Failsafe Officer

The post holder will provide support to the Diabetic Retinopathy service and the administration team, to ensure patients receive appointments at the recommended timelines. The Post holder will: Work as part of the departments structure to develop and monitor failsafe processes and systems to manage risk of harm to Ophthalmology patients. Work independently as part of the Outpatients booking team with specific responsibility for Urgent referrals and patients attending the Diabetic Retinopathy service. Track outcomes from DR clinic sessions, specifically the patients graded into outpatients to ensure that they are booked into the correct subspeciality clinics in the specified timeframes.

Track outcomes from DR clinics on a monthly basis (attendances, discharges and DR reviews and grading to OPD). Ensure all relevant coding of appointments is recorded correctly. Monitor and action escalation reports to prevent patients being lost to follow up. Work with the DR team to monitor patients attending urgent follow-up clinics.

Assisting with the scheduling of patients for urgent Laser and intravitreal treatment liaising with other failsafe officers in the requisite sub-specialities when needed. Support clinic utilisation, management of follow-up and reviews and a reduction in DNAs. Ensure high levels of patient and clinician satisfaction by being patient and customer focussed and an accessible point of contact. Support the investigation of incidents & complaints and make recommendations for quality improvement and safety initiatives.

**Key Responsibilities**: CUSTOMER CARE FOR PATIENTS AND/OR SERVICE USERS Provides general non-clinical advice, information, guidance or ancillary services directly to patients, clients, relatives or carers. To act as a contact point for queries and enquiries on outpatient waiting list status for patients and internal/external parties. Ensure Data Quality standards are met, and confidentiality is always maintained. Ensure the telephone is answered promptly and efficiently so that all calls are dealt with in a courteous and timely manner.

Implement patient choice programme in line with National, Trust and CCG developments. ANALYTICAL Use of judgement skills involving facts, situations and options requiring analysis and solutions. Analyse daily clinic capacity and organise the rebooking of any cancelled clinics slots as appropriate, ensuring any breaches are avoided and ensuring that capacity is proactively and efficiently used. Report monthly figures to management team.

Manage urgent requirements for patients needing same day appointments/assessments. Liaise with Clinicians to highlight and solution service or capacity issues that may affect patient flow. Take accurate information from referrals, and self-referrals from existing ophthalmology patients, to enable clinician to grade referral appropriately. Liaise with all necessary members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure casualty referrals are dealt with efficiently.

Track all follow up patients in the pathway to provide assurance that appointments are within clinically led timelines. Investigate all follow-up patient DNAs, communicating the results to the consultants and the operational management team as appropriate Escalate any predicted or actual clinical capacity issues to the operational management team and lead clinicians to ensure that patient care is not postponed or compromised. Investigate and take the appropriate action where pathways are incomplete to ensure that patients are receiving timely treatment. Run and collate audits and activity reports Record and maintain daily clinic statistics for the Consultants and the Trust.

Data input to databases and spreadsheets (Excel). Create and implement new data/activity recording systems. Implements policies for own work area and proposes changes to working practices or procedures for own work area. Develop protocols and guidelines relating to failsafe processes to support the smooth running of the programme.

COMMUNICATION Deal with complex queries which will require the use of diplomatic, negotiating, persuasion and analytical skills and the ability to empathise. Provide and receive routine information orally, in writing or electronically to inform staff at all levels across the Trust, work colleagues, patients, clients, carer, the public or other external contacts. Frequently receive information will frequently be of a sensitive nature and confidentiality must always be ensured. Undertake telephone and face-to-face enquiries that will need to be dealt with efficiently and with understanding, empathy, reassurance and action taken as appropriate.

Support the coordination of expansion and management of virtual clinics. Be accessible for patients and carer communication for appointments and concerns, ensuring these are dealt with in a timely manner and escalated to the correct member of the ophthalmology team. Work in partnership with Trust & Directorate teams in the deli