Job overview
Come and join us! We are a dynamic and innovative service who aim to provide a first class service to our patients. This post will give you the opportunity and support to experience a wide and varied career within our Trust.
We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Administrator who is dedicated to providing a safe and efficient service to the MSK department and our patients. Our services receive referrals from Consultants, GP’s, Sussex MSK partnership, and our Fracture Clinics.
The successful candidate will assist, and work alongside the Patient Access Manager for Outpatients, and will provide a full patient booking administration service to Consultants.
You should possess good written and oral communication skills and function well as part of a team, using your own initiative and ability to prioritise work to achieve deadlines.
You will need to be competent in a range of IT packages, including MS Office, have a good telephone manner and be able to empathise with people calling in times of distress.
Main duties of the job
This role is to provide administrative support for the bookings within Trauma and Orthopaedic (RSCH and SOTC) in their delivery of service to patients and the Trust.
This will involve a range of administrative procedures and practices, as well as handling queries directly from patients, relatives and their carers.
To develop and maintain efficient administration systems, exercising initiative and discretion.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & 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, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme, for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop. We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
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.
1.To deliver a high quality, effective and flexible service in respect of the patient pathway from referral to treatment.
2.Work closely with Trauma & Orthopaedic Consultants, Hand Therapists, Physiotherapists, Nurses, Plaster Technicians and all clinical staff to ensure that patients are actively managed through their pathways.
3.To manage the MSK patient’s pathway from first outpatient appointment (face to face or telephone), Consultant Elective and post op clinics, Follow-up Fracture Clinics and Hand Therapy Clinics highlighting potential delays in the pathways.
4.Manage referrals from General practitioners, e-referral service and Sussex MSK Health.
5.Being fully updated and aware of patient demand in relation to current capacity and communication of the position to the SOSA and/or PAM as appropriate.
6.Ensuring adherence to Trust policies and procedures, in particular the Patient Access Policy.
7.Minimising clinic cancellations by ensuring 6 week look forward of clinic availability. Tracking the clinic templates available, therefore avoiding late cancellations and where possible, arranging alternative availability.
8.Understand 18 weeks referral to treatment (RTT) rules and use them to manage all elective patient journeys, and expedite patient journeys were needed.
9.Undertake validation of the RTT Patient Tracking List. Investigate and take the appropriate action where pathways are incomplete to ensure that patients are receiving timely treatment and Trust information is robust.
10.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.
11.Predict and prevent breaches of waiting time targets and delays due to problems in capacity, through liaison with consultants and PAM.
12.Able to manage conflicting priorities from Consultants, Therapists and Patients on a daily basis. To be able to use own judgement to prioritise tasks in order to ensure patients are seen for their appointment/treatment in a timely way.
13.To be able to use own judgement to independently assess as first point of contact, a range of issues and situations.
14.Work with reception teams and provide advice to less experienced staff where required to ensure all outpatient clinic outcomes are recorded for Trauma & Orthopaedic clinics. Communicate departmental procedures within own team and other departments within and outside of the hospital, i.e. GP, A&E.
Person specification
Qualifications and Experience
Essential criteria
1. 5 GCSEs (A-C) or equivalent, including English and Maths
2. Good level of literacy and numerical skills
3. Demonstrated knowledge and awareness of clerical and administrative procedures and systems
4. Competent in a range of packages including MS Word and MS Excel, and willing to learn new packages and advance current skills.
Desirable criteria
5. Previous experience working within the NHS.
6. Knowledge and awareness of confidentiality issues relating to the Data Protection Act and Computer Misuse Act
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential criteria
7. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
8. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
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