Admissions Co-ordinator, Orthopaedics

Job overview

The post holder will be responsible for the efficient management of specific waiting lists through from point of referral to day of operation in compliance with local and national performance targets and best practice.

He/she will liaise with the multi-disciplinary team, internal departments and external organisations to ensure continuity in achieving excellence in patient care.

Main duties of the job

• To be responsible for managing patients, waiting lists and admissions for a number of Consultants.
• To fully involve the multidisciplinary team in the planning of admissions, ensuring that the patient is provided with appropriate information regarding their admission in a timely manner.
• Maintain thorough and accurate records of all correspondences with patients throughout their admission process.
• To ensure that patients are booked into the appropriate pre-assessment appointment service and liaise with the clinical staff as required, ensuring the clinics run smoothly and effectively.
• To construct and schedule theatre lists as per department guidelines.
• To ensure any patient cancelled on the day of admission/surgery for non-medical reasons, is reallocated a date for admission within 28 days, escalating any problems or issues within a timely manner.
• To identify the needs of patients in conjunction with their admission episode, i.e. language barriers, anxiety, carer / dependency issues.
• To arrange patient transport if required for elective pre-assessment and admission appointments in conjunction with Trust guidelines and policy.
• To manage waiting lists activity and admission data with Trust IT system [i.e. EPIC] and other associate IT systems [i.e. Excel] and action/highlight any errors.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To adhere to Trust and National waiting list targets and policy.
• To liaise with Consultants and other users to ensure that operating lists are covered in respect to clinician leave arrangements, effectively communicating cancelled lists in a timely manner to Admission/Surgical Service Manager and clinical team.
• To ensure as far as possible that theatre time is fully utilised by way of allocating patients to lists in accordance with department guidelines, clinical resources and consultant clinical requirements.
• To actively participate in all initiatives to maximise patient attendance and theatre utilisation.
• To maintain cancellation/short notice system for patients, to maximise utilisation of capacity as per Divisional policy.
• To escalate in a timely and accurate fashion any utilisation and/or waiting list pressures to the Senior Bed Manager.
• To work with and assist the Assistant Service Manager in developing good working practices and procedures across the department to meet Trust and National initiatives (i.e. Booked Admissions, 18 Week Pathway)
• To support relevant clinical staff (as required) in prioritising elective admissions and communicating decisions with patients and clinicians [daily or as required basis dependent on area of work]
• To be responsible for accuracy of waiting lists/activity and to action/highlight any errors to the admissions manager.
• To ensure patient demographics are kept up-to-date at all times on the Trust’s patient database.
• To validate waiting lists as required in relation to Trust guidelines ensuring that all patients are fit and still requiring surgery.
• To maintain Trust agreed standards of data in relation to patient confidentiality and legislation.
• To validate and update as required Trust PTL report, ensuring correct referral/clock start/stop dates etc. are updated on EPIC.
• To ensure maintenance of good relationships, communications and teamwork with all disciplines within the department and other departments of the hospital maintaining confidentiality at all times.
• To answer telephone enquiries and to resolve patient issues and concerns where possible informally.
• To report any adverse incidents or complaints to Senior Bed Manager.
• To be polite, courteous and aware of noise levels at all times.
• To liaise with external agencies [i.e. GPs, social services etc] as required.
• To be part of the admissions team and provide support to other functions of admissions i.e. ensure availability of notes/test results/report.
• To assist in covering admission roles within the department as required.
• To demonstrate an insight into own development, contributing to the process of identifying own educational and training needs in conjunction with line manager and the development of personal development plan.
• To attend and actively participate in team meetings

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.