Outpatient and Telephone Hub Clerk

Job overview

The post holder(s) will work within the Trust's Centralised Booking Centre, providing an essential support service in relation to Outpatient Services. The Centralised Booking Centre will provide a patient focused and responsive contact point for patients, ensuring all appointments are booked within the specified time limits.

All post holders are to be involved in and adaptable to future changes in the scope and location of their role.

To be receptive to and support changes to processes and systems as the Trust EPR and EDMS solutions develop and mature over time.

Main duties of the job

To provide an effective and efficient booking service To be the first point of contact for patient calls To contribute to an efficient and effective Outpatients team Providing an OPD appointment service for existing patients of the Trust. Dealing with patient queries and ensuring calls are routed to the appropriate person. Patient Administration Supporting key function of clinic template management

Job responsibilities

Follow Trust and departmental processes and procedures to ensure a high quality, resource efficient and cost effective service is provided. Ensure patient folders are created and prepped and made available for all outpatient activity including Cardiac Diagnostics and TB contact clinics. All folders must be available within the agreed time limits and are presented in a tidy and cohesive order in line with NHSLA. To ensure all required data is accurately and appropriately recorded in the PAS system within agreed timeframes. Of particular importance is data relating to patient demographics, appointments, 18 week referral to treatment pathway. Update of all outpatient appointment outcomes at the end of each clinic session i.e. cache up, ensuring all relevant actions have been completed for each patient. To ensure that patients/callers needs are met with regard to booking systems, and/or general enquiries. To sensitively explain to patients where their appointments have been cancelled or postponed and ensure a new appointment is negotiated, as required. To deal sympathetically with distressed patients and families. To deal with patient complaints concerning Outpatient appointment details/ cancellations referring angry/distressed patients on to a senior member of the Outpatients Team when necessary. To notify the Team Leader Central Booking if there are any issues with clinic capacity for future appointments. To work and rotate on various clinics in Outpatients, Cardiac Diagnostics and Contact Clinic to ensure adequate skill mix and cover within the team. To prioritise, book and change appointments on both PAS and the Choose and Book System on a daily basis according to clinical urgency, clinic capacity and waiting time targets. Ensure familiarity and compliance with the Trusts Access Policy. Maintain statistics of each clinic session and provide to the Team Leader Central Booking Team. Open post and re-direct as appropriate to other departments. Liaise with GP practices or other NHS organisations to retrieve missing referrals or gain additional information around patient referrals when necessary. To provide a high standard of customer care to patients and their careers through clear communications. Ensure that patient reminder letters are generated from the PAS on a daily basis and posted to patients in a timely manner. Assist clinical staff in retrieval of scanned images from the EDMS. Ensure the Outpatient reception desk is appropriately staffed during busy times to support patient flow. To ensure that any change of patient details are made on PAS promptly at the point of referral or appointment confirmation. Demonstrate and explain outpatient administrative processes, practices and procedures to new and less experienced staff. To answer the telephone and deal with queries and requests in a prompt, pleasant and helpful manner, referring on, as necessary to the appropriate member of the Team. To provide cover to the Access Team, Medical Secretariat and Health Records Team for roles equivalent to own post or grade if required. To minimize hazards in the working area and report any identifiable hazards to the Line Manager. To adhere to all safe systems of work applicable to the work area. Ensure all patient folders from each outpatient clinic are collated and prepped prior to sending to Health Records to be scanned in to the EDMS. Liaise with Outpatient, Cardiac Diagnostic and Contact Clinic staff to ensure all aspects of service delivery are aligned with service requirements. Scan documentation using the departmental scanning devices and index records accordingly to ensure documentation is classified and indexed to the correct patient record. Undertake regular maintenance and cleansing of scanning devices to ensure devices are appropriately maintained and remain operational. Maintain accurate and up to date records of work undertaken on a daily basis to ensure departmental KPIs and service level agreements can be monitored. Participate and contribute to departmental meetings including objective setting and feedback discussions. Ensure any requests for disclosure of information are directed to the Health Records Coordinator and Information Governance Officer. Participate in departmental audits as and when required. Maintain records (paper and electronic) in an accurate and timely manner. Report any incidents direct to the departmental manager immediately and ensure the Trust incident reporting process is followed. Ensure that lifting and handling guidelines are adhered to. Comply with all Health and Safety requirements within the Trust. Collect and deliver patient folders to and from Health Records Department following completion of Outpatient Clinic sessions. Follow and comply with departmental procedure documentation. When new procedures are implemented or existing documentation updated, staff must familiarize themselves with the changes. Work as part of a team to ensure that an efficient service is provided at all times. Liaise effectively with all disciplines of staff to ensure efficient lines of communication are maintained at all times. Check stationary requirements and inform Team Leader Central Booking Team if extra stock is required to maintain service delivery. To undertake any other duties required by manager appropriate to the grade and relevant to the role. Be flexible to the needs of the service to support effective delivery of service. Be adaptable to and support future changes of the service.

Follow Trust and departmental processes and procedures to ensure a high quality, resource efficient and cost effective service is provided. Ensure patient folders are created and prepped and made available for all outpatient activity including Cardiac Diagnostics and TB contact clinics. All folders must be available within the agreed time limits and are presented in a tidy and cohesive order in line with NHSLA. To ensure all required data is accurately and appropriately recorded in the PAS system within agreed timeframes. Of particular importance is data relating to patient demographics, appointments, 18 week referral to treatment pathway. Update of all outpatient appointment outcomes at the end of each clinic session i.e. cache up, ensuring all relevant actions have been completed for each patient. To ensure that patients/callers needs are met with regard to booking systems, and/or general enquiries. To sensitively explain to patients where their appointments have been cancelled or postponed and ensure a new appointment is negotiated, as required. To deal sympathetically with distressed patients and families. To deal with patient complaints concerning Outpatient appointment details/ cancellations referring angry/distressed patients on to a senior member of the Outpatients Team when necessary. To notify the Team Leader Central Booking if there are any issues with clinic capacity for future appointments. To work and rotate on various clinics in Outpatients, Cardiac Diagnostics and Contact Clinic to ensure adequate skill mix and cover within the team. To prioritise, book and change appointments on both PAS and the Choose and Book System on a daily basis according to clinical urgency, clinic capacity and waiting time targets. Ensure familiarity and compliance with the Trusts Access Policy. Maintain statistics of each clinic session and provide to the Team Leader Central Booking Team. Open post and re-direct as appropriate to other departments. Liaise with GP practices or other NHS organisations to retrieve missing referrals or gain additional information around patient referrals when necessary. To provide a high standard of customer care to patients and their careers through clear communications. Ensure that patient reminder letters are generated from the PAS on a daily basis and posted to patients in a timely manner. Assist clinical staff in retrieval of scanned images from the EDMS. Ensure the Outpatient reception desk is appropriately staffed during busy times to support patient flow. To ensure that any change of patient details are made on PAS promptly at the point of referral or appointment confirmation. Demonstrate and explain outpatient administrative processes, practices and procedures to new and less experienced staff. To answer the telephone and deal with queries and requests in a prompt, pleasant and helpful manner, referring on, as necessary to the appropriate member of the Team. To provide cover to the Access Team, Medical Secretariat and Health Records Team for roles equivalent to own post or grade if required. To minimize hazards in the working area and report any identifiable hazards to the Line Manager. To adhere to all safe systems of work applicable to the work area. Ensure all patient folders from each outpatient clinic are collated and prepped prior to sending to Health Records to be scanned in to the EDMS. Liaise with Outpatient, Cardiac Diagnostic and Contact Clinic staff to ensure all aspects of service delivery are aligned with service requirements. Scan documentation using the departmental scanning devices and index records accordingly to ensure documentation is classified and indexed to the correct patient record. Undertake regular maintenance and cleansing of scanning devices to ensure devices are appropriately maintained and remain operational. Maintain accurate and up to date records of work undertaken on a daily basis to ensure departmental KPIs and service level agreements can be monitored. Participate and contribute to departmental meetings including objective setting and feedback discussions. Ensure any requests for disclosure of information are directed to the Health Records Coordinator and Information Governance Officer. Participate in departmental audits as and when required. Maintain records (paper and electronic) in an accurate and timely manner. Report any incidents direct to the departmental manager immediately and ensure the Trust incident reporting process is followed. Ensure that lifting and handling guidelines are adhered to. Comply with all Health and Safety requirements within the Trust. Collect and deliver patient folders to and from Health Records Department following completion of Outpatient Clinic sessions. Follow and comply with departmental procedure documentation. When new procedures are implemented or existing documentation updated, staff must familiarize themselves with the changes. Work as part of a team to ensure that an efficient service is provided at all times. Liaise effectively with all disciplines of staff to ensure efficient lines of communication are maintained at all times. Check stationary requirements and inform Team Leader Central Booking Team if extra stock is required to maintain service delivery. To undertake any other duties required by manager appropriate to the grade and relevant to the role. Be flexible to the needs of the service to support effective delivery of service. Be adaptable to and support future changes of the service.