Appointments Call Centre Clerk
The closing date is 20 November 2025
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 and will work closely with a wide range of staff across the Organisation, including other hospitals, GP services and mainly, our patients.
Main duties of the job
To co‑ordinate the booking of outpatient appointments for Medical/Surgical specialties across MWL Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, ensuring an efficient, timely and patient‑focused service that meets clinical needs in accordance with the current operating framework and the NHS constitution.
The Appointments Department provides an operational service for MWL NHS Trust and other external Trusts, coordinating outpatient appointment bookings for all specialties across a variety of computerised systems.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites. We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our services:
* Acute Care – Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
* Primary Care – Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
* Community Services – Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital allows patients with acute needs to continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre in St Helens town centre.
* Specialist Regional Services – We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
* Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection (August 2018)
* Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
* National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Job responsibilities
* Enter tertiary referral letter details accurately onto the Patient Administration System (PAS) on a daily basis, adhering to Trust Patient Access Policy timescales and ensuring the outpatient entry is attached to the correct 18‑week pathway with appropriate referral/pathway/referral source code.
* Deal with pending elective appointments and cancellations, liaising with relevant staff (Consultants, Outpatient Managers, Directorate Managers and clinical support staff) and escalating issues to the Team Leader/Administration Services Co‑ordinator.
* Meet and liaise with Consultants regularly to manage outpatient clinic lists effectively, adhering to Department of Health guidelines and ensuring system accuracy.
* Independently compile clinic status lists 6 weeks in advance, taking into account clinical urgency, investigations and 18‑week referral-to-treatment targets; input information into PAS and NHS e‑referral.
* Liaise with Team Leader/Outpatient Manager and Directorate Managers to ensure clinic sessions are utilised when Consultants are on leave; secure Registrar/Staff Grade cover prior to booking patients into clinic sessions.
* Book appointments using PAS/NHS e‑referral, identify appointment type, obtain relevant reports, request HRS/case notes, update clinic lists due to cancellations/alterations and negotiate additional outpatient clinics with nursing staff.
* Update PAS and NHS e‑referral with all information following patient referral triage and special requirements.
* Ensure management of all clinic requests/reductions/cancellations/changes is carried out independently.
* Order interpreters for patients attending outpatient clinics by e‑mail.
* Arrange patient appointments by telephone/letter, offering choice of dates with reasonable notice in accordance with operating framework and NHS constitution.
* Order required equipment for appointments via Outpatient Managers by e‑mail and inform Radiology/Cardio‑Respiratory Departments of additional clinics.
* Manage daily cancellations and alterations by contacting patients, explaining reasons courteously, and following TPAC policies to re‑book or remove appointments.
* Manage Netcall reminder report to back‑fill outpatient slots and maximise capacity.
* Advise patients of available options with empathy, record significant conversations in PAS, and handle aggrieved patients sensitively.
* Maintain Patient Target Lists (PTLs) for each speciality and Consultant, liaising with Directorate Managers.
* Validate 18‑week (PTL) monthly for each speciality, ensuring patients remain eligible for appointments.
* Maintain outpatient waiting list reports, ensuring bookings comply with MDT guidelines and Department of Health rules.
* Book linked appointments for ENT and Ophthalmology prior to appointment dates.
* Complete data checks on PAS, NHS e‑referral, and EDMS, amending changes such as patient details or appointment adjustments.
* Generate Netcall, slot availability, et al. reports daily.
* Manage ASI reports within DOH guidelines for Paper Switch‑Off Compliance.
* Handle PAS admin reports, clinic changes and amendments for all specialty clinics and directorates.
* Set up and amend clinic schedules on PAS.
* Train and mentor staff on all roles within the Appointments Department.
* Ensure management of two‑week rule referrals/upgrades within DOH guidelines on PAS and NHS e‑referral.
* Ensure all case notes are requested and available, sending documentation to Health Records for EDMS scanning and maintaining effective filing.
* Order stationary as needed.
* Address staff concerns in line with Trust policy.
* Provide cover for colleagues during leave and sickness; mentor and train staff as required.
* Participate in call‑centre rotation.
* Liaise with other hospitals, GPs, clerical staff, wards and cancer services.
* Complete PTL‑meeting actions and update capacity for Directorate Managers.
* Work flexibly in accordance with Trust policy.
* Perform any other duties required by Line Manager.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Educated to GCSE level and/or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience.
* NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration, and working towards Level 3 or equivalent via formal training or experience.
Experience
* Call Centre Experience.
* Excellent IT skills with knowledge of Microsoft Office products.
* Previous clerical experience.
* Knowledge of medical terminology.
Skills
* Word Processing Skills.
* Self‑motivated with limited supervision.
* Use of initiative to respond to new challenges.
* Ability to manage and prioritise workload.
* Accurate maintenance of computerised and manual systems.
* Ability to manage difficult/sensitive situations.
* Team‑work skills.
* Mentoring and training staff.
* Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills.
* Good understanding of Trust internal policies.
Other
* Ability to build and maintain good working relationships.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure to be submitted to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer name
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum pro rata
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