Job overview
1. Ensuring the flow of patients into available clinics and theatre slots by setting up accurate templates.
2. Managing outpatient and inpatient waiting lists on behalf of the Directorate Managers, avoiding backlog through proactive management and opening of clinic and theatre list availability.
3. Dealing with peaks in activity, by managing the allocation of extra capacity clinics.
4. Preparing for and taking part in meetings with the Directorate and other teams, regarding RTT and cancer performance including validation and expediting patient pathways.
5. The early identification of capacity issues affecting performance of 18 weeks, 2 weeks and other referral to treatment standards.
6. Ensuring the ratio of new and follow up clinic slots is appropriate to meet demand.
7. Being the main conveyor of information between the Directorate and the booking hub, with an overarching aim to facilitate the smooth management of our patient groups, depending on their waiting times and care pathways.
8. Working closely with the validation team, the relevant booking colleagues and clinicians to ensure data entries on PAS correctly reflect the patients RTT status data accuracy within their Directorate.
9. Working with clinical teams to ensure they fully understand the requirements of the Patient Access Policy, ensuring adherence across their areas of responsibility.
10. Providing a management point of contact for patients, relatives and GPs who remain with queries and questions
Main duties of the job
11. Contribute to Directorate meetings for the area of expertise and up-to-date knowledge of service performance in a clear, concise manner, which include both recommendations for issue resolution and corrective action.
12. Lead by example and demonstrate exceptional communication and listening skills to staff and customers/patients, as the issues are often complex, highly sensitive and highly emotive as they involve waiting lists, time to treatment and delays to care, including cancellations.
13. Convey advanced knowledge of the Patient Access Policy to a range of staff including doctors, administration teams, nurses and management representatives, and others as required e.g. Commissioners and GPs. To convey information in a range of ways, written, verbal and diagrammatic to convey need and influence outcomes.
14. Ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times and that staff adhere to the Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act and the Caldicott Principles, especially as patient records are commonplace.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please note: This role does not meet the minimum criteria for visa sponsorship under the current UK immigration rules, which set specific salary and skill thresholds. As such, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. Applicants will therefore need to already have the right to work in the UK to be considered. We include this information at the outset to provide clarity and avoid unnecessary inconvenience for applicants.
Please note that if you currently work for another NHS Trust or UHSussex and you are applying to accept this position as a secondment opportunity, before applying you must seek agreement and authorisation from your current Trust/Manager. Secondments can’t be agreed without this approval. If you are unable to gain approval, you should refrain from applying unless you wish to take this role as a fixed term position.
15. Accountable for the delivery of a high quality, effective and flexible service in respect of the patient pathway from referral to treatment
16. Work closely with clinicians, nurses and all clinical staff to ensure that patients are actively managed through their pathways.
17. Responsible for the management of the patient’s pathway from triage, first outpatient appointment, through diagnostics, treatment planning and treatment, highlighting potential delays in the pathways to both Directorate Manager and Head of Booking & Clinical Administration Services, ensuring that all patients who are not on 18 week pathways also receive timely care and treatment
18. Responsible for checking and reporting on Consultant’s triaging of new referrals to ensure that the service meets the 48 hour target, ensuring that the coding proforma’s are current and up to date.
19. Responsible for the identification of extra capacity slots required by each Service, to meet national targets with identification of the correct staffing and skill mix required to treat the patient lists.
20. Responsible for the knowledge management of the PTL on behalf of the Directorate.
21. Being fully updated and aware of patient demand exceeding or diminishing in relation to current capacity and communication of the position to the Directorate Management Team.
22. Responsible for the review of the outpatient, inpatient and day case waiting lists and the continuous monitoring of all patient pathways, both patients on 18 week pathways and those awaiting planned care or who require regular follow up monitoring and review. This includes identifying blockages, bottlenecks in service delivery, a worsening treatment position and risk to patient from inadequate timescales to clinic availability.
23. Ensuring adherence to Trust policies and procedures, in particular the Patient Access Policy. To recommend systems and processes which improve compliance to the policy.
24. Minimising clinic cancellations by ensuring a 6 week look forward of consultant availability is tracked to the clinic templates available, therefore avoiding late cancellations and where possible, arranging alternative availability.
25. Work closely with Head of Booking and Clinical Administration Services and Directorate Manager(s) to develop and refine policies and procedures to ensure seamless management of the patient pathway from referral to treatment.
26. Maintain up to date knowledge of all applicable targets and processes relating to the patient pathway and to be a point of reference within the directorate to be the main link between Directorate and Centralised Administration Teams and for patients, relatives and GPs where those queries cannot be resolved by the individual booking teams.
27. Actively manage the service’s waiting lists and maintain a clear overview of all patients currently active in their pathway and to be able to produce, analyse and present information on this at all directorate meetings.
28. Predict and prevent breaches of waiting time targets and delays due to problems in capacity, through liaison with clinicians. This includes highlighting performance risks and potential breaches to the Directorate Management team.
29. Ensure outpatient utilisation is on target by analysing the look forward reports and taking appropriate action with the clinicians.
30. Work with reception teams to ensure all outpatient clinic outcomes are recorded within 1 working day of the clinics.
31. Ensure all diagnostics are booked within pathway target times.
32. Maintain forward view of theatre lists and identify leave or lack of theatre availability and liaise with Inpatient booking team.
33. Review all waiting lists and take appropriate action in working with “The Booking Hub” in the booking of outstanding patients.
34. Work with the Booking Hub team leaders and booking appointments clerk in relation to correct adherence to the Patient Access Policy, ensuring all cancellations, DNA’s and patients affected by clinic changes are rebooked in an appropriate timely manner. Mobilise additional clinical capacity as required on behalf of the Directorate manager (s)
35. Ensure the Service Level Agreements between Centralised Administration Services and the Directorate(s) are followed and maintained.
36. Provide advice and guidance to GP’s, Consultants, patients, carers, wards, in how to access their individual services in a timely manner, taking into account 18 week rules and all Trust policies.
37. Identify demand and capacity issues and to work with Directorate Manager (s) and Directorate staff to find a resolution to these issues.
38. Analyse, investigate and resolve complex queries relating to the service.
39. Responsible for the maintenance of a number of information sources, in relation to projects.
40. Keep up to date with relevant Patient Pathway guidance, Patient Access Policy, Service Level Agreements and strategies, best practice and impending changes which could impact on the way of working.
41. Providing support to the Directorate Manager (s) for the attendance at key meetings in regard to the access target and PTL list, as required.
42. On behalf of the Directorate Manager, to investigate and respond appropriately to complaints received in a timely manner, escalating trends and areas of concern to the Directorate Manager(s) to address with staff member, patient representative or patient.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
43. Extensive knowledge of managing all NHS administration, waiting lists, patient booking systems and processes
44. Experience of change management and service improvement
45. Experience of managing large and complex data sets
46. Detailed knowledge of the NHS, acquired through diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge and experience.
Desirable criteria
47. Experience of communicating effectively with patients and their relatives Knowledge of Data Protection/Caldicott Knowledge of current NHS strategies and policies
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential criteria
48. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
49. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications