Appointments Clerk - Radiology Booking Services

Job overview

Are you an experienced individual who is able to demonstrate excellent communication, operational and interpersonal skills?

If so, this could be the perfect role for you!

A patient-centred approach is a must for our teams who are proud of providing a courteous and  friendly reception service to our patients as well as being well-equipped to process complex scan requests accurately and efficiently.

This is a fast paced, demanding environment and you should have excellent communication skills. You will be responsible for processing Radiology scan requests, prioritising work and booking patient appointments whilst having full regard to DM01 diagnostic, 18 week referral to treatment and cancer targets.

You will communicate with our patients in a friendly and professional manner, demonstrating excellent customer care skills.

Main duties of the job

• hours full-time or between 22.5hrs and 34hrs part-time. The shifts will generally be from 8.30am to 4.30pm, with a requirement to work from 12pm to 8pm for 1 day a week.

You will be responsible for ensuring that a professional, comprehensive reception and administrative service is effectively delivered to all patients and members of the department. This will be through the correct processing of all diagnostic radiology requests, monitoring breach dates and correctly making appointments with strict adherence to Trust protocols. You will work closely with clinicians, clinical leads and managers to ensure the delivery of diagnostic pathways.

You will be multi-skilled, have a good working knowledge of appointment booking templates and an understanding of capacity and demand issues.

You will be required to rotate through all areas of diagnostic imaging. This will include, but is not limited to: Ultrasound, MRI, CT, Interventional Radiology Day Unit, Main X-ray, DEXA and Nuclear Medicine. Flexibility will be key in supporting the department to meet the needs of the service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties will include, but not be limited to:

• Cover all appointment modalities and reception areas as necessary and continuously keep up to date with any changes.
• Utilise in-depth knowledge of appointment booking protocols to correctly book patient scans and send detailed letters containing starving and other instructions.
• Ensure maximum utilisation of appointment slots (including cancellation slots) and communicate changes to relevant staff.
• Demonstrate a specialised knowledge of investigations and scans and how they are performed and confidently and reassuringly advise patients on how various medications need changing / adjusting prior to examinations. Impart this information to other staff in a confident manner.
• Use judgement and experience in dealing with patient queries and decide on the appropriate course of action.
• Provide advice and reassurance to patients on preparation for examinations, giving out complex and sensitive information, such as diet and starving instructions.
• Speak to patients about sensitive issues like 10 day rules, pregnancy and menstrual cycles, in a professional manner.
• Confidently provide information where there may be barriers to understanding.
• Communicate well with and respond to enquiries from the public, medical personnel and a wide range of colleagues at all levels across the Trust.
• Communicate with patients to understand if further investigation is needed into their medical history prior to them having a scan.
• Recognise the need to involve and liaise with external bodies such as other hospitals, dental surgeries and care homes to obtain the necessary information.
• Demonstrate an approachable and helpful manner at all times.
• Give guidance and support to colleagues in the provision of an efficient service.
• Deal with queries relating to all aspects of the admin function.
• Deal with any problems/queries in a consistent and timely manner, ensuring that all relevant information is provided to assist in a quick resolution to any problem.
• Escalate any major issues, problems or complaints to supervisors, managers or relevant clinicians.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times as required by legislation and Trust policies.
• Support performance monitoring, ensuring patient appointments are booked in strict accordance with booking guidelines, with full regard to diagnostic radiology, cancer and Trust RTT performance measures.
• Document all patients cancelled due to scanner breakdowns, contact patients to inform them of cancellations at short notice and escalate risks to the achievement of targets to managers and clinical leads.
• Act as a primary contact for cancer teams, work to ensure waiting times are strictly adhered to and arrange for any necessary adjustments to fall in line with Trust and national targets
• Work alongside teams of staff across the Trust to ensure that all required standards are achieved and maintained to meet departmental and Trust targets.
• Actively participate in the PDP process, undertaking any learning and development opportunities identified.
• Participate in the departments appraisal/monitoring system
• Undertake induction and training of band 2 staff and band 3 colleagues, identifying and carrying out training as required.