Outpatient Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

To work as part of the Outpatient clerical team assisting with the smooth and efficient running of the Outpatient Department.

To provide accurate, timely information to assist Clinicians and nursing staff in good management of their outpatient clinics.

To ensure the confidentiality of all patient information and Trust business.

Key Duties

Postholders must be able to work on their own initiative when carrying out their usual duties. Supervision is available as required.

To ensure that there is good communication between the administration team and the clinical team so that the department runs smoothly.

To ensure that all patients are received and directed to the appropriate waiting area or department, in a courteous and professional manner. The postholder is often the first point of contact for the majority of patients.

To ensure that patients demographic details are always kept up to date on the PAS system, by checking personal details such as name, address, telephone number, ethnic origin, and GP.

To use the Patient Administration System (Oasis), to book patients into an outpatient clinic on arrival and to make follow up outpatient appointment or discharge patients on departure.

To respond to patient telephone or face to face complaints in the first instance, seeking support and advice from the team leaders or nurses as appropriate.

Using the information on the clinic outcome form or agreed protocols, ensure that the outcome of the clinic attendance is recorded accurately and immediately on PAS.

To ensure that routine enquiries from patients about their appointments such as postponing, cancelling or rearranging are all dealt with professionally and immediately.

To ensure that Ambulance control and the porters are informed of any passengers awaiting transport / transfer and advise patients of how to book transport for their next visit.

To ensure that any new patients arriving in clinic are registered on the system.

To ensure that any event case notes leaving the department, are tracked on OASIS using the correct tracking code, unless going directly for scanning.

To open and distribute post that may come to the department.

To ensure that an up to date clinic list and vacancy summary list is available for the clinical staff if required.

Liaise with clinical staff in outpatient clinics to ensure that a quality service is provided to patients and to ensure that nurses are kept fully informed of any general messages or issues regarding appointments or patient concerns.

In exceptional circumstances where clinical staff are unable to arrive for the clinic, support the appointments team and nurses with cancelling patients by telephone at the last minute.

Ensure that any walk-in / emergency patients arriving in clinic are booked an appointment immediately onto the PAS system. Print an outpatient event pack associated with that appointment/speciality and informs the nursing staff of the patients arrival.

Ensure computer, printer equipment and stationery is available and working effectively working, reporting any faults or problems to the team leader.

Work flexibly within normal clinic hours to ensure that the clinic is covered at all times and never left unattended.

Notify the team leader of any foreseen problems that will affect the smooth running of the department.

To show new staff how to carry out the basic reception duties and the processes specifically required for the named reception area.

To undertake training to become familiar with, and competent in current Booking Service procedures and practices, to provide an effective, efficient, courteous, high quality patient access service. This will include recording data and maintaining data quality on manual and computerised systems in accordance with agreed policies and procedures.

Carry out any other duties, within the grade, as requested by the Booking Services Manager.

Vision and Values

The Trust aims to provide local services for local people. It has developed its vision to reflect this commitment.

To continue to be the major provider of acute/specialist services for the people of Worcestershire (and wider) with a strong reputation for providing outstanding, high quality, reliable, accessible and integrated healthcare for local people

Driving this commitment is a set of Trust-wide values, developed by the Trusts staff:

PatientsPatients at the centre of all we do everyone is entitled to privacy, dignity and compassion

RespectTreating everyone patients, colleagues and the public as you would want to be treated yourself

Improve/InvolveThe best patient pathways, thinking innovatively, valuing patients and involving stakeholders

DependableDriving safe, quality care, getting things right first time, learning from mistakes, dependable services with good communication

EmpowerStaff take personal responsibility for their actions, challenging if something is not right.

Standard Clauses

The purpose of this post should remain constant, but the duties and responsibilities may vary over time within the overall role and level of the post. The post holder may from time to time be asked to undertake other reasonable duties. Any such changes will be made in discussion with the post holder in the light of service needs.

Competence

The post holder is responsible for limiting his / her actions to those which s/he feels competent to undertake. If the post holder has any doubts as to his or her competence during the course of his / her duties then s/he should immediately speak to their line manager or supervisor.

Codes of conduct

All employees of the Trust who are required to be registered with a professional body, to enable them to practise within their profession, are required to comply with their code of conduct and requirements of their professional registration. Those staff who are not required to be registered with a professional body are required to comply with the Trusts codes of conduct.

Confidentiality

The post holder must maintain confidentiality, security and integrity of information relating to patients, staff and other Health Service business.

Person Specification

Current employer

Essential

• This vacancy is currently only open to Herefordshire and Worcestershire NHS staff, please indicate which NHS organsiation in Herefordshire and Worcestershire you currently work for.

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE/OLEVEL in Maths & English (or equivalent)

Personal qualities

Essential

• Organised
• Friendly/reassuring disposition
• Ability to work under pressure
• Able to work on own initiative
• Team player
• Flexible approach to duties
• Willing to cover others for annual leave and absence
• Must be able to work flexibly over 5 days

Experience

Essential

• Good clerical background, .
• Working with the general public
• Customer Care

Desirable

• Knowledge of:-
• PAS System
• e-RS
• 18 wk pathway
• Health Records
• Ez Notes
• Casenote procedures

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Good keyboard skills
• Good communication skills
• Literate
• Numerate
• Awareness of confidentiality

Employer details

Employer name

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

Employer's website

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