About this role
Job summary
The post holder will provide a high-quality reception and patient pathway coordination service within Trauma & Orthopaedics, supporting patients from referral through to discharge.
The role includes managing referrals and appointments, booking and rescheduling patients, processing clinic outcomes, maintaining accurate patient records and supporting the management of waiting lists and RTT pathways using CareFlow, NHS e-RS and other Trust systems.
The post holder will provide reception cover and support the Virtual Fracture Clinic (VFC), including managing referrals, booking patients and ensuring outcomes and follow-up actions are completed promptly.
The role requires excellent customer service and close liaison with patients, clinicians and administrative teams to support the effective running of T&O clinics and ensure patients are not lost to follow-up.
Main duties of the job
o Provide a professional, courteous and efficient reception service to patients, relatives, carers, clinicians and other healthcare professionals.o Deal with face-to-face, telephone and email enquiries, resolving queries where possible and escalating complex or sensitive matters appropriately.o Manage generic departmental mailboxes and ensure enquiries, correspondence and requests are actioned or forwarded promptly.o Maintain patient confidentiality and comply with information governance and data protection requirements at all times.
About us
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trustbelieves that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Job description Job responsibilities
Reception and Patient Enquiries Provide a professional, courteous and efficient reception service to patients, relatives, carers, clinicians and other healthcare professionals. Deal with face-to-face, telephone and email enquiries, resolving queries where possible and escalating complex or sensitive matters appropriately. Manage generic departmental mailboxes and ensure enquiries, correspondence and requests are actioned or forwarded promptly. Maintain patient confidentiality and comply with information governance and data protection requirements at all times.
Appointment and Clinic Management Book, cancel and reschedule new and follow-up appointments in accordance with clinic templates, clinical instructions and Trust procedures. Ensure clinics are appropriately utilised and escalate capacity issues, potential breaches and significant delays. Contact patients regarding appointment changes, including telephone contact where appointments are changed at short notice. Arrange interpreters and patient transport where required. Support clinic preparation, process clinic outcomes and ensure required follow-up actions are completed promptly. Support clinic cancellations and rebooking exercises, ensuring affected patients are appropriately communicated with and rebooked. Manage patients who cannot be contacted in accordance with Trust procedures and liaise with GPs/referrers where necessary.
Patient Pathway and Referral Management Process and manage referrals received through NHS e-RS and other approved referral routes, ensuring referrals are accurately recorded and progressed. Register patients and maintain accurate information on CareFlow and other relevant Trust systems. Monitor and action waiting lists, open referrals and Patient Tracking Lists (PTLs), escalating patients at risk of breaching waiting-time standards. Support validation of patient pathways and ensure patients who no longer require appointments are appropriately removed or discharged in accordance with agreed processes. Ensure patients are not lost to follow-up by monitoring outstanding appointments, outcomes and actions. Maintain accurate RTT and pathway information in accordance with Trust procedures.
Virtual Fracture Clinic (VFC) Provide administrative cover for the Virtual Fracture Clinic as required. Process VFC referrals and ensure patients are added to the appropriate clinic for clinical review. Action VFC outcomes promptly, including booking follow-up appointments, investigations or onward referrals as directed by the clinical team. Monitor outstanding VFC referrals and outcomes and escalate delays or capacity concerns appropriately.General Administration Maintain accurate and up-to-date electronic patient records and upload relevant documentation where required. Assist with monitoring service activity, waiting lists and performance information. Work flexibly across the T&O administrative service and provide cross-cover for colleagues during periods of absence or increased service demand. Participate in training, appraisal and continuous improvement initiatives and maintain compliance with mandatory training requirements. Undertake other administrative duties appropriate to the Band 3 role as required by the line manager.
Communication To ensure that confidentiality is always maintained regarding the business of the services. To liaise effectively with their line manager. To provide general non-clinical information and guidance regarding the Whittington Health Community Services to the referrers, patients, carers and the public, in an appropriate manner. To ensure that the patient understands the information regarding their appointment and their responsibilities in lines with Whittington Health Service guidelines. To manage all correspondence generated by the Community Services to patients, GPs and other health professionals in line with the Whittington Health procedures and protocols. To be able to utilise sensitive communication skills to ensure the patient, carer or other health professionals are happy with the care processes
Training and Development To be appraised annually as part of the Trusts Individual Performance review and Personal Development Plan To take responsibility for self-development on a continuous basis, undertaking on-the- job training as required. To actively participate in the post holders own appraisal scheme in lines with the Whittington Health Service guidelines. To the complete of all mandatory training required by the organisation and ensure all modules are within date
Person Specification
Education and Qualification Essential
Excellent written/spoken English Educated to GCSE/O Level or equivalent Higher education to A level or equivalent work experience
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Essential
Ability to work as part of a team Ability to act appropriately in stressful situations Ability to communicate in a clear and professional manner Willingness to undertake and use training relevant to the post
Personal Qualities Essential
Personal/professionally responsible Flexible approach to changing circumstances and department needs Good organisation, time management and prioritisation skills Demonstrate good communication skills
Desirable
Ability to recognise in self work related stress and pressures
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 Whittington Hospital NHS Trust
Address Whittington Hospital
Magdala Avenue
London
N19 5NF
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)