Job summary
Head & Neck, Band 3, Patient Access Officer
37.5 hours per week
To provide administrative support to the Head & Neck admissions teams, including the booking of appointments for patients requiring surgical procedures into outpatient clinics and theatre lists.
To ensure patients are booked within Trust waiting time targets and to ensure all clinic and theatre capacity is fully utilised.
Main duties of the job
- Contact patients for Admission and negotiate appointments
- Book patients within clinical and trust waiting time targets
- Process cancellations and re-appoint patients
- Fully utilise all clinic & theatre capacity
- Liaise with clinical staff
- Booking investigations as requested by the clinical team, including negotiation of dates with the patients
- Validate each patient's pathway by checking and updating RTT codes
- Regularly informing the Unit Coordinator about progress and flagging up as a matter of urgency any issues
- Support the development of improvements to working practices and processes and contribute to service reviews and the implementation of new arrangements.
- As directed, support the resolution of complaints or concerns from patients/carers by helping to collate information and work with the supervisor to respond or escalate appropriately.
- To work flexibly and pro-actively as part of a team while adapting to the demands of the department/team as required.
- To cover colleagues during absences/annual/sick leave as directed by the Unit Coordinator
- To undertake routine office duties
- To liaise with relevant team members to ensure that any process changes run smoothly
- To work with the Supervisor and Booking Coordinators as appropriate
About us
We take pride in placing people at the centre of everything we do, working together as a united team. Driven by a shared ambition to continually grow, develop, and learn, we recognise and value every contribution. By combining our experience and skills, we not only support our vibrant, diverse communities, but also support one another.
With a team of over 9,000 employees, we are proud to be the largest employer in Gloucestershire and rank among the top 10 largest Trusts in the South West region. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from an excellent package that includes exclusive benefits, flexible working opportunities and the chance to gain valuable experience in one or both of our innovative hospitals.
As well as generous annual leave allowance, you will have access to the excellent NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, discounts at local shops and restaurants, access to two on-site nurseries, discounted public transport, reward and recognition and a range of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is crucial to ensuring fairness, celebrating differences and creating environments where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute.
To deliver the highest standard of care at Gloucestershire Hospitals, we foster an environment that promotes inclusivity, ensuring that both our staff can thrive and our patients receive services tailored to their needs.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
- Contact patients for Admission and negotiate appointments with patients wherever possible and any additional co-ordination of staff, equipment, stock, facilities, and paperwork.
- Using the PTL, Book patients within clinical and trust waiting time targets and guidelines
- Process cancellations and re-appoint patients observing trust waiting times.
- Ensure that patients are aware of their appointment dates and all relevant information.
- Fully utilise all clinic & theatre capacity and maintaining a list of patients who are fit, willing and able to come in at short notice.
- Liaison with clinical staff and their secretaries regarding their waiting lists.
- Booking investigations as requested by the clinical team, including negotiation of dates with the patients and creating correspondence if appropriate
- Validate each patients pathway by checking and updating RTT codes
- Regularly informing the Unit Coordinator about progress and flagging up as a matter of urgency any issues, for example, capacity or delays due to internal or external factors, difficult queries from patients, etc.
- Support the development of improvements to working practices and processes and contribute to service reviews and the implementation of new arrangements.
- As directed, support the resolution of complaints or concerns from patients/carers by helping to collate information and work with the supervisor to respond or escalate appropriately.
- To work flexibly and pro-actively as part of a team and ensure that the workload is shared out equally and performed to excellent, efficient and safe standards while adapting to the demands of the department/team as required.
- To cover colleagues during absences/annual/sick leave as directed by the Unit Coordinator. You may also be required to undertake job rotation for cross cover as well as for development and training purposes.
- To undertake routine office duties including photocopying, faxing and filing of notes and correspondence and any other appropriate duties commensurate with the role, as required at the request of your line manager.
- To liaise with relevant team members to ensure that any process changes run smoothly and efficiently.
- To work with the Elective Bookings Supervisor and Booking Coordinators as appropriate.
Professional Development, Education and Training
- Fully participate in the Trusts appraisal system review and personal development planning process on an annual basis.
- Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with line manager as part of the personal development planning process
- Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
- Contribute positively to the effectiveness and efficiency of the teams in which he/she works.
- To adhere to the Trusts Kindness and Respect Policy.
Management and Leadership
There is no budgetary or supervisory responsibility with this post.
Communications and Working Relationships
- Patients, relatives and / or carers.
- Consultants and their team
- Nursing staff
- Anaesthetists
- Medical Secretaries
- General Practitioners in Primary Care
- Outpatient staff
- Theatre management and administration
- Day Surgery staff
- Health Records staff
- Unit Coordinator
- Elective Bookings Supervisor and Booking Coordinators
- General management team
General Working Conditions
- The applicant will need to be able to deal with a very stressful and challenging environment. At any time, staff could be faced with difficult or sensitive situations, aggressive or threatening behaviour and need to use tact and diplomacy.
- Movement of medical notes may be required This can range from one set of notes to bags weighing up to 10kg
- Use of Visual Display Unit (VDU) on a daily basis (Workstation assessments undertaken), will be sitting at the desk for a major part of the day.
- Dealing with sensitive and confidential information
- The work pattern in unpredictable due to interruptions from telephone enquiries, emails, visits from clinicians and external personnel.
- Priorities can change during the day.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
- Contact patients for Admission and negotiate appointments with patients wherever possible and any additional co-ordination of staff, equipment, stock, facilities, and paperwork.
- Using the PTL, Book patients within clinical and trust waiting time targets and guidelines
- Process cancellations and re-appoint patients observing trust waiting times.
- Ensure that patients are aware of their appointment dates and all relevant information.
- Fully utilise all clinic & theatre capacity and maintaining a list of patients who are fit, willing and able to come in at short notice.
- Liaison with clinical staff and their secretaries regarding their waiting lists.
- Booking investigations as requested by the clinical team, including negotiation of dates with the patients and creating correspondence if appropriate
- Validate each patients pathway by checking and updating RTT codes
- Regularly informing the Unit Coordinator about progress and flagging up as a matter of urgency any issues, for example, capacity or delays due to internal or external factors, difficult queries from patients, etc.
- Support the development of improvements to working practices and processes and contribute to service reviews and the implementation of new arrangements.
- As directed, support the resolution of complaints or concerns from patients/carers by helping to collate information and work with the supervisor to respond or escalate appropriately.
- To work flexibly and pro-actively as part of a team and ensure that the workload is shared out equally and performed to excellent, efficient and safe standards while adapting to the demands of the department/team as required.
- To cover colleagues during absences/annual/sick leave as directed by the Unit Coordinator. You may also be required to undertake job rotation for cross cover as well as for development and training purposes.
- To undertake routine office duties including photocopying, faxing and filing of notes and correspondence and any other appropriate duties commensurate with the role, as required at the request of your line manager.
- To liaise with relevant team members to ensure that any process changes run smoothly and efficiently.
- To work with the Elective Bookings Supervisor and Booking Coordinators as appropriate.
Professional Development, Education and Training
- Fully participate in the Trusts appraisal system review and personal development planning process on an annual basis.
- Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with line manager as part of the personal development planning process
- Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
- Contribute positively to the effectiveness and efficiency of the teams in which he/she works.
- To adhere to the Trusts Kindness and Respect Policy.
Management and Leadership
There is no budgetary or supervisory responsibility with this post.
Communications and Working Relationships
- Patients, relatives and / or carers.
- Consultants and their team
- Nursing staff
- Anaesthetists
- Medical Secretaries
- General Practitioners in Primary Care
- Outpatient staff
- Theatre management and administration
- Day Surgery staff
- Health Records staff
- Unit Coordinator
- Elective Bookings Supervisor and Booking Coordinators
- General management team
General Working Conditions
- The applicant will need to be able to deal with a very stressful and challenging environment. At any time, staff could be faced with difficult or sensitive situations, aggressive or threatening behaviour and need to use tact and diplomacy.
- Movement of medical notes may be required This can range from one set of notes to bags weighing up to 10kg
- Use of Visual Display Unit (VDU) on a daily basis (Workstation assessments undertaken), will be sitting at the desk for a major part of the day.
- Dealing with sensitive and confidential information
- The work pattern in unpredictable due to interruptions from telephone enquiries, emails, visits from clinicians and external personnel.
- Priorities can change during the day.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in literacy and numeracy
- NVQ level three in administration or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Appropriate experience in a hospital or office environment
- IT experience of Microsoft Office packages. Computer literate with the ability to input, retrieve, and manipulate IT data.
Desirable
- Understanding and previous experience in medical terminology / procedures
Knowledge / Skills
Essential
- Personally resilient and able to manage complexity and work in an ambiguous or changing environment.
- Excellent presentational, communication and interpersonal skills
- Good command and understanding of English, punctuation and grammar
- Able to effectively and appropriate escalate concerns to reduce risk and promote patient safety
- Proven organisational skills
- Ability to concentrate where work pattern is unpredictable and there are frequent interruptions
- Self-motivated and able to work under own initiative and prioritise workload
Desirable
- Knowledge and awareness of health and safety issues, risk management, and data protection act
Qualities
Essential
- Enthusiastic and self-aware
- Creative and Flexible
- Resilient under pressure
- Team focused
- Reliable, Adaptable and Dependable
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in literacy and numeracy
- NVQ level three in administration or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Appropriate experience in a hospital or office environment
- IT experience of Microsoft Office packages. Computer literate with the ability to input, retrieve, and manipulate IT data.
Desirable
- Understanding and previous experience in medical terminology / procedures
Knowledge / Skills
Essential
- Personally resilient and able to manage complexity and work in an ambiguous or changing environment.
- Excellent presentational, communication and interpersonal skills
- Good command and understanding of English, punctuation and grammar
- Able to effectively and appropriate escalate concerns to reduce risk and promote patient safety
- Proven organisational skills
- Ability to concentrate where work pattern is unpredictable and there are frequent interruptions
- Self-motivated and able to work under own initiative and prioritise workload
Desirable
- Knowledge and awareness of health and safety issues, risk management, and data protection act
Qualities
Essential
- Enthusiastic and self-aware
- Creative and Flexible
- Resilient under pressure
- Team focused
- Reliable, Adaptable and Dependable
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.
