Outpatient Appointments Clerk

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic person to join our Outpatient Appointments team within our busy Call Centre office based at Southlands Hospital.

This is a call centre role taking high levels of patients Telephone calls, which could be any of the below
- Taking patient phone calls to book new and follow up appointments with outpatients
- Appointment cancellations by phone from patients
- Queries for all Outpatients areas at Worthing, St Richards and Southlands again by phone

Support Choose & Book process daily with direct Choose & Book workload. Provide an efficient and reliable service to book patients’ appointments in line with national targets, which in turn meet the Trust’s targets. Ensure the smooth running of the clinics by rescheduling, ensuring maximum utilisation, working to Trust guidelines whilst maintaining waiting lists in line with Government targets.

This is a challenging phone clerk role working within an extremely busy department.
- have excellent interpersonal skills
- demonstrate a flexible approach to working
- be able to deal with anxious patients in a sensitive manner over the phone.
- be able to operate effectively as part of a team or using your own initiative.

This is an Outpatients Appointments Call Centre role, which will involve taking high levels of patient telephone calls.

You will be supported by experienced staff whilst working as part of a team delivering a high quality service to patients and other departments within the hospital.

Example of Hours for Role

Monday 09:00-18:00
Tuesday 08.00-15.00
Wednesday 08.00-15.00
Thursday 09:00-18:00
Friday 09.00-17.00
Total 37.5 Hr

Join us at UHSussex, every day is different, you can be the change, better never stops

At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute Trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.

**Improving lives**: We are a vibrant and inclusive organisation, with hardworking, talented and dedicated individuals, who work together towards a common goal, to always put our Patient First. Our mission is summed up by our ‘where better never stops’ motto and no matter the role at UHSussex, you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex. We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our wellbeing programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

**Build a career with us**: As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.

Routine input of demographics data and personal details of patients using the computerised patient administration system (PAS) to provide the Trust with an up-to date record of patient information and to ensure a high standard of data quality.

Work as part of a team to maintain waiting lists on behalf of the Trust and the clinicians and select and schedule patients awaiting outpatient appointments for treatment according to the clinician’s instructions and ensure that all patients are seen within the specified time frame.

Patients are prioritised by urgency of treatment

All Outpatient clinics are fully utilised without being overbooked

Allocate each patient with the appropriate identification code and enter referral details onto the system in line with the Trust’s policies and guidelines.

File, retrieve and maintain, on a daily basis, the referral letter system to facilitate ease of reference, ensuring accuracy and compliance of the system.

Liaise directly with Speciality Coordinators to ensure clinic templates make best use of resources/time available.

Deal with enquires and issues escalated to them in an efficient, polite and courteous manner, providing a caring, compassionate, helpful and understanding service to patients, staff and the general public.

Make all referral appointments in accordance with the templates and in chronological order, setting or adjusting templates as requested.

Negotiate with patients to book a suitable appointment within a time, dealing sympathetically in difficult situations.

Ensure patients mutually agree the date and time of their appointment within the set time frame, ensuring no-one breaches.

Liaise with Transport Coordinator to ensure patients requiring transport can attend their appointments.

Answer the telephone in a timely and co