Job summary
Band 3 Subject to Evaluation
An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Surgical, Critical & Planned Division at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust for a Band 3 Perioperative Care Coordinator. This non-clinical role is crucial in supporting the preoperative assessment teams at both Darent Valley Hospital (DVH) and Queen Mary's Hospital (QMH). As a key member of the Pre-operative Assessment Unit, you will work closely with preoperative assessment nurses and senior clinicians, including consultants in anaesthesia and perioperative medicine, to ensure a seamless and efficient surgical pathway for patients awaiting surgery. You will engage with internal and external stakeholders, facilitate the triaging, optimisation, and delivery of surgical care, and coordinate with the Theatre Scheduling Department to streamline preoperative processes. The role requires strong organisational and communication skills, with experience in a healthcare setting being desirable but not essential. If you are a proactive and dedicated individual with a passion for patient care, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to join us at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust and make a significant impact on patient care within our dynamic team.
This position will not be supported for visa sponsorship. All applicants are expected to have valid right to work document to work in the UK when applying for this position.
Main duties of the job
As a key member of the Pre-operative Assessment Unit, the Perioperative Care Co-ordinator works closely with pre-operative assessment clinical teams and the Theatre Scheduling Department and the post holder is expected to work at both sites as per service requirements.
The role aims to streamline the delivery of surgical pathways requiring pre-operative assessment and involves engaging with internal and external stakeholders, facilitating the triaging, optimisation, and delivery of surgical care under the supervision of a registered healthcare professional.
About us
We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you'll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we've achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.
We are dedicated to using our Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach as our shared organisation model of change to enhance our services and ensure excellence in patient care.
If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients. Your commitment will help us to put the safety and care of our patients first, as well as helping us to protect you and your colleagues.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Specific Responsibilities:
Core tasks
Contact all patients newly listed for a surgical procedure to ask them to complete a patient health form, and where required supporting them to complete the form.
Collate information provided at the point of referral from primary care and in the patient health form.
Triage patients and identify those likely to require targeted optimisation (for example, for a known co-morbidity) or specialised optimisation (for multi-morbidity and/or poor fitness, nutrition, etc). This triaging will be supervised by registered healthcare professionals and no clinical decision-making will be made by non-clinical staff alone.
Contact low-risk patients to inform them of the outcome of their triage assessment, and where appropriate and under the direction of senior clinical support, using approved materials to provide them with universal advice about preoperative preparation, including diet, exercise/activity and healthy living.
Under the guidance of the preoperative assessment nurse and/or senior clinician, arrange an appropriate follow-up appointment for higher-risk patients.
Ensure that all patients and their GP/GP practice are sent a copy of a letter outlining surgical risk and next steps.
Where relevant, encourage patients to find out if their GP practice has a social prescribing link worker and/or a health coach, and how they can refer themselves. Working with the local integrated care board or healthcare system to identify local community links that may benefit patients, for example, the Swimming.org website.
Follow up on behalf of clinicians to ensure that referrals to hospital medical specialties or support in the community have been picked up and acted on by the receiving teams/services.
Act as the main point of contact for the preoperative assessment team for patients, providing non-clinical advice as appropriate.
Support the delivery of an agreed process for contacting all patients on an inpatient waiting list at least once every three months, and more often if clinically indicated, to find out if there has been any change in their health status or decision to proceed with the surgery.
Please see attached job description for further information.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Specific Responsibilities:
Core tasks
Contact all patients newly listed for a surgical procedure to ask them to complete a patient health form, and where required supporting them to complete the form.
Collate information provided at the point of referral from primary care and in the patient health form.
Triage patients and identify those likely to require targeted optimisation (for example, for a known co-morbidity) or specialised optimisation (for multi-morbidity and/or poor fitness, nutrition, etc). This triaging will be supervised by registered healthcare professionals and no clinical decision-making will be made by non-clinical staff alone.
Contact low-risk patients to inform them of the outcome of their triage assessment, and where appropriate and under the direction of senior clinical support, using approved materials to provide them with universal advice about preoperative preparation, including diet, exercise/activity and healthy living.
Under the guidance of the preoperative assessment nurse and/or senior clinician, arrange an appropriate follow-up appointment for higher-risk patients.
Ensure that all patients and their GP/GP practice are sent a copy of a letter outlining surgical risk and next steps.
Where relevant, encourage patients to find out if their GP practice has a social prescribing link worker and/or a health coach, and how they can refer themselves. Working with the local integrated care board or healthcare system to identify local community links that may benefit patients, for example, the Swimming.org website.
Follow up on behalf of clinicians to ensure that referrals to hospital medical specialties or support in the community have been picked up and acted on by the receiving teams/services.
Act as the main point of contact for the preoperative assessment team for patients, providing non-clinical advice as appropriate.
Support the delivery of an agreed process for contacting all patients on an inpatient waiting list at least once every three months, and more often if clinically indicated, to find out if there has been any change in their health status or decision to proceed with the surgery.
Please see attached job description for further information.
Person Specification
Education and Training
Essential
- NVQ level 3 in customer care or equivalent qualification
- GCSE's grade C and above, including English and Mathematics
- Evidence of continuing professional development, including administration courses/qualifications.
- Valid driver's licence with access to a private vehicle
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Understanding of confidentiality and the Data Protection Act
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
- IT Literate and able to use MS Office programmes
- Ability to prepare and produce concise information to deliver to a diverse and varied range of stakeholders
- Able to manage own workload, working to tight and often changing timescales.
- Accurate data entry and keyboard skills
- Excellent organisation skills
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Excellent organisational skills
Desirable
- Understanding of local key policies and issues that affect the management of the Divisional patient waiting list.
- Understanding of government agenda and targets relating to waiting lists and RTT pathways
- Understanding of booking processes and waiting list management
- Ability to use PAS
- Working knowledge of medical terminology
- Ability to plan, track and report on data using IT systems.
Experience
Essential
- Customer service experience
- Experience in working with datasets and data sources to produce reports delegated by senior colleagues
Desirable
- Administration experience in a hospital setting
- Previous experience working in an administrative role within the NHS
- Experience of working in a fast-moving and unpredictable environment
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Flexible approach to working hours/duties.
Person Specification
Education and Training
Essential
- NVQ level 3 in customer care or equivalent qualification
- GCSE's grade C and above, including English and Mathematics
- Evidence of continuing professional development, including administration courses/qualifications.
- Valid driver's licence with access to a private vehicle
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Understanding of confidentiality and the Data Protection Act
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
- IT Literate and able to use MS Office programmes
- Ability to prepare and produce concise information to deliver to a diverse and varied range of stakeholders
- Able to manage own workload, working to tight and often changing timescales.
- Accurate data entry and keyboard skills
- Excellent organisation skills
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Excellent organisational skills
Desirable
- Understanding of local key policies and issues that affect the management of the Divisional patient waiting list.
- Understanding of government agenda and targets relating to waiting lists and RTT pathways
- Understanding of booking processes and waiting list management
- Ability to use PAS
- Working knowledge of medical terminology
- Ability to plan, track and report on data using IT systems.
Experience
Essential
- Customer service experience
- Experience in working with datasets and data sources to produce reports delegated by senior colleagues
Desirable
- Administration experience in a hospital setting
- Previous experience working in an administrative role within the NHS
- Experience of working in a fast-moving and unpredictable environment
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Flexible approach to working hours/duties.
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.
