About this role
Job summary
The Spinal team are looking for an Patient Pathway Administrator to join the team. This broad, patient centred and high profile role is integral to the operational running of the department which is currently striving to meet the challenge of additional demand across the service.
The role of the Patient Pathway Administrator is key to ensuring our patients are supported throughout the care they receive at RNOH.
The post holder will effectively handle telephone calls, email correspondence, process referrals and book appointments, whilst ensuring that patients or visitors receive any information they need prior to accessing our services.
Main duties of the job
1. Answer inbound telephone calls promptly, and in a polite and friendly manner.
2. Respond appropriately to queries, using all available information sources to provide a response.
3. Proactively provide relevant and helpful information to patients and colleagues.
4. Where a query cannot be resolved, redirect the call to an appropriate contact who will be able to assist.
5. Make outbound calls as required to patients, GP's and referrers.
6. Ensure a polite, smooth and efficient service is offered the departmental reception area, receiving patients at the desk and advising them as required.
7. Operation of the Trust's electronic health record which will include booking of arrivals and negotiating suitable appointment arrangements with patients.
8. Monitoring and managing the reception waiting area to ensure that patients are seen in a timely manner and within a safe environment.
About us
At the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), we are committed to achieving the best staff experience in the NHS. In the 2023 NHS Staff Survey, we proudly:
Scored above the national average for the People Promises: "We are recognised and rewarded," "We are always learning," "We work flexibly," "We are a team," and for staff engagement. Ranked #1 among all Trusts in North and Central London for all People Promises and themes. Ranked #1 among all Acute Specialist Trusts for "We work flexibly." At RNOH, we're committed to being actively anti-discriminatory and actively inclusive. We recognise our brilliant people do brilliant work, and we offer rewarding careers, no matter what their background. We continue to strive to break down barriers to be the Trust where people come together because what they do matters, makes a difference and where they can thrive.
Joining our organisation means enjoying a wide range of staff benefits, including:
24/7 access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme. A Rewards & Recognition platform, offering opportunities to thank colleagues, send gifts, and access exclusive discounts. A dedicated Staff Wellbeing Hub, providing a space to relax and recharge away from the work environment. Salary sacrifice schemes for transport (season ticket loans, car and bike), electrical goods, and childcare At RNOH, we are more than a workplace--we are committed to patients, to excellence and the wellbeing of our staff.
Job description Job responsibilities
1. Receive new referrals and check hospital data systems to see if the patient has been previously registered with a hospital number.
2. Register all patients who do not already have a hospital number, ensuring clear and accurate information is entered onto the Electronic Health Record (EHR) and that no duplicate records are created.
3. Record and capture patient information appropriately and in line with Standard Operating Procedures.
4. Ensure patient demographics are correct by checking with the patient at every encounter, highlighting any duplicate records and escalating to the supervisor.
5. Screen referrals and allocate the referral to the appropriate team, escalating when it is unclear which specialty is appropriate.
6. Use electronic patient information systems to scan, attach referrals, and create and action workqueues.
7. Support the management of key workqueues to address data quality issues, managing patient activities (e.g. appointment bookings) and other administrative tasks.
8. To ensure that no patient is 'lost to follow up' and that all patients are appropriately managed on a waiting list within the electronic health record.
9. Input clinical correspondence onto hospital databases.
10. Sending correspondence to patients, GPs, or others involved in the care of a patient, in a timely manner.
11. Review triaging information from consultants and action the required next steps, communicating a
consultants decision not to treat or to accept the referral back to a patient, ensuring documentation is sent to the referrer and patient with the referrer and patient, as required.
12. Contact referrers to clarify the information provided in referrals if this is unclear or incomplete.
13. To action Advice and Guidance (A&G) requests on the e-RS system with responses from the clinical team, escalating where required.
14. Manage the e-RS (e-Referrals System) worklists to ensure ASIs (appointment slot issues) and referrals are appropriately managed, escalating where required.
15. Use tact, negotiation and persuasion to ensure that referrals are triaged by the clinical team in a timely fashion, and follow up with clinicians where referrals are not triaged in the expected time frame, escalating where support is required.
16. Support with the preparation of information for MDT meetings.
17. Provide administrative support for multi-disciplinary team meetings as required, including the recording and actioning of outcomes following the meetings, ensuring that this information is correct, complete and saved to the patients electronic health record.
18. Dispose of paper referral documentation in line with the Trusts Information Governance policy.
19. Identify private and overseas patients and escalate to ensure the correct process is followed.
Appointment Bookings
1. Responsible for the administrative work within a designated specialty or department.
2. Book and reschedule new, follow up and diagnostic appointments, in line with the Trusts Access Policy and Cancer Waiting Times Operational Policy.
3. Ensure patient pathway status is identified and proactively monitor the pathway to ensure that all elements of patient care are scheduled in line with regulatory access targets (e.g. RTT referral to treatment targets, DM01 6 week diagnostic target and various cancer targets) and as set out in the Trusts Access and Cancer Waiting Times Operational policies.
4. To review the patient tracking list (PTL), participate in PTL meetings and identify potential delays or issues with a patient pathway or potential breaches, and take preventative steps to avoid these, i.e. chasing diagnostic tests, results of tests.
5. Generate appointment letters for patients and sending relevant information or preparation to patients in advance of their appointment. This may include the transcription and typing of tapes/notes.
6. Ensure adequate preparation for clinics or admissions, receive and collate reports of investigations such as blood tests and x-rays, and preparing information for clinical teams before the next clinical appointment of the patient.
7. Responsible for identifying vacant slots and filling them, to ensure maximum clinic and theatre list utilisation.
8. Ensure patient who have experienced cancellations are allocated new dates within the specified time limits.
Person Specification
Communication & Relationship Skills Essential
Able to communicate clearly and sensitively with a wide range of patients, in situations where there may be barriers to understanding (e.g. language difficulties, anxious or distressed patients or relatives). Able to work as part of a team, or autonomously in line with standard operating procedures. Able to induct new staff into the department, demonstrating tasks to colleagues
Knowledge, Training & Experience Essential
Educated to GCSE level or equivalent, with Grade C or above in English and Maths. Knowledge of administrative procedures, acquired through training and previous experience of working in an administrative environment. Awareness of the requirement to maintain confidentiality, and knowledge of the Data Protection Act. Experience of working in a nonroutine environment, with demonstrable evidence of problem solving and resolving issues as they arise (acquired through experience and/or training to Vocational level 3 or equivalent). Experience of working in a customer facing environment, with knowledge of a comprehensive range of administrative procedures.
Desirable
NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration, Customer Service, Healthcare Support Services or equivalent qualification. Previous NHS experience, or experience of working in a healthcare setting.
Analytical & Judgment Skills Essential
Ability to make decisions in a constantly changing environment using judgement to deal with queries or escalate where necessary. Able to deal with sensitive information with tact, diplomacy and understanding.
Planning & Organisational Skills Essential
Able to work independently, managing own workload and prioritising tasks.
IT skills Essential
Advanced keyboard skills, and competent in the use of Microsoft Applications (Word, Excel and Outlook)
Desirable
Experience of using a patient record system Knowledge of the Epic patient electronic health record system
Responsibility for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Essential
Demonstrable commitment to anti-discriminatory and inclusive behaviours and practices
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Address Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Trust Brockley Hill
Stanmore
HA7 4LP
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.rnoh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)