Job overview
The post holder will support the provision of the highest quality patient care through dedicated administrative and clerical support and continuous improvement.
Based in a specialty clinical team, the post holder will be the point of contact for all administrative and clerical issues relating to patients’ pathway of care, tracking and supporting them from referral to treatment &/or discharge.
The post holder will provide a patient focused service that supports their doctors in the provision of efficient integrated pathways that enable the best use of resources and ensure that patients are fit, willing and able to be treated and that they are treated in the right place, by the right person, at the right time.
The post holder will ensure high levels of patient care and will ensure clinician satisfaction by being an accessible, customer focused and knowledgeable point of contact.
The post holder will be responsible for the pathway of paediatric patients in accordance with the principles and 18-week target waiting times and expediting pathways where necessary ensuring cancellations are rescheduled and recorded. They will provide cross-cover to colleagues within the team during absence.
Provide administrative support to consultant including the management of timetables.
Main duties of the job
·To work as part of a clinical team ensuring that patients are admitted efficiently for outpatient appointments, pre-admission appointments, investigative treatments, diagnostic procedures within national guidelines and in accordance with the trust’s Patients Access Policy. Ensure that patients are informed with reasonable notice, and that all relevant paperwork is completed for given appointment. This includes ensuring that all elective attendances/admissions are promptly and accurately recorded on the appropriate PAS system(s).
·To schedule patients in accordance with principles and target waiting times as set out in the NHS Constitution and Health and Social Care Bill 2011, expediting patient pathways where necessary. Ensure cancellations are rescheduled and recorded in accordance with Trust policy.
·To provide administrative support to consultants including the management of clinician’s diaries/timetables. Ensure consultants’ timetables, outpatient clinics and treatment sessions are fully and appropriately utilised. Attend regular meetings with consultant teams, MDT teams, clinical staff, clinical directorates /departments and/or general managers as required for efficient processes.
·To ensure that the information on referral letters, outpatient status forms and waiting list cards is recorded accurately and comprehensively on the Trust PAS system(s).
Working for our organisation
St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George’s Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).
After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
·To work as part of a multi-disciplinary clinical team maintaining efficient systems and processes relating to patient attendances and admissions. This includes maintaining accurate computerised and manual records, inputting registration and waiting list data onto the trust’s computer systems and ensuring that all patient records are kept up to date with any details relevant to the patient’s attendance and/or admission.
·When necessary, in conjunction with Medical Records ensure all patients’ records are available to clinical staff as required in adherence with the Trust Medical Records Policy. This may include receiving discharge summaries, histology reports, obtaining results from external organisations/healthcare providers and preparing them and patients’ records for review by clinicians as required.
·Facilitate completion of prior approval/exceptional treatment forms prior to patients’ attendance and/or admission in line with Southwest London Effective Commissioning Initiative
·To liaise with clinical staff to ensure that specialist equipment is available, where required, and that clinical teams (e.g. ward, outpatient department etc.) are aware of patients with specialist needs.
·Contribute to quality and cost improvement/ CQUIN initiatives to improve services.
·Facilitate the timely production and dissemination of all patient and healthcare professional correspondence, including clinical correspondence and discharge summaries, to achieve quality measures.
·Ensure that all patients are scheduled in accordance with outpatient, diagnostic and inpatient/day case waiting time targets and that attendance/admissions information is accurately recorded on all appropriate databases, including, but not limited to, iClip, CITO, PACS etc. To monitor their inpatient and outpatient waiting list using LUNA to track the patient’s pathway.
·To arrange translation services, in liaison with the appropriate departmental manager, as required. This may include foreign language &/or sign language translation. Ensure that such services are available for the period of patient attendance &/or admission as appropriate.
·To maintain an efficient system for the tracking of healthcare records and X-rays. This includes ensuring patients’ records are available to clinical staff as required in adherence with the Trust Medical Records Policy. This may include receiving discharge summaries, histology reports etc. and preparing them and patients’ records for review by clinicians. The post holder will keep the computer tracking system updated, ensuring that any medical notes in your possession are kept in numerical or alphabetical order and that they are kept in a non-public area and that all patient documentation is filled in patients’ notes &/or transferred to appropriate ward, medical records &/or other departments as required
·To liaise with Clinical Coding Department to ensure that medical records are accurately and promptly coded following all admissions.
Multi-disciplinary working
·To liaise with partner organisations to assist facilitate the treatment of patients. This includes liaison with primary, secondary and tertiary care providers. Ensure that comprehensive demographic and waiting list information is recorded &/or provided at the point of receipt of referral or transfer to the partner organisation to warrant that patients are treated in accordance with elective waiting time standards.
·As appropriate, to notify GPs via telephone and email of attendance outcomes and diagnostic results. To liaise with GP practices to ensure that patients have received all appropriate treatment and are fit, willing and able to attend for treatment.
·Liaise with clinical/diagnostic teams to ensure that all diagnostic appointments are booked within an appropriate timescale and results are available.
Customer Care/ General Administration
·Provide information service for elective patients (including distressed and anxious patients/relatives as required). Be aware of the needs and concerns of patients and provide a friendly, efficient and courteous service to patients, relatives and visitors, providing them with advice and information as appropriate. Use empathetic approach to patients and/or relatives seeking assistance from clinical staff/senior managers as appropriate.
·Promptly answer telephone enquiries, taking and relaying messages in a polite and helpful manner, taking action as appropriate. This will include enquiries from patients, their GPs and community hospitals.
·Provide cover for colleagues across the specialty/clinical directorate during periods of planned annual leave and sickness.
·To undertake additional administrative tasks and responsibilities within the specialty/clinical directorate as required.
·Adhere to all Trust policies including Infection Control, Hygiene Code, Data Protection Act, and Uniform Policy, taking appropriate account of patients’ rights and diversity and ensuring fair access to services.
The post holder will undertake any other duties which may be reasonably regarded as within the nature of the duties, responsibilities and grade of the post as defined, subject to the provision that appropriate training is given and that wherever possible significant changes of a permanent nature shall be mutually agreed and incorporated into the job.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Good general education with 5 GCSE’s or equivalent including English and Maths at grade C or above
Desirable criteria
2. ECDL
3. NVQ or working towards NVQ or equivalent
Experience
Essential criteria
4. Experience of using a full range of IT/Patient administration systems
5. Experience of patient administration work in a healthcare setting
Desirable criteria
6. A minimum of one year’s experience working in a similar role in a hospital/health care setting
Skills
Essential criteria
7. Experience dealing with customer complaints and customer care
8. The ability to prioritise tasks effectively without direct supervision
Knowledge
Essential criteria
9. Computer literate, with experience of using a keyboard
10. Knowledge of NHS service provision including the pathway of care
11. Knowledge of healthcare administrative systems and processes
12. Understanding of medical terminology
13. Knowledge of databases, spreadsheets e.g. PAS, Excel or similar applications
14. Knowledge of health and safety
Your application: Please ensure that you have read the job description and person specification and that your supporting statement reflects these, as your application will be assessed and scored against these criteria.
References: You will be required to provide 3 years of employment/educational history. We do not accept references from personal email addresses such as Hotmail, Gmail etc. therefore please ensure you are providing professional working email addresses within your application form. If you are unable to provide professional email addresses and are invited to an interview, please ensure you advise the interviewers of this - otherwise, this may delay your pre-employment checks.
Closing date: In order to streamline recruitment within our Trust, we reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications.
Shortlisting: You will only be contacted via e-mail/SMS by the SWL Recruitment Hub if you are successfully shortlisted for this post. Please ensure that you check your Trac registered e-mail regularly.
DBS: We are committed to safeguarding children and adults who are at risk of abuse. As such, if this post will have access to children or vulnerable adults, you will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. However, all employees have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
______________________________________________________ Disability Advice Line: SWL Recruitment Hub is committed to promoting equity and equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities. We believe that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even more positive impact on the people we serve. For support with job opportunities and reasonable adjustments contact our Confidential Disability Advice Line at: Telephone: 02082963786 Text: 07501066267 Email: @. Our confidential answering service is available after 5pm. ______________________________________________________
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
NameJane ParsonsJob titleAssistant Service ManagerEmail addressTelephone number07826 873032