Job overview
The Deputy Patient Access Manager is a key member of the administration management team within the Renal and Vascular Department. The role supports the Patient Access Manager in delivering high-quality, effective, and flexible patient access services in line with the Trust’s Patient Access Policy. It involves managing patient pathways from referral to treatment, ensuring compliance with national targets, and maintaining service performance standards. The post holder will also have line management responsibility for administrative staff, including secretaries, bookers, and rota coordinators, and will contribute to service improvement initiatives. Hours can be worked flexibly but must include working on Fridays. The post involves cross site cover for Worthing and St. Richards Hospitals.
Main duties of the job
Service Delivery & Patient Pathway Management
1. Oversee patient pathways from referral through treatment, ensuring timely care and compliance with 18-week targets.
2. Monitor outpatient, inpatient, and day case waiting lists; identify delays and bottlenecks.
3. Work with clinicians and booking teams to optimise clinic utilisation.
4. Ensure diagnostics and appointments are booked within target times.
Communication & Policy Compliance
5. Act as a point of reference for Patient Access Policy and related guidance.
6. Communicate effectively with internal teams (clinicians, managers) and external stakeholders (GPs, patients).
7. Maintain confidentiality and adherence to Data Protection and Caldicott principles.
Data Analysis & Reporting
8. Collect and analyse performance data for service activity.
9. Provide statistical reports to support performance reviews and identify risks.
People Management
10. Line manage administrative staff, including allocation of work, training, appraisals, and recruitment.
11. Maintain accurate records for annual leave and sickness.
12. Support staff development through training and regular one-to-one meetings.
Service Improvement
13. Recommend and implement process improvements to enhance patient access and compliance.
14. Support policy development and contribute to meetings with actionable recommendations.
Learning & Development
15. Undertake mandatory training and participate in appraisal processes.
16. Identify personal development needs and plan training with line manager.
Working for our organisation
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.
If you are applying using a Graduate visa as your right to work, you must have a minimum of 18 months remaining on your visa at time of application.
Role Summary
This role is a key member of the administration management team, working towards the achievement of key targets for the Renal and Vascular Department.
The post holder will be responsible to the Patient Access Manager and will work within the Trusts patient access policy to deliver high quality, effective and flexible patient access, clerical and administrative services.
They will also be responsible for the line management of administrative staff, including secretaries, bookers and rota co-ordinators. This will include the allocation of work, training and development, staff appraisal and recruitment and selection.
Key Working Relationships
Internal:
Operational Managers
Patient Access Managers
Senior Management Team
Central Information Unit
Patient Administration System (PAS) Managers
Team Members and colleagues within Directorates
Diagnostic teams
External:
Staff from outside organisations as relevant to the role, may include patients and carers, GP’s and other referrers.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Communication
·Contribute to 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.
·Lead by example and demonstrates excellent communication and listening skills to staff and customers/patients, as the issues are often complex, highly sensitive andhighly emotive as they involve waiting lists, time to treatment and delays to care, including cancellations.
·Convey 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. 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.
Service Delivery and Improvement
·To deliver a high quality, effective and flexible service in respect of the patient pathway from referral to treatment.
·Work closely with clinicians, nurses and all clinical staff to ensure that patients are actively managed through their pathways.
·To manage the patient’s pathway from triage, first outpatient appointment, through diagnostics, treatment planning and treatment, highlighting potential delays in the pathways to Patient Access Manager, so they can escalate to Operations Manager, 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
·To check and report 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.
·To identify 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.
·Responsible for the knowledge management of the Patient Tracking List (PTL for designated services on behalf of the Directorate.
·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, including the Patient Access Manager
·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.
·Ensuring adherence to Trust policies and procedures, in particular the Patient Access Policy. To recommend systems and processes which improve compliance to the policy.
·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.
·To work closely with Patient Access Manager, Head of Booking and Clinical Administration Services, Operations Manager and Directorate Manager(s) to develop and refine policies and procedures to ensure seamless management of the patient pathway from referral to treatment.
·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.
·Actively manage the service’s waiting lists and maintain a clear overview of all patients currently active in their pathway.
·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 including the Patient Access Manager
·Ensure outpatient utilisation is on target by analysing the look forward reports and taking appropriate action with the clinicians.
·Work with reception teams to ensure all outpatient clinic outcomes are recorded within 1 working day of the clinics.
·Ensure all diagnostics are booked within pathway target times.
·Review all waiting lists and take appropriate action in working with “The Booking Hub” in the booking of outstanding patients.
·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).
·Ensure the Service Level Agreements between Centralised Administration Services and the Directorate(s) are followed and maintained escalating concerns to the Patient Access Manager and Directorate Manager.
· Analyse, investigate and resolve complex queries relating to the service.
·Keep up to date with relevant Patient Pathway guidance, Patient Access Policy, best practice and impending changes which could impact on the way of working.
·Providing support to the Patient Access Manager for the attendance at key meetings in regard to the access target and PTL list, as required.
Data Analysis, Collection and Actions
·Collect, analyse, and interpret statistical performance information relevant to service activity, and to provide this information to relevant interested parties e.g., the Directorate performance reviews.
·Provide specific information (which inform the PAM’s monthly statistical reports and activity to the Directorate Manager e.g., booking slots.
·Highlight service risks to the Patient Access Manager and/or Directorate Manager and the Clinical Leads frequently and escalate if remedial action is not taken.
People Management and Development
·Assist Patient Access Manager in training of new staff, designing and monitoring the induction programme for the individual, including conveying knowledge of the service performance and systems and processes within the Trust which contribute to this.
·Responsible for the day-to-day line management of administrative staff in line with Trust policies and procedures.
·To maintain accurate annual leave and sickness records on behalf of the Patient Access Manager.
·To offer support and guidance through training and regular 1:1s with administration staff.
Person specification
Experience / Qualifications
Essential criteria
17. Working knowledge and expertise of patient access system.
18. Experience of communicating effectively with patients and their relatives.
19. Experience of enabling delivery of the 18 week operating standard (or an equivalent).
Skills
Essential criteria
20. Excellent written and spoken English and interpersonal/negotiating skills.
21. Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own workloads.
People Management and Development
Essential criteria
22. Effective leadership skills with the ability to manage and direct people.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential criteria
23. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
24. 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