University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Team Leader

The closing date is 17 December 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Outpatient Appointment Centre leading the Short Notice Booking Team. The primary responsibility is to oversee the team in filling short-notice appointment slots to optimise utilisation across the trust.

Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

The candidate will be expected to work between 3 sites. The key responsibility of this role is to work as part of a professional multi-skilled team within the OAC. Carrying out the duties of the appointed area and providing direct support to the OAC Manager. Provide cover for the OAC Manager and other Team Leaders when they are unavailable. This will include the effective and efficient supervision of the Short Notice Booking Team within the OAC, ensuring strict adherence and compliance to all Trust policies and procedures.

About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Details

Date posted

03 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year Per annum, Pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

216-AH-A7566532-A

Job locations

Central Records Library

Bush Park

Plymouth

PL6 7RG


Job description

Job responsibilities

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY To ensure a firm understanding of the Access Policy for planned care Services and Service Line Agreements and be able to work to this guidance. To ensure staff have a good understanding of all the policies and procedures and comply 100%, monitoring this via Data Quality reporting and taking action where necessary in accordance with Trust Policy and reporting any identified issues to the OAC and OAC Support Managers where appropriate

To accurately record, monitor and review the activity within their respective team. Preparing team rota and expectation requirements to meet the demands of the service lines and balancing the demands of the OAC.

To attend regular POD meetings, management meetings and appropriate Service Line meetings on behalf of the OAC Manager. Ensuring the OAC are represented professionally and are kept updated on relevant information according to set agenda and arranging for minutes to be issued to relevant parties within agreed timescales. Due preparation is expected for meetings in terms of utilisation, PTL performance, Trust focus performance updates etc.

To have an awareness of teams performance at any given stage based on completion of activity reports, team updates and weekly review meetings.

Monitor Primary Target Lists (PTLs) to ensure staff are booking patients when they should be seen within current and target waiting times.

Monitor clinic cancellations and amendments ensuring that patients are rebooked in line with the Trust Waiting Trust Policy.

To be responsible for cancelling and reducing clinics as and when required.

To understand the booking rules of the clinics and to ensure that staff book appointments in accordance with the Trust Waiting List policies (including Cancer Waiting Times) and national targets.

Manage staff ensuring that a satisfactory level of service is maintained at all times. This will involve monitoring the queues and moving staff as appropriate to cover all tasks to be completed.

Ensure staff are aware of each others roles, in order to provide support and cover during periods of sickness/annual leave wherever possible.

To receive and respond in a professional manner to any complaints received regarding the reminder service campaigns. If necessary listening to the call recording to help with the investigation.

To monitor patients who have failed to receive a reminder call or text message investigating the reasons why and make the necessary amendments to ensure this is resolved.

To monitor and report the number of patients who request a call back and to ensure their call backs are managed appropriately by the team.

To ensure the team are selecting an appropriate activity code before moving onto their next call. This is especially important for reminder calls they receive.

To set up specialty skills per staff member on the system and amend/remove as necessary according to their level of experience and working area.

To ensure any new staff members are trained as appropriate on the use of the telephony system.

To ensure the telephone directory on the telephony system is correct and up to date with regards to your teams contact information.

To ensure that a clear understanding is obtained for yourself and your Team surrounding Data Quality, Information Governance, Case note Handling, Health Roster (MAPS), Patient Management Systems (IPM), e-Referral Service (eRS) and all other systems used and be able to work within these guidelines at all times.

To obtain a thorough knowledge of the duties relating to all OAC staff. Ensuring that you are kept up to date with any changes in processes relating to their daily and weekly tasks.

To ensure the monitoring and compliance of all Trust policies and procedures.

To ensure that an Individual Performance Review is obtained from the supervising Line Manager on an annual basis and in turn undertakes staff appraisals for your Team.

To undertake other duties within the post holders competence/career development plan as may be necessary from time to time, as determined by OAC Manager.

To assist in short listing and take part in interview panels.

To carry out back to work interviews and informal sickness meetings on the day that the member of staff returns to work.

To conduct and report any performance issues regarding members of staff ensuring that file notes are made. To inform the OAC and OAC Support Managers as appropriate.

To adopt a professional, confidential and confident approach when dealing with staff issues.

To undertake regular in-house staff meetings with your Team.

To approve annual leave for teams and ensure sufficient staff are available to cover and update Maps as required.

The need to adopt a hands on approach when dealing with workload pressures or absences within the Team.

To receive and deal with confidential telephone calls from patients and be able to deal with patients complaints.

To produce a draft response to patient complaints and forward to OAC Support Manager within agreed timescales.

To attend meetings when required with all levels of staff to provide updates and any required changes.

To liaise closely with service lines if there are any changes to clinic profiles, clinic cancellations/reductions or additional clinics and provide us with booking guides.

To ensure that new and follow up patients are booked in line with specific clinical booking rules and those patients are given sufficient notification of their appointment. OAC to book as directed by the Service Lines.

To ensure that suspected cancer 2-week wait patients are booked within policy guidelines. OAC to book as directed by service lines once capacity has been provided.

To be aware of any incidents preventing patients being booked and highlight these issues to the OAC Manager and the Service Line Managers.

To monitor the utilisation of outpatient clinics and escalate any issues to the OAC Manager and the Service Line Managers.

To ensure that the Team liaise with the service lines if additional information has been requested regarding the number of patients still waiting to be booked.

To ensure staff action the ASIs/DRSS patients and are able to request referral letters and print from the e-Referral Service.

To ensure that the Team follow the correct DNA policy.

To ensure staff are adding alerts to iPM and informing the correct department.

To ensure OAC staff have their referral packs ready for the Prepping Team within the agreed timescale.

To ensure team are requesting notes in time for the Prepping Team including late additions to clinics.

Liaise with the Outpatient Performance Office Co-Ordinator regarding access to correct email access and Corporate Services.

To alert the OAC Performance Support Manager to any risks or manual handling issues so that a risk assessment can be carried out.

To ensure that work is divided equally amongst the Teams including additional clinics.

Ensure the Teams cross cover in times of absence.

Training

To assist in ensuring that all staff receive the appropriate training to enable them to undertake their duties

To assist in ensuring that all staff undertake statutory update training to include awareness of fire prevention, health and safety issues and regular updates.

To ensure that all new staff undergo a local induction process and receive the necessary support within the Team.

Health & Safety

To make OAC Performance Support manager aware of situations in order to prevent H&S issues. To assist in ensuring that all staff have the appropriate equipment and space to enable them to undertake their duties and that they are aware of their own responsibilities regarding health and safety.

Communication & Working Relationships

To ensure that all communication with patients and staff is clear and concise and that any complaints are dealt with as soon as possible.

To ensure that all staff are informed of any relevant information.

To liaise with service line regarding any issues.

To ensure that the OAC and OAC Support managers are kept informed of any important issues.

For more details, please see the attached job description and person specification.

Job description

Job responsibilities

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY To ensure a firm understanding of the Access Policy for planned care Services and Service Line Agreements and be able to work to this guidance. To ensure staff have a good understanding of all the policies and procedures and comply 100%, monitoring this via Data Quality reporting and taking action where necessary in accordance with Trust Policy and reporting any identified issues to the OAC and OAC Support Managers where appropriate

To accurately record, monitor and review the activity within their respective team. Preparing team rota and expectation requirements to meet the demands of the service lines and balancing the demands of the OAC.

To attend regular POD meetings, management meetings and appropriate Service Line meetings on behalf of the OAC Manager. Ensuring the OAC are represented professionally and are kept updated on relevant information according to set agenda and arranging for minutes to be issued to relevant parties within agreed timescales. Due preparation is expected for meetings in terms of utilisation, PTL performance, Trust focus performance updates etc.

To have an awareness of teams performance at any given stage based on completion of activity reports, team updates and weekly review meetings.

Monitor Primary Target Lists (PTLs) to ensure staff are booking patients when they should be seen within current and target waiting times.

Monitor clinic cancellations and amendments ensuring that patients are rebooked in line with the Trust Waiting Trust Policy.

To be responsible for cancelling and reducing clinics as and when required.

To understand the booking rules of the clinics and to ensure that staff book appointments in accordance with the Trust Waiting List policies (including Cancer Waiting Times) and national targets.

Manage staff ensuring that a satisfactory level of service is maintained at all times. This will involve monitoring the queues and moving staff as appropriate to cover all tasks to be completed.

Ensure staff are aware of each others roles, in order to provide support and cover during periods of sickness/annual leave wherever possible.

To receive and respond in a professional manner to any complaints received regarding the reminder service campaigns. If necessary listening to the call recording to help with the investigation.

To monitor patients who have failed to receive a reminder call or text message investigating the reasons why and make the necessary amendments to ensure this is resolved.

To monitor and report the number of patients who request a call back and to ensure their call backs are managed appropriately by the team.

To ensure the team are selecting an appropriate activity code before moving onto their next call. This is especially important for reminder calls they receive.

To set up specialty skills per staff member on the system and amend/remove as necessary according to their level of experience and working area.

To ensure any new staff members are trained as appropriate on the use of the telephony system.

To ensure the telephone directory on the telephony system is correct and up to date with regards to your teams contact information.

To ensure that a clear understanding is obtained for yourself and your Team surrounding Data Quality, Information Governance, Case note Handling, Health Roster (MAPS), Patient Management Systems (IPM), e-Referral Service (eRS) and all other systems used and be able to work within these guidelines at all times.

To obtain a thorough knowledge of the duties relating to all OAC staff. Ensuring that you are kept up to date with any changes in processes relating to their daily and weekly tasks.

To ensure the monitoring and compliance of all Trust policies and procedures.

To ensure that an Individual Performance Review is obtained from the supervising Line Manager on an annual basis and in turn undertakes staff appraisals for your Team.

To undertake other duties within the post holders competence/career development plan as may be necessary from time to time, as determined by OAC Manager.

To assist in short listing and take part in interview panels.

To carry out back to work interviews and informal sickness meetings on the day that the member of staff returns to work.

To conduct and report any performance issues regarding members of staff ensuring that file notes are made. To inform the OAC and OAC Support Managers as appropriate.

To adopt a professional, confidential and confident approach when dealing with staff issues.

To undertake regular in-house staff meetings with your Team.

To approve annual leave for teams and ensure sufficient staff are available to cover and update Maps as required.

The need to adopt a hands on approach when dealing with workload pressures or absences within the Team.

To receive and deal with confidential telephone calls from patients and be able to deal with patients complaints.

To produce a draft response to patient complaints and forward to OAC Support Manager within agreed timescales.

To attend meetings when required with all levels of staff to provide updates and any required changes.

To liaise closely with service lines if there are any changes to clinic profiles, clinic cancellations/reductions or additional clinics and provide us with booking guides.

To ensure that new and follow up patients are booked in line with specific clinical booking rules and those patients are given sufficient notification of their appointment. OAC to book as directed by the Service Lines.

To ensure that suspected cancer 2-week wait patients are booked within policy guidelines. OAC to book as directed by service lines once capacity has been provided.

To be aware of any incidents preventing patients being booked and highlight these issues to the OAC Manager and the Service Line Managers.

To monitor the utilisation of outpatient clinics and escalate any issues to the OAC Manager and the Service Line Managers.

To ensure that the Team liaise with the service lines if additional information has been requested regarding the number of patients still waiting to be booked.

To ensure staff action the ASIs/DRSS patients and are able to request referral letters and print from the e-Referral Service.

To ensure that the Team follow the correct DNA policy.

To ensure staff are adding alerts to iPM and informing the correct department.

To ensure OAC staff have their referral packs ready for the Prepping Team within the agreed timescale.

To ensure team are requesting notes in time for the Prepping Team including late additions to clinics.

Liaise with the Outpatient Performance Office Co-Ordinator regarding access to correct email access and Corporate Services.

To alert the OAC Performance Support Manager to any risks or manual handling issues so that a risk assessment can be carried out.

To ensure that work is divided equally amongst the Teams including additional clinics.

Ensure the Teams cross cover in times of absence.

Training

To assist in ensuring that all staff receive the appropriate training to enable them to undertake their duties

To assist in ensuring that all staff undertake statutory update training to include awareness of fire prevention, health and safety issues and regular updates.

To ensure that all new staff undergo a local induction process and receive the necessary support within the Team.

Health & Safety

To make OAC Performance Support manager aware of situations in order to prevent H&S issues. To assist in ensuring that all staff have the appropriate equipment and space to enable them to undertake their duties and that they are aware of their own responsibilities regarding health and safety.

Communication & Working Relationships

To ensure that all communication with patients and staff is clear and concise and that any complaints are dealt with as soon as possible.

To ensure that all staff are informed of any relevant information.

To liaise with service line regarding any issues.

To ensure that the OAC and OAC Support managers are kept informed of any important issues.

For more details, please see the attached job description and person specification.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Proven patient management system knowledge
  • Waiting List Management Policy
  • Demonstrable administration experience within an acute clinical setting
  • Demonstrable experience working within an acute setting or appropriate administrative support teams.
  • Demonstrable experience working with PCs and spreadsheets

Desirable

  • Demonstrable experience in working within multi skilled teams

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential

  • Good communication skills with a good telephone manner
  • Organisational skills
  • Ability to remain calm in a busy environment
  • Good interpersonal skills
  • Mediation skills
  • Ability to have a flexible approach
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality
  • Good analytical skills
  • Ability to review, enhance and improve procedures that meet patient needs
  • Good proven knowledge of computerised systems
  • Keyboard skills

Qualifications

Essential

  • Diploma level (or Equivalent) in a related subject area
  • Equivalent demonstrable experience

Desirable

  • Have or working towards an NVQ Level 3 in Administration
  • E.C.D.L
Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Proven patient management system knowledge
  • Waiting List Management Policy
  • Demonstrable administration experience within an acute clinical setting
  • Demonstrable experience working within an acute setting or appropriate administrative support teams.
  • Demonstrable experience working with PCs and spreadsheets

Desirable

  • Demonstrable experience in working within multi skilled teams

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential

  • Good communication skills with a good telephone manner
  • Organisational skills
  • Ability to remain calm in a busy environment
  • Good interpersonal skills
  • Mediation skills
  • Ability to have a flexible approach
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality
  • Good analytical skills
  • Ability to review, enhance and improve procedures that meet patient needs
  • Good proven knowledge of computerised systems
  • Keyboard skills

Qualifications

Essential

  • Diploma level (or Equivalent) in a related subject area
  • Equivalent demonstrable experience

Desirable

  • Have or working towards an NVQ Level 3 in Administration
  • E.C.D.L

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).

Additional information

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

Central Records Library

Bush Park

Plymouth

PL6 7RG


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Address

Central Records Library

Bush Park

Plymouth

PL6 7RG


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Project Manager and Team Administrator

Evie Holmes

evie.holmes1@nhs.net

01752432100

Details

Date posted

03 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year Per annum, Pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

216-AH-A7566532-A

Job locations

Central Records Library

Bush Park

Plymouth

PL6 7RG


Supporting documents

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