Job summary
Are you enthusiastic, hardworking and self-motivated?
An exciting and challenging opportunity has become available for an Appointments / Call Centre Officer within Patient Booking Services.
The post holder will be responsible for providing clerical and administrative support to the department. You will work closely with a wide range of staff across the Organisation, including other hospitals, GP services and mainly, our patients.
Interview date TBC
Main duties of the job
We are pleased to inform you that the plans for St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust to come together as one new organisation have now been formally approved by the Secretary of State. Our new Trust will be called Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and will officially launch on Saturday 1st July 2023.
Any applicants who secure an offer of employment and/ or are due to commence their new role from 1st July 2023 onwards are advised that their conditional offer and contract of employment will be issued as per our normal recruitment process but will be under the new name of the organisation. All the details of the offers of employment and contracts of employment will remain as advertised and these changes will not affect your employment with us.
For further information on the new plans, please see:
Our Future Plans (sthk.nhs.uk)
- You must have excellent telephone communication skills as you are very often the first contact with the Trust. A pleasant and courteous disposition is essential.
- You will have a flexible approach to the demands of this post and there will be an expectation that you can work autonomously or as part of a team to ensure we deliver the highest standard of care to our patients.
About us
St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is the only acute Trust in Cheshire and Merseyside, and one of the few in the entire country, to achieve the title of OUTSTANDING, rated by the Care Quality Commission.
We provide a full range of acute adult services to our local population of circa 360,000 and provide tertiary services across a much wider area in the North West, North Wales and Isle of Man. We are a Major Trauma Unit and the Mersey Regional Burns Unit.
Our '5 Star Patient Care' strategy is at the heart of all that we do; supporting our vision to provide world class services for all our patients by getting it right for every patient, every time.
Our latest achievements include:
- Acute Trust of the Year - HSJ Awards November 2019
- Trust rates Outstanding by the CQC - Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers and Health Service Journal)
- Best acute Trust in the North West for quality of care (NHS Staff Survey 2021)
- Best place to work in the North West (NHS Staff Survey 2021)
In the NHS Staff Survey 2021 the Trust scored the highest marks in the North West for the following areas;
- Standard of care
- Best place to work
- Care of patients being the Trust's priority
- Staff engagement
- Staff morale
- Compassionate and inclusive
- Providing a safe environment for staff
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- Enter tertiary referral letter details accurately onto the Patient Administration System (PAS) on a daily basis adhering to the timescales within the Trust Patient Access Policy and ensuring the outpatient entry is attached to the correct 18 week pathway with appropriate referral/pathway/referral source code.
- To deal with pending elective appointments and cancellations, liaising with all relevant staff (including Consultants, Outpatient Managers, Directorate Managers and clinical support staff). Escalating any issues/breaches to the Team Leader/Administration Services Co-ordinator.
- Meet/liaise with Consultants on a regular basis in order to manage outpatient clinics lists effectively whilst working within the Department of Health guidelines. Be responsible for the updating and accuracy on electronic systems.
- Independently compile clinic status lists 6 weeks in advance, taking into account the composition of lists to include, clinical urgency, diagnostic investigations, therapeutic investigations, complex procedures and 18 week referral to treatment target. Inputting information on to PAS and NHS e-referral.
- Liaise with Team Leader/Outpatient Manager and/or Directorate Managers to ensure clinic sessions are utilised when Consultants are on leave. If Consultants are on annual leave/professional leave ensure that Registrar/Staff Grade cover is in place prior to booking patients into clinic session.
- Book appointments using the PAS/NHS e-referral system and identify the type of outpatient appointment required. Obtain relevant reports/ information and request HRS/case notes. Update clinic of list changes due to cancellations/alterations. Frequently negotiate with nursing staff to provide additional outpatient clinics.
- Update the PAS system and NHS e-referral with all information following patient referral triage with all special requirements.
- To ensure management of all clinic requests/reductions/cancellations/clinic changes/patient requests are managed within sostenuto independently
- Order interpreters for patients attending outpatient clinics by e-mail.
- To arrange patient appointments by telephone/letter ensuring that patients are offered choice of date with reasonable notice in accordance with the current operating framework and the NHS constitution.
- Order all necessary equipment for appointments via Outpatient Managers by e-mail.
- Responsible for informing the Radiology/Cardio-Respiratory Department of additional clinics arranged.
- Take into account daily cancellations and alterations, contacting patients by telephone explaining in a polite and courteous manner reasons for cancellation. To follow the correct procedures and processes for all cancelled appointments and DNAs to ensure dates are re-booked and/or removed according to the Trust Patient Access Policy, escalating any issues.
- Manage Netcall reminder report ensuring outpatient slots are backfilled maximising outpatient capacity.
- Advise patients of all available options with empathy and discretion particularly when dealing with aggrieved patients regarding outpatient waiting list enquires. Significant conversations including outcomes are to be recorded on PAS.
- Monitor and maintain the Patient Target Lists (PTL) for each speciality and individual Consultants, including the maintenance of the RTT and liaise with Directorate Managers on a regular basis.
- Monthly validation of 18 week (PTL) for each speciality to maintain 18 weeks, ensure patient availability and/or still require appointment.
- Monitor and maintain the Outpatient waiting list reports for individual specialities ensuring that all patients are booked in accordance with Multi-Disciplinary Team guidelines and Department of Health guidelines.
- Book linked appointments foe ENT and Ophthalmology prior to appointment date.
- Complete data checks on computerised systems (PAS, NHS e-referral, EDMS) amending any changes e.g. appointment procedures, patient details, patient/hospital cancellations or time changes due to allergy risks etc.
- Complete Netcall cancellation report, slot availability reort within ers, sostenuto, net account on a daily basis.
- ASI report managed independently within DOH guidelines for Paper Switch Off Compliance
- Management of pas admin reports, clinic changes/amendments for all specialty clinics and directorates
- Set up and amendments of clinic schedules on PAS system
- Training/mentoring of staff on all roles within the Appointments Department
- To ensure that all two week rule referrals/upgrades are managed independently within DOH guidelines on PAS and NHS e-referral system.
- To ensure all case notes are requested and available for appointments in line with local standards and protocols. Ensure that any documentation in relation to the patient is sent to the Health Records Department to be scanned onto EDMS (Electronic Document Management System). To file all correspondence and documents, as required, thereby maintaining an effective filing system.
- Organise and order stationary items as appropriate.
- Deal appropriately with concerns from staff in line with Trust policy.
- To provide cover for colleagues during periods of annual leave and sickness. Mentor and train relevant staff as required by the Team Leaders or Administrative Services Co-ordinator.
- Participate in call centre rotation.
- Liaise with other hospitals both NHS and private, GPs, secretarial, clerical, wards, and cancer services.
- Following PTL meeting, complete actions for individual specialities and update capacity for Directorate Managers.
- To work in a flexible manner in accordance with the Trust policy.
- Any other duties required by Line Manager.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- Enter tertiary referral letter details accurately onto the Patient Administration System (PAS) on a daily basis adhering to the timescales within the Trust Patient Access Policy and ensuring the outpatient entry is attached to the correct 18 week pathway with appropriate referral/pathway/referral source code.
- To deal with pending elective appointments and cancellations, liaising with all relevant staff (including Consultants, Outpatient Managers, Directorate Managers and clinical support staff). Escalating any issues/breaches to the Team Leader/Administration Services Co-ordinator.
- Meet/liaise with Consultants on a regular basis in order to manage outpatient clinics lists effectively whilst working within the Department of Health guidelines. Be responsible for the updating and accuracy on electronic systems.
- Independently compile clinic status lists 6 weeks in advance, taking into account the composition of lists to include, clinical urgency, diagnostic investigations, therapeutic investigations, complex procedures and 18 week referral to treatment target. Inputting information on to PAS and NHS e-referral.
- Liaise with Team Leader/Outpatient Manager and/or Directorate Managers to ensure clinic sessions are utilised when Consultants are on leave. If Consultants are on annual leave/professional leave ensure that Registrar/Staff Grade cover is in place prior to booking patients into clinic session.
- Book appointments using the PAS/NHS e-referral system and identify the type of outpatient appointment required. Obtain relevant reports/ information and request HRS/case notes. Update clinic of list changes due to cancellations/alterations. Frequently negotiate with nursing staff to provide additional outpatient clinics.
- Update the PAS system and NHS e-referral with all information following patient referral triage with all special requirements.
- To ensure management of all clinic requests/reductions/cancellations/clinic changes/patient requests are managed within sostenuto independently
- Order interpreters for patients attending outpatient clinics by e-mail.
- To arrange patient appointments by telephone/letter ensuring that patients are offered choice of date with reasonable notice in accordance with the current operating framework and the NHS constitution.
- Order all necessary equipment for appointments via Outpatient Managers by e-mail.
- Responsible for informing the Radiology/Cardio-Respiratory Department of additional clinics arranged.
- Take into account daily cancellations and alterations, contacting patients by telephone explaining in a polite and courteous manner reasons for cancellation. To follow the correct procedures and processes for all cancelled appointments and DNAs to ensure dates are re-booked and/or removed according to the Trust Patient Access Policy, escalating any issues.
- Manage Netcall reminder report ensuring outpatient slots are backfilled maximising outpatient capacity.
- Advise patients of all available options with empathy and discretion particularly when dealing with aggrieved patients regarding outpatient waiting list enquires. Significant conversations including outcomes are to be recorded on PAS.
- Monitor and maintain the Patient Target Lists (PTL) for each speciality and individual Consultants, including the maintenance of the RTT and liaise with Directorate Managers on a regular basis.
- Monthly validation of 18 week (PTL) for each speciality to maintain 18 weeks, ensure patient availability and/or still require appointment.
- Monitor and maintain the Outpatient waiting list reports for individual specialities ensuring that all patients are booked in accordance with Multi-Disciplinary Team guidelines and Department of Health guidelines.
- Book linked appointments foe ENT and Ophthalmology prior to appointment date.
- Complete data checks on computerised systems (PAS, NHS e-referral, EDMS) amending any changes e.g. appointment procedures, patient details, patient/hospital cancellations or time changes due to allergy risks etc.
- Complete Netcall cancellation report, slot availability reort within ers, sostenuto, net account on a daily basis.
- ASI report managed independently within DOH guidelines for Paper Switch Off Compliance
- Management of pas admin reports, clinic changes/amendments for all specialty clinics and directorates
- Set up and amendments of clinic schedules on PAS system
- Training/mentoring of staff on all roles within the Appointments Department
- To ensure that all two week rule referrals/upgrades are managed independently within DOH guidelines on PAS and NHS e-referral system.
- To ensure all case notes are requested and available for appointments in line with local standards and protocols. Ensure that any documentation in relation to the patient is sent to the Health Records Department to be scanned onto EDMS (Electronic Document Management System). To file all correspondence and documents, as required, thereby maintaining an effective filing system.
- Organise and order stationary items as appropriate.
- Deal appropriately with concerns from staff in line with Trust policy.
- To provide cover for colleagues during periods of annual leave and sickness. Mentor and train relevant staff as required by the Team Leaders or Administrative Services Co-ordinator.
- Participate in call centre rotation.
- Liaise with other hospitals both NHS and private, GPs, secretarial, clerical, wards, and cancer services.
- Following PTL meeting, complete actions for individual specialities and update capacity for Directorate Managers.
- To work in a flexible manner in accordance with the Trust policy.
- Any other duties required by Line Manager.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE level and/or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience
- NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration and working towards Level 3 and/or equivalent knowledge through formal training and/or experience
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Call Centre experience
- Excellent IT skills with knowledge and experience of Microsoft office products
- Previous clerical experience
Desirable
- Previous NHS experience
- Knowledge of medical terminology
- Experience of mentoring and training staff
Skills
Essential
- Word Processing Skills
- Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
- Ability to use own initiative and respond to new challenges
- Ability to manage/prioritise own workload
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to accurately maintain computerise and manual systems
- Ability to manage difficult/sensitive situations
- Ability to work as part of a team
Desirable
- Ability to mentor and train staff
- Excellent time management skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE level and/or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience
- NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration and working towards Level 3 and/or equivalent knowledge through formal training and/or experience
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Call Centre experience
- Excellent IT skills with knowledge and experience of Microsoft office products
- Previous clerical experience
Desirable
- Previous NHS experience
- Knowledge of medical terminology
- Experience of mentoring and training staff
Skills
Essential
- Word Processing Skills
- Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
- Ability to use own initiative and respond to new challenges
- Ability to manage/prioritise own workload
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to accurately maintain computerise and manual systems
- Ability to manage difficult/sensitive situations
- Ability to work as part of a team
Desirable
- Ability to mentor and train staff
- Excellent time management skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
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.
