Choose Well - Choose WWL
Job overview
We are currently seeking to appoint an Overseas Visiting Officer to join our team on a full-time basis. This role involves working 35 hours per week, across five working days from Monday to Friday.
Main duties of the job
The role is to ensure that overseas visitors are assessed for eligibility for NHS treatment against the DHSC criteria. Where not eligible overseas visitors attending WWL including Wrightington Hospital, the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Leigh Infirmary, Boston House and Thomas Linacre Centre are charged appropriately for the services they receive. The post holder undertakes the core tasks involved and supports the development of plans, policies and process changes within this service.
Working for our organisation
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values ‘the WWL Way’.
WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.
At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities
Key results from the job holder
1. Conduct 1:1 interviews (either face-to-face, virtual or using translation services) with overseas visitors to analyse the situation and assess eligibility for free NHS treatment, securing the necessary documentary evidence and recording the key points discussed and conclusions reached.
2. Assess patients against eligibility criteria and discuss complex cases with the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer, Directorate Manager or other senior manager as appropriate e.g. Trust solicitor.
3. Show appropriate sensitivity in dealing with patients and their relatives in difficult circumstances
4. Coordinate arrangements for billing overseas patients for diagnostic tests, procedures etc.
5. In cases here immediate necessary treatment is declined, obtain written justification from the clinical staff concerned
6. Monitor patient episodes of care to ensure that invoices are raised regularly and reflect the overall care package
7. Ensure the timely collection of Undertaking to Pay forms
8. Liaise with the UK Border Agency and Home Office regarding the residency status of patients
9. Support the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer in research to keep abreast of overseas visitors issues as they arise nationally and in other NHS Trusts
10. Support the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer in the development of the Trust’s Overseas Visitors policies and procedures
11. Support the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer respond to responses to Freedom of Information requests and the development of Patient Information Leaflets
12. Use various IT systems as required and input required data accurately e.g. Oracle, Patient Centre, HIS, Healhcode, MESH, local overseas visitors spreadsheet
13. Plan own workload to ensure effective prioritisation
Planning and Organisational Duties
14. Have full knowledge and understanding of the complex DHSC Guidance on Implementing the Overseas Visitor Charging regulations
15. Utilise the DHSC portal for advice and guidance as required
16. Timely submission of overseas patient activity to the DWP Overseas patient portal (EHIP)
17. To deputise for the Overseas Visitors/ Private Patient Officer on attendance at meetings including regional/national Overseas Manager Meetings and feedback to Trust representatives as requested by the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer
18. Deal with queries from clinical and corporate teams, as well as external agencies, over the phone, by email and in person in a calm and polite manner and in accordance with Trust policy.
19. Maintenance of patient records and preparation of clinic/admission notes where necessary
20. Maintain appropriate records for audit purposes
Communications and Key Working Relationships
21. The post holder has a wide range of working relationships including
o Patients and their families
o Trust Clinicians
o Trust staff
o Finance including SBS
o NHS Counterfraud
o UK Border Agency
o Home Office
o Department of Work and Pensions
o Safeguarding team
o Other Trusts
Responsibility for Finance
22. The post holds no budget responsibility but the post holder has a responsibility to ensure that Trust income is not lost due to ineligible overseas visitors being given treatment.
23. To raise estimated costs of treatment in accordance with NHS Upfront tariff
24. Securing cash/credit card deposits/payments for treatment of Overseas Visitors in advance of treatment where practicable or prior to discharge
25. Raise appropriate invoices on Oracle for
Responsibility for Human Resources
26. The post has no line management responsibilities for staff but will be involved in training and advising members of the wider administrative team.
Responsibility for Teaching
27. The post holder is expected to teach basic principles of the management of overseas visitors to members of the wider administrative team to facilitate service resilience.
28. The post holder will contribute to Trust wide education programmes to raise the profile of the Overseas Visitors team.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
29. Good standard of general education to NVQ level 3 or equivalent
30. GCSE Maths and English or equivalent
Experience
Essential criteria
31. Previous public facing/customer service experience
Desirable criteria
32. Previous patient facing experience
33. Experience of effective communication when dealing with people/situations involving distressed or agitated individuals
Skills
Essential criteria
34. Good interpersonal skills
35. Excellent communication skills
36. Use of Microsoft Office
37. Motivational and persuasive skills
38. Effective time management and prioritisation skills
Desirable criteria
39. Tenacity and an enquiring approach
Knowledge
Essential criteria
40. Understanding of the basic functioning of the NHS
Desirable criteria
41. Knowledge of Overseas Visitor Charging Regulations
Additional
Essential criteria
42. Able to facilitate multi-site working
43. Flexibility and adaptabiliy
44. Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence Page 2 of 2 structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation