About this role
Job summary
QVH places a strong emphasis on the availability of timely, accurate and relevant clinically coded information to assist all staff in the planning and delivery of the best possible healthcare.
Clinical Coding plays a crucial role in the management of the Trust as it directly influences income through the 'Payment by Results' process. It also forms the basis for clinical audit, clinical governance reporting, benchmarking, clinical performance indicators, information governance and medical research.
Please note, this may be a Band 3 developmental role for the right candidate who would be required to complete the required competencies before they could move into the Band 4 role.
Main duties of the job
The Clinical Coding Team
deliver accurate, timely and complete clinically coded data
fosters a culture of continuous improvement and service development by ensuring all team members have up to date training and that the department participates in regular audit where feedback actions are embedded in every day practice;
develops strong working relationships with clinicians
The post holder will act as a trainee coder reporting directly to the Clinical Coding Manager. The post holder will ensure that the quality and coverage of coding is constantly monitored and improved, through Clinical Engagement, to provide complete, timely and quality data.
About us
Rated GOOD overall with outstanding care by the CQC. A specialist NHS hospital providing life-changing reconstructive surgery, burns care and rehabilitation services across the South of England and beyond.
We specialise in conditions of the eyes (corneoplastics), hands, head and neck cancer and skin cancer, reconstructive breast surgery, maxillofacial surgery and prosthetics, providing regional and national services in these areas of clinical expertise. Our world-leading clinical teams also treat more common conditions of the eyes, hands, skin, and teeth for the people of East Grinstead and the surrounding areas. In addition, QVH provides a minor injuries unit, expert therapies, a sleep service, and a growing portfolio of community-based services. Patients consistently rate QVH amongst the top hospitals in the country for quality of care.
Our success is underpinned by the skills and enthusiasm of our staff and a strong culture of partnership. We are fully committed to training and development of the workforce with support for continuing education and learning.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key result areas
Abstract, analyse and enter correctly coded data into PAS (Patient Administration System) within agreed timescales.
Deal with complicated queries; liaise with clinicians and attend multi-disciplinary team meetings where required.
Locate and collate all appropriate source material, for example, missing case notes, histology.
Liaise with colleagues to distribute workload.
Communication
Able to communicate clearly and with confidence; able to articulate complex rule sets.
Able to offer advice and solutions, demonstrate empathy, attention to detail, leadership, reliability and business acumen on all matters relating clinical coding.
Communicate with Clinicians and Business Unit Management Teams, providing and receiving information that may be of a sensitive or potentially contentious nature.
Take an active part in general departmental meetings to ensure knowledge and learning is widely communicated.
Work with auditors in delivering feedback from audit results, reviewing personal development plans for the team/
Assist clinical teams with the research and provision of information for clinical audit and other purposes.
Ensure appropriate and effective planning, communication and management of clinical coding projects which cross business units.
Maintain and build on specialist knowledge and coding skills through regular peer communication identifying appropriate training opportunities.
Be able in the use of the hospital administration systems for the input of clinical data and the authorised amendment of detail, paying particular attention to accuracy, timeliness and confidentiality and using this knowledge to assist and train others.
Access electronic software systems extract information to supplement clinical coding of the patient record and train others to do likewise.
Regularly review and, if necessary, revise own working practices to take account of the department, Trust and NHS mandatory requirements.
Use knowledge of HSCIC Healthcare Resource Group (HRG) code assignment logic to advise Clinical Coders on diagnostic and procedure code assignment.
Have knowledge of the importance of clinical coding and its uses and an understanding of data quality requirements.
Use and maintain an extended knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, to assist in the selection and application of clinical codes and to investigate and resolve possible inconsistencies between source data and test results.
Keep up to date with development and innovations in healthcare provision in Secondary Care.
Analytical and Judgmental
Work with the Information, Contracting and PAS Teams to improve data quality.
Abstract and analyse complex patient clinical records.
Use judgement to escalate complex cases where the procedure undertaken may not be readily code-able.
Use judgement to resolve complicated coding queries on behalf of the team where information available is ambiguous or there is differing opinion.
Be familiar with external clinical coding audit requirements, and standards, meeting with external auditors as and when required.
Person Specification
Skills
Essential
- Proficient in use of standard computer software packages and PAS systems.
- Ability to prioritise workload in Order to meet organisational and national targets.
Attributes
Essential
- Attention to detail
- Act on own initiative
- Adaptable, able to cope with conflicting pressures
- Innovative problem solver
Additional requirements
Essential
- Prolonged periods of VDU use
Qualifications
Essential
- oGood standard of education including Maths, English and Human Biology
Desirable
- oAccredited Clinical Coder (ACC) status or willing and able to obtain the ACC qualification, or equivalent relevant experience
Experience
Essential
- Clinical coding experience in a healthcare setting
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the importance of clinical coding and its uses and an understanding of data quality issues
- Awareness of the impact of clinically coded data
- Understanding Medical terminology and abbreviations
- Advanced keyboard skills and good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel
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
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Queen Victoria Hospital
Holtye Road
East Grinstead
RH19 3DZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.qvh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)