes
8. Cover other CRL staff duties as and when required
9. Be available to work a Bank Holiday on a rota basis
10. To assist new members of staff, demonstrating duties, sharing knowledge and experience, with ongoing help and support if required
11. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade of post in agreement with the department manager
12. Maintain the status of a closed Medical Records library by ensuring identification of visitors to the department is checked at all times
13. All staff working evenings/weekends/bank holidays are required to secure all entrances/exits of the building and to set the alarm at the end of their shift, in accordance with the instructions displayed in the lobby area
14. All staff should familiarize themselves with the process to follow to deactivate the alarm at the beginning of their shift and complete this when necessary
15. Participate and comment in discussions relating to departmental procedures and policy development supporting service change
16. Frequently liaise with higher disciplines of staff when requesting or searching for case notes, with sufficient influence to ensure their support in locating and sending the relevant documents
17. To be familiar with and adhere to the Health and Safety Policy and other Trust policies and procedures
18. To support and enhance the continual quality initiative ensuring a quality first approach to all aspects of work.

For further details please see attached JD&PS

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• oDemonstrable Clerical experience
• oDemonstrable experience working with PC's and Microsoft applications

Desirable

• oLarge Clinical setting background and proven knowledge of iPM and a range of Health Records/Case note Procedures

Qualifications

Essential

• oNumeracy and literacy qualifications, (GCSE or 'O' level grade D or above, CSE grade 1, Key skills Level 1), or equivalent qualification
• oNVQ Level 2 in Business Administration or equivalent demonstrable experience

Aptitude & Abilities

Essential

• oAble to work within a warehouse environment, climbing ladders and using kik stools, while carrying case notes
• oManual handling-to safely carry/move/lift case notes, load and unload blue boxes of case notes

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

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Address

Bush Park

Unit 4

Plymouth

PL6 7RG

Employer's website

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