Outpatient Booking Officer

Job overview

We are recruiting a Outpatient Booking Officer to join our team in ensuring the smooth coordination of outpatient services. You will manage patient tracking lists, book and validate appointments on EPR, and proactively monitor elective, RTT, and cancer pathways to prevent delays or breaches. This role is key to supporting clinicians, optimising clinic capacity, maintaining accurate patient records, and delivering a high-quality patient experience.

Main duties of the job

• Ensure accurate and comprehensive patient records and clinical details including outpatient referrals are added onto EPR in a timely manner, according to agreed standards, (the Trusts’ Elective Access Policy and Data Quality).
• Book appointments on EPR as per Trust procedures in line with the Trusts Elective Access Policy and ensure all referrals are clinically triaged within 48 hours.
• Ensure that patients on ERS (Electronic Referral System) are given appointment dates in accordance with clinical priority and length of wait, and that patients on the ASI list are managed accordingly.
• Ensure that the appropriate action is taken following both patient and hospital cancellations, such that the utilisation of elective capacity is maximised.
• Ensure that the patients’ 18 week RTT pathway is correct on EPR before undertaking any changes.
• Be responsible for manging designated patient tracking lists (PTL) and attend weekly PTL meetings with the management teams.
• To ensure all clinician annual leave and changes in outpatient sessions are accurately recorded
• Take a lead to resolve clinic cancellation issues by communicating with colleagues and arranging cover or alternative clinics where required.
• The post holder is expected to develop an understanding of the Trust Elective Access Policy and related procedures, and to make a positive contribution to the ongoing development of elective administration processes.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• All Consultants, clinicians and nurses are required to give a minimum 6 week notice period of any clinic alterations. Ensure that any requests outside this period are highlighted to the Outpatient Booking Team Leader.
• Keep an accurate record of all Consultants, clinicians and nurses leave requests and detailed accounts of reasons for clinic cancellations.
• Ensure that any clinic changes are completed and approved via clinic maintenance pro formas for any changes to clinic templates on the EPR system.
• This role requires a high level of concentration to be maintained, precise, analytical, accurate detailed work and regular emotional effort when initiating and responding to patients on the telephone and via NetCall.
• An understanding of medical terminology will be of benefit.
• To receive and make telephone calls and take appropriate action/discussion with appropriate staff maintaining a friendly, professional and courteous manner at all times. These conversations can often be of a distressing nature.
• Maintaining filing system and other basic office duties.
• The post holder must exercise judgement to analyse and resolve problems.
• Have an understanding and familiarity of medical terminology in relation to the Directorate.
• The post holder is required to work unsupervised and is expected to plan and organise his/her own time.
• Provision of information and advice to patients and relatives about appointments, both new and follow up, exercising judgement when dealing with patient enquiries.
• Be responsible for communicating cancellations to all relevant parties with the reasons for cancellation.
• Develop protocol for offering cancellation places to appropriate patients.
• Will be asked to show flexibility should the need arise when providing cross-cover for other members of the Outpatient Booking teams during times of leave/sickness and when required.
• Provide training to new staff under direction of the Outpatient Booking Team Leader.
• Must at all times respect the confidentiality of all electronically stored information and written data, particularly where it relates to patients (in line with the Data Protection and Patient Confidentiality policies)
• Is required at all times to carry out their individual responsibilities with due regard to the Trust Equal Opportunities and to take reasonable care of his/her own health and safety and that of any other person(s) who may be affected by his/her acts of omission. With particular reference to Trust Health and Safety Policy notes.
• Any other reasonable duties requested by the Management team. On occasions, it may be necessary for the post holder to assist other administrative departments within the Service.

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.