Breast Screening Clerical Assistant

Job overview

Clerical assistant is responsible for providing reception cover and to change appointments via telephone and email for Oxfordshire Breast Imaging Centre.

The post holder will provide comprehensive administrative and reception support to ensure the efficient progression of women through the breast screening pathway, in line with NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) standards and Trust policies. This includes appointment management, patient communication, and maintaining high standards of confidentiality, accuracy, and patient care.

The role requires excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate sensitively with patients who may be anxious.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the job

Reception cover

Rebooking appointments

Prepare clinic schedules and screening documentation for mobile and static units, ensuring timely dispatch of invitations. Update and maintain patient records on NBSS, including personal details and screening outcomes, in line with the Right Results Policy.

Generate and distribute GP reports, maintaining effective communication with GP practices. Process patient updates including deductions, withdrawals and eligibility changes, ensuring records remain accurate and complete.

Respond to patient and GP queries sensitively and in line with NHSBSP guidance. Manage appointments and re-bookings via telephone, email, post or in person, ensuring systems are updated promptly.

Provide high-quality patient interaction, offering reassurance, particularly for those attending assessment clinics. Register and book patients outside routine recall using NBSS.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To prepare clinic schedules and associated paperwork for screening. Print out all relevant clinic forms for both the mobile and static units, on a daily basis. Dispatch invitations for screening at the appropriate time.
• To update personal details and enter results from the screening episode onto the NBSS computer system, ensuring the client receives the correct result in line with the Right Results Policy.
• To print out GP reports and ensure their dispatch to individual practices.
• To update deductions, including clients who are deceased or who have moved out of the Oxfordshire area.
• To answer queries from clients or GP practices.
• To deal with changes of appointments by post, telephone, email or in person, amending details on the NBSS computer system to ensure accuracy. To deal efficiently and pleasantly with the variety of incoming calls, taking accurate messages where necessary, whilst maintaining patient confidentiality and displaying awareness of the Data Protection Act.
• To be responsible for giving accurate information to clients, in accordance with agreed policies and guidelines, within the NHSBSP, demonstrating sensitivity in order to allay the anxieties that women frequently have about breast screening.
• To register those women to be screened outside normal batch routines and book appointments, using the NBSS computer system.
• To retrieve and file films in the breast screening and symptomatic systems before and after a screening or symptomatic appointment. Culling of files from the filing system. Send for previous screening or symptomatic films from outside the Trust as necessary. Filing would include the use of a file room ladder and stool.
• To organise the incoming and outgoing post for the department.
• To photo-copy maps and letterheads on a daily basis, ready for clinic preparation.
• To cover reception for the Breast Clinic on Monday mornings, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons finishing at 6.00pm.
• To take responsibility for personal development, attending training courses as part of the NHSBSP and Trust mandatory training where appropriate, and as relevant to the post.
• To perform any other duties associated with the smooth running of the unit, appropriate to the grade and nature of the post, as requested by the Senior Staff.
• To ensure that the NHSBSP Guidelines and policies are followed.

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.