Patient Access Clerk

Job summary

We require a highly motivated, flexible and enthusiastic individual with excellent customer service skills to join our administration team working in a friendly, positive and supportive environment within the Breast Cancer Unit. The available post will be based at the Park Centre for Breast CareCentre in Brighton

Patient Access Clerk, Band 3:

34 Hours per week - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 8am-5pm

You will be working within an established administration team supporting the clinical and nursing team within Breast Surgery & Oncology, You will have administrative experience, a good general level of education and be computer literate. You will have experience of working with the general public and will have a good telephone manner. You must be able to work well both within a team and unsupervised, with good communication and organisational skills and the ability to work effectively under pressure.

You will work in close collaboration with Consultants, Clinicians, radiographers, nursing staff and the operational management team to facilitate the management of the outpatient waiting lists and recording of activity for the service. Working closely with the Patient Access Manager for Breast Surgery, you will ensure compliance with BSUH Trust Patient Access Policy and 18-week referral to treatment and cancer waiting time targets.

Main duties of the job

To support the Patient Access Manager in the provision of an effective and efficient patient access service for the Breast Surgery and Oncology services that includes working in reception areas and appointments offices.

To be responsible for managing the booking of patients from referral to outpatient attendance and to discharge from clinic or from treatment, working in collaboration with medical, nursing, paramedical, management and administrative staff across University Hospitals Sussex sites.

To analyse and validate Patient Targeting Lists (PTL), patient outcome data and cancer waiting time and 18-week validation reports and report issues to the Patient Access Manager.

To work as a member of a team in providing a flexible, efficient and high quality administration service for patients attending the hospital and to assist medical staff, allied healthcare professionals and nurses in the management of the diagnostic and treatment service for Breast Cancer patients.

To recommend changes to policies and procedures in order to provide an optimum patient access service.

About us

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First, as shown in ourOutstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware 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 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 look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Appointments

Receive and register referral letters from multiple sources on PAS in accordance with Trust policy. Recording referrals received from the Referral Management System in an accurate and timely manner.

To ensure that referral letters are processed, appointments then made and communicated to the patients within the timescale set down in the Cancer Waiting Times directive and the Trusts Access Policy.

Add patients to the clinic list, send appointments or acknowledgement letters as appropriate within defined clinic rules and procedures.

To provide a friendly patient focused service for appointment enquiries in person and by telephone.

When required take requests from secretaries and nursing/medical staff to make appropriate follow-up appointments ensuring that any interpreting or additional requirements are ascertained and recording the reason for the appointment booking. Ensure details are accurately recorded on PAS.

Receive and respond to telephone calls from patients wishing to change or cancel their appointments. Advising patients of importance of attending where appropriate and ensuring requests for changes are within waiting times targets.

Make telephone bookings from staff working in clinical areas ward clerks or A&E Dept.

To autonomously process all referrals Cancer Target and routine patients in accordance with the Access Policy. Maintain and ensure that at all time appointments are offered within the government target waiting times for outpatient appointments.

Reception Duties

Greet patients in a courteous and helpful manner. Establish and confirm each patients demographic details and update PAS as necessary.

Direct patients to waiting areas or other clinics and departments as required.

Liaise with transport when patients arrive by hospital transport.

Inform patients of approximate clinic waiting times, and in conjunction with clinical staff keep patients informed as and when situations change.

Issue follow-up appointments when required, including identifying and supplying relevant information / literature.

Complete all outcome coding information on PAS and ensure that clinics are fully reconciled. This includes confirming attendance, completing outcome, and inputting all the data recorded on clinic attendance sheets.

To coordinate the running of reception while resolving queries from the Consultants and Nursing staff, patients and members of the public ensuring that all receive an equitable service in a timely manner.

Communication

To engage in collaborative problem solving with co-workers and staff and other outside agencies.

To ensure that all telephone and email communications are dealt with in a timely and professional manner.

To ensure that all telephone voicemail messages are updated, clear and concise and that all messages are dealt with promptly.

To ensure that when on leave an out of office message is left detailing who to contact.

To function as a team player, being considerate and flexible, taking the needs of peers into consideration.

To exercise discretion to ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained and a professional, respectful hospital environment exists at all times.

To provide and receive complex and sensitive information via telephone, face to face, or in writing, some of which may be contentious in nature, requiring interpersonal and communication skills to promptly assess each situation, escalating to or seeking advice from a health professional as necessary.

To have good written and oral communication skills to enable clear and concise information, explanations and instructions are provided.

To answer a range of complex and sensitive patient enquiries promptly and politely (via telephone and in person) and where necessary refer to the Patient Access Manager for advice/support.

To advise patients of any delays to being seen for their appointment/treatment within the service.

To ensure that all patients are given the opportunity to speak to a senior manager if they wish to make a complaint about the service that they have received.

To be able to establish and maintain effective communication with all members of the public, including those with challenging behaviour, learning disabilities and those whose first language is not English, ensuring interpreters are booked for appointments as soon as the need is identified to comply with legislation.

To liaise with clinical /nursing staff, porters and ambulance staff.

To deal with all non-clinical queries in an efficient and courteous manner using judgement and prioritisation.

To develop and maintain effective working relationships with nursing, medical, Allied Health Professionals and managerial staff within the department.

To work with colleagues to ensure that relevant information is disseminated effectively and appropriately in a timely manner.

To take clear and accurate messages and ensure prompt delivery to the appropriate person.

Person Specification

Experience and Skills

Essential

oSubstantial experience of admin/clerical work oExperience of working with the general public oComputer literate with knowledge of Microsoft products to include Word & Excel oTo be able to handle complex enquiries from patients, some of whom may distressed/anxious about their care oAbility to work unsupervised, plan, prioritise and manage own workload

Desirable

oExperience in a hospital or healthcare setting

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Essential

Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues.

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