The ideal candidates will have a good working knowledge of Trust IT systems and demonstrate the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
As members of the Vascular Surgery Administration Team, you will be responsible for booking outpatient clinics in line with the Trust’s 18-week referral-to-treatment (RTT) pathway policy, managing email and telephone queries from patients and colleagues, and working closely with our large clinical team to deliver a high-quality, patient-centred service.
In addition to these responsibilities, you will play a vital role in ensuring patients receive a smooth and positive experience during their care with the Vascular Surgery service.
We welcome your application to join our dynamic and supportive team during this exciting transition.
The successful candidates for this role would be responsible for the smooth running of the Vascular Surgery outpatient pathways, processing referrals, booking clinic appointments and being the first point of call for a wide range of patients with varying needs.
You would be working with a large clinical team to help ensure that the most effective patient care is offered whilst working closely with line manager to ensure targets are delivered and duties carried out to a high standard.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’.
Main Duties
- Act as the first point of call for all patient access queries to the department.
- On receipt of all new referral letters ensure that they are processed in line with departmental guidelines.
- Be responsible for the scheduling of outpatient appointments and all associated appointments according to clinical urgency and length of wait in accordance with departmental procedures and Trust Policies.
- Liaise with patients prior to their visit to ensure that a mutually convenient date and time is agreed.
- Ensure that patients are appropriately reminded of their appointments. This may include sending reminder letters or contacting patients by telephone, up to seven days before their visit to re-confirm attendance in line with departmental protocols.
- Ensure that departmental standards are met for patients receiving notification or acknowledgement of their visit.
- Provide a courteous and efficient point of contact for patients both face to face and over the telephone.
- Ensure that each patient is treated as an individual and their individual needs are met (i.e. appropriate support is in place for their appointment, such as interpreting support).
- Regularly check clinics to ensure that scans or investigations for patients who are due are either booked or completed, taking action as necessary to support timely patient care.
- Develop expertise in all aspects of the speciality pathways for your access team.
- Using the EPIC WQ's to ensure that the booking of all patients is line in with Trust and National waiting time targets and escalate exceptions.
- Respond to patient queries or concerns in an effective and professional manner, escalating where appropriate to line manager.
- Responsible for the accurate input and maintenance of confidential data onto relevant Trust IT systems.
- To have a clear and up to date knowledge of the rules and protocols of the service to ensure full and effective utilisation of clinical capacity.
- Ensure regular, efficient validation of all waiting list data in accordance with Trust Policies.
- Attend regular meetings with management
- Work flexibly to ensure the department operates effectively, including working across sites and across all specialty boundaries.
- Assist in investigating any complaints or incidents that arise in relation to appointments.
- Ensure that the any telephone, e-mail or written queries are responded to within the appropriate timeframe and escalated if necessary.
- Develop and maintain relationships with all staff groups to ensure the patient access teams function as effectively as possible.
- Ensure that all patient demographics are checked and updated on all Trust systems.
- Ensure patient cancellations/changes are recorded appropriately on all relevant Trust systems.
- Ensure that any patient initiated pauses to appointment dates are recorded accurately and in real time on the IT system.
- Ensure that local and Trust policies are adhered to at all times.
- Ensure that all clinics are ‘cashed up’ within 24 hours of the end of the clinic with all appropriate outcomes completed.
- Ensure urgent referrals are dealt with in line with agreed protocols.
- Escalate any issues and breaches of the above standards to the manager in the first instance.
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