Appointments Officer (XN03)

Job description

Job responsibilities

To support the Patient Services Coordinator in ensuring the provision of a comprehensive and efficient Patient Administration Service. To be responsible for specific aspects of the referrals and appointments process in order to maximise benefits to patients and staff.

To support the Patient Services Coordinator in maintaining an effective strategy for reducing non-attendance, patient validation and monitoring of the waiting list using the patient administration system.

To deputise in the absence of the Patient Services Coordinator/Business Support Management in the following duties:

o Validating and providing information needed for the end of month reporting (e.g. 18 week breach report)

o Day to day duties

To assist the Patient Services Co-ordinator in any project work relating to the patient referral pathway, including clinics and appointments. To work closely with the above to ensure that medical staff, managers, and administrative staff are briefed and updated on any new ways of working.

To assist the Patient Services Coordinator in the planning of clinics with medical staff on an monthly and annual basis to ensure that the Regional Genetics Service makes full use of the allocated resources for outpatient facilities throughout the region.

To produce statistical information on a monthly basis for the Patient Services Coordinator with regard to rescheduling and cancelling of clinics.

Ensure that clinic management is optimised through the coordination of cancelled appointment slots. This will involve contacting patients and sending appointment letters at short notice to fill the appointment.

Liaise with internal and external colleagues to enable efficient and timely preparation of clinics.

To be responsible for the allocation of patient appointments for designated clinics and outcoming these after the clinic date

To take a lead role in the coordination and monitoring of clinics including Nurse/Counsellor Led Clinics.

Ensure that clinic formats meet the changing needs of the service and to take a collaborative and supportive lead role in the setting up and implementation of Service changes such as partial booking system.

Liaise with the appropriate clinician/manager with regard to arranging suitable clinics for Medical Student attendance.

Ensure that all new and follow up patient referrals are registered and added to waiting list within a set timeframe. Liaise with the clinical and admin teams where there are delays in the referral process to resolve any issues. Allocating patients on an urgent basis to specific clinics, as requested by the clinician.

Liaise with Medical Records Team to ensure that patient records are available for all outpatient clinics. In the eventuality of patient records not being available, responsible for escalating this to the relevant clinician/manager.

Responsible for photocopying and filing of all new referrals, distributing to the appropriate clinicians and collecting and collating information, as required, for the audit trail.

Person Specification

Skills & behaviours

Essential

• Good interpersonal skills
• Positive attitude
• Committed
• Enthusiastic
• Ability to work individually or as part of a team
• Flexible
• Reliable
• Keyboard / data entry skills
• Organised
• Methodical
• Ability to identify and solve problems
• Ability to work under own initiative
• Ability to delegate
• Ability to communicate with all levels of staff

Desirable

• Must be willing to work within the Trusts policies e.g. confidentiality, data protection, health and safety etc.

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE in English and Maths or equivalent
• Must be willing to attend relevant training courses.

Desirable

• GCSE ICT or equivalent

Experience

Essential

• Substantial administrative/clerical experience of working in an outpatient environment
• Awareness of Elective Treatment Access Policy

Desirable

• Previous experience of working in the NHS
• Waiting list management experience
• Clinic coordination experience

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF

Employer's website

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