About this role
Job summary
Are you an experienced people manager with a passion for delivering excellent patient services? We are looking for a Patient Access Support Manager to support the operational leadership of our Front of House and Care Navigation teams across Beacon Medical Group. The role provides day-to-day management of patient access services and supports the Patient Access Manager in delivering safe, efficient and patient-centred care.
You will lead & develop teams, oversee service performance against key targets, manage staffing and workforce planning, support service improvement initiatives, & ensure patients are directed to the most appropriate care pathway. You will also play a key role in training, coaching and supporting staff while promoting a culture of excellent patient experience.
We are seeking a confident and organised leader with experience managing administrative, reception or patient access teams. You will have strong communication, problem-solving and performance management skills, together with an understanding of patient access services, care navigation, confidentiality and information governance.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking organisation committed to continuous improvement & delivering high-quality care to our communities. A full driving licence/ability to travel between sites are essential.
If you are passionate about developing teams, improving services and making a positive difference to patient care, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
The Patient Access Support Manager will work Monday - Friday supporting the delivery of high-quality patient access services, helping to ensure patients receive a responsive and efficient experience when accessing care. Working closely with operational leaders, the postholder will oversee the effective coordination of frontline services, ensuring resources are deployed to meet patient demand and organisational priorities.
The role includes leading and supporting patient-facing teams, promoting consistent standards, developing staff capability and contributing to workforce planning and service resilience. The postholder will also support the implementation of operational improvements that enhance access, efficiency and patient outcomes.
The Patient Access Support Manager will monitor performance, analyse service data and identify opportunities to improve operational effectiveness. They will contribute to the delivery of organisational objectives, support change initiatives and work collaboratively with colleagues to address challenges and ensure services remain patient-focused and sustainable.
About us
About Us
Beacon Medical Group is a large, forward-thinking partnership practice serving approximately 43,000 patients across six sites in Devon.
We are an active contributor to shaping local healthcare services and are at the forefront of developing innovative skill mixes to meet the challenges facing modern Primary Care. Our focus is on continuously improving services and delivering high-quality patient care, while supporting the wider health system to develop sustainable, integrated services that meet the current and future health and wellbeing needs of our communities.
Working with Beacon Medical Group means becoming part of a collaborative, supportive team that values innovation, professional development, and excellence in patient care.
Our Offer
We offer a welcoming and supportive working environment with a range of opportunities for learning, development and wellbeing including:
A comprehensive induction programme.
Protected learning time for ongoing development.
CPD opportunities to support career progression.
Regular reviews and appraisals.
Access to the NHS Pension Scheme, providing valuable benefits during your career and into retirement.
Enhanced family-friendly pay schemes.
Generous annual leave entitlement.
Access to NHS discounts through national and local schemes.
Staff wellbeing services supporting physical, mental and emotional health.
Job description Job responsibilities
The Patient Access Support Manager provides operational leadership and day-to-day management of the Front of House and Care Navigation teams, supporting the Patient Access Manager in the delivery of high-quality, efficient and responsive patient access services. The postholder is accountable for the operational delivery of agreed service standards and key performance indicators (KPIs) across Front of House and Care Navigation functions, ensuring consistent performance, workforce effectiveness and a high standard of patient experience. Working under the direction of the Patient Access Manager, they will proactively monitor service performance, address operational challenges and implement improvements to achieve organisational objectives. The Patient Access Support Manager will also provide day-to-day operational oversight of the Sift and Care Navigation processes, ensuring patients are navigated safely, effectively and consistently to the most appropriate clinician, service or care pathway. Through effective team leadership, performance management, coaching and staff development, the postholder will support the delivery of a resilient, patient-centred access model aligned to practice priorities and service demand. The role acts as a key operational link between frontline teams and the Patient Access Manager, escalating risks, identifying opportunities for improvement and supporting the continuous development of patient access services across the organisation.
Please see attached Job Description for further details.
Person Specification
Other Essential
Ability to travel independently between practice sites and attend meetings across the organisation as required
Experience Essential
1. Understanding of General Practice operations and patient access services. 2. Knowledge of Care Navigation principles and patient signposting 3. Understanding of appointment systems, capacity management and workforce planning 4. Knowledge of patient confidentiality, GDPR and information governance 5. Understanding of performance measures and service standard 6. Knowledge of complaints handling processes 7. Understanding of safeguarding responsibilities 8. Experience of leading a team 9. Experience of managing administrative, reception or patient access teams 10. Experience of HR related personnel including recruitment, induction, training, performance reviews and supervision. 11. Experience of delivering an excellent customer service 12. Experience of managing staff rotas ensuring staffing levels are safe to provide adequate cover for the continuation of services
Desirable
1. Experience of working within a General Practice 2. Knowledge of Total Triage and Sift Navigation models 3. Knowledge of digital patient access systems and online consultation platforms 4. Understanding of Quality Improvement methodologies 5. Experience of implementing change across sites 6. Able to recognise staff training needs and deliver training tailored to individual learner and group learning 7. Ability to manage staff individual performance through the appraisal and one to one process 8. Experience of working to and achieving operational targets and KPIs
Group Values Essential
The candidate must demonstrate an understanding of our values.
Qualifications Essential
Educated to standard A-C grade or equivalent in Maths and English Educated to A-Level standard, or equivalent experience.
Desirable
Evidence of continuing professional development. NVQ Level 4, management qualification NHS Care Navigation training
Skills Essential
1. Strong leadership and team management skills. 2. Ability to motivate, coach and develop staff. 3. Robust organisational skills 4. Excellent organisational and workload management skills 5. Ability to manage multiple competing priorities 6. Problem-solving and decision-making skills. 7. Excellent verbal and written communication skill 8. Excellent IT skills particularly in Microsoft word 9. Good numeracy skills 10. Able to build supportive and productive working relationships across a team. 11. Self-motivated, reliable and dedicated. 12. Ability to hold difficult conversations 13. Flexible working attitude. 14. Patient-focused and committed to excellent customer service 15. Commitment to continuous improvement
Desirable
1. Ability to chair staff meetings 2. Leadership skills across sites 3. Able to build supportive working relationships across the group, supporting team work between interdepending teams 4. Can do attitude and forward thinker demonstrating a range on innovation or improvements to practice 5. Ability to analyse data and prepare reports 6. Experience leading meetings and presenting performance information. 6. Experience delivering group training sessions
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.
Employer details Employer name Beacon Medical Group
Address Ivybridge Medical Centre
Station Road
IVYBRIDGE
Devon
PL21 0AJ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.beaconmedicalgroup.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)