Appointment Co-ordinator X-Ray, WRH

Job summary

We are currently seeking to recruit an fulltime appointment co-ordinator to work as part of the Radiology booking team based at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kings Court, part of WorcestershireAcute NHS Trust.

Successful candidate will join our team to support the delivery of safe andeffective care to our patients by supporting Radiology in the provision ofappointments.

We arelooking for an enthusiastic individual to work as part of the team assistingwith the smooth and efficient running of appointments and associated post holder will assist with adding referrals to waitinglist, reception duties, allocating appointments verbally and via letter and theconfirmation of acceptance of appointments by patients as well as otherclerical duties. We are looking for someone who is a team player with good communication skillsand a pleasant telephone you are organised, flexible andhave the ability to work on your own initiative and to tight deadline this jobis for you. You will be required to demonstrate a commitment to Radiology withregards to customer care and quality and possess a high degree of accuracy andattention to detail.

Knowledgeof Microsoft Office and previous clerical/reception experience isrequired.Knowledge of medical terminology and previouswork within a hospital environment is desirable. Training on the RadiologyInformation System will be provided.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the role are to ensure that all clinical lists are booked, all slots are untilised and patients are dealt with politely and efficiently.

You will be required to assist with reception duties, liaising with dignostic rooms and keepting patients and staff are fully informed.

The booking of appointments for all modalities requires the post holder to ring patients, send out letters and take cancellation and rebooking requests.

Before appointments can be booked all clinical requests must be vetted by the clinical team. the post holder is required to ensure vetting is completed and to raise with the office manager if there is a delay as this will delay the booking of appointments.

All data entered into the Radiology Information system and the main hospital patient system must be acurate, so attention to details is required.

Appointment letters when sent must be completed within agreed postal deadlines and any special preperation for exams checked and sent to patients with letters. Booked appointments over the phone must be agreed with the patient and documented in the system. Booking Standard Operationa policies are available to assit the staff with the booking of appointments and must be followed.

The department also uses an SMS text service which needs to be monitored and updated onto the Radiology system. All requests are electronically sent but occationally we are sent letters or emails requesting exams for patients which have to be actioned immediatly.

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is over 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

Best services for local people Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients Best use of resources Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

The post holder will assist in providing an efficient booking service for the booking of appointments for Radiology presently this is for CT, plainfilms, fluoroscopy, appointments but may include other modalities such as MRI Ultrasound (including Obstetric)and any other examinations performed . On occasion the post holder may be asked to assist in reception duties for patients attending the x-ray department. The post holder will reflect the commitment of the Directorate to customer care and quality, ensuring that all visitors are greeted in a welcoming manner.

Key Duties:

Responsible for the registration of patients who attend for examination, using the Radiology Information System (RIS) to check patient data is correct in accordance with department protocols, where necessary updating such information, checking that the examinations have not been done elsewhere in the Trust, ensuring that each record has the correct patients hospital number and requesting relevant old films where necessary. Complying with IR(ME)R regulations as advised by the Office Manager. Responsible for alerting clinical staff with regards to any patient alarms as indicated on RIS or advised by the patient or referrer. Liaising with diagnostic rooms in cases of delays or sudden peaks in patient arrivals. Ascertaining the needs of patients and visitors and taking appropriate action, such as advising on waiting times and how to obtain results of examinations. Ensure that the post is opened as soon as received and distributed the same day. Ensuring that all referrals are entered onto the RIS on the day the post is received whether that is a paper referral/letter or received electronically, prior to the appointment letter being sent. Ensuring that all electronic orders (ICE) are accepted and dealt with appropriately in accordance with protocols and Dept policies as soon as delivered onto the Radiology System. Escalating when problems are seen so there are no delays. Ensuring that referrals are vetted regularly so that appointments can be allotted. Flagging/escalating any issues promptly. Dealing with telephone and reception queries from patients, staff and General Practitioners. This will include advice regarding preparation for special examinations and taking details for cancellations and ensuring they are acted upon and RIS is updated accordingly. Also taking enquiries from clinics, doctors and other hospitals requiring a copy of reports, printing and emailing these as necessary. Ensuring that all booked appointments are correctly booked for the appropriate staff group and letters advise patients of necessary preparation and information leaflet for the examination. Appointments are booked into an electronic diary. All checks to be made before letters are cleared from the electronic scratch pad ensuring letters are issued and booked correctly. Working to the agreed booking SOP (Standard Operating Policy) for the modality and being involved in changes to the SOP to ensure it is a workable policy. Checking letters are sent within Trust guidelines giving patients sufficient notice. Re-scheduling appointments with patients over the phone or by sending new letters. Checking for SMS text replies from patients regarding booked appointments and dealing with these appropriately, telephoning patients if more information is needed prior to rebooking or returning referrals back to requesters. Ensuring that any day lists are printed and given to the Radiographers as required. Booking beds for patients who require day-case beds for procedures and liaising with Medical secretaries to ensue beds and patient care/ management is correctly in place Advising referring clinicians when a patient has failed to attend for their appointment or if a referral is unjustified and rejected by the clinical team. Daily keeping a record of the number of referrals received for audit purposes and monthly doing a count of all patients on the waiting list to calculate waiting times, when requested. Assisting the Sonographers, Radiographers and Radiologist in obtaining information regarding patients due for US, CT or MRI (or any other modality), to include obtaining patients notes and imaging from other hospitals. Maintaining a cancellation list and ring patients to attend at short notice when requested by the clinical team. Sending and checking images received for any patients passed onto any outsourcing department/hospital to assist with waiting list and breaches. Flagging any beaches in cancer patient waits targets as agreed within the department and following agreed SOPs in how to manage the service and escalate issues. Ensuring that planned patients are vetted as per agreement and ready to book before the month they are due. Raising any issues with the CT leads and Office Manager to ensure work is dealt with efficiently and within deadlines. Receiving and managing telephone calls and group/generic emails and dealing with the queries promptly, passing on details to others if necessary. Following the vetting of exams checking for any placed on hold and dealing with these as required, monitoring for replies and ensuring nothing is missed or forgotten and is managed as per Radiology guidelines and SOPs (Standard Operating Instructions). Taking telephone instructions for PACs copies and following departmental process as per SOP (Standard Operating Policy). Covering all appointment and reception areas during holiday or other absences and offering assistance to other clerical staff covering on a temporary basis. Ensuring that the reception is staffed at all times and informing the Office Manager of any problems. Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

General education to GCSE (min of 3 GCSE to include English and Maths) Information Technology skills with an excellent working knowledge of Microsoft office Applications.

Desirable

NVQ level 2 in customer care

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Proficient use of Microsoft especially Word and Outlook /e-mails Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Good organisational and time management skills Ability to work to strict deadlines and targets Ability to use own initiative Pleasant telephone manner Must be able to work as part of a team Methodical approach to work Ability to problem solve Awareness of confidentiality

Desirable

Knowledge of NHS systems

Experience

Essential

Previous experience in an administrative environment. Previous experience of working on a reception area. Customer service skills Ability to work with competing deadlines and manage conflicting demands Working with multiple administrative systems and databases.

Desirable

Experience of working within the NHS and dealing with hospital computer systems. Experience in making improvements in administrative processes in own role or to support colleagues. Previous experience in working with waiting lists and working to targets.

Other Job requirements

Essential

Able to undertake all manual handling duties. Willing to undertake training / self-development Ability to comply with Trust & Departmental Policies, Procedures and Statutory legislation The department is based over 3 floors and a separate dept off site post hold will be required to move from area to area. There amy be times when you are asked to work at another site in the county to cover for sickness or other staffing issues

Personal Qualities

Essential

Polite. Confidentiality. Excellent telephone skills. Able to understand and carry out instructions accurately. Able to relate to the general public. Team working skills. Self-motivated Positive attitude towards change Approachable and a pleasant and helpful manner Flexible approach to working hours

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