Patient Access Clerk - Registration and Templates

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Patient Registration and Template Team at Broadgreen Hospital for1 x Full time Patient Access Clerks.

We are a hard working, dynamic team that provides administrative support to the care groups in the registration and management of referrals and templates for all appointment priorities (routine/urgent/2ww). We hope to recruit an organised and enthusiastic administration clerk that is flexible and looking to be a part of a great team.

If you are passionate about admin and the NHS, and are looking for a position that builds skills and knowledge this could be the job for you.

We are focused on delivering the best possible service for our patients, if you would like to be a part of providing great services to our community then this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

Main duties of the job

The post holder has responsibility to undertake the full range of duties commensurate with the role (registration/booking/template management/general) and shall as necessary be flexible in providing cover for absent colleagues in order to maintain service provision. - Please refer to the job description for full details.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder shall follow all the policies and procedures of the organisation.

Registration

Register patient on PAS for outpatient episode commensurate with relevant referral and use Summary Care Record (SCR) to validate patient information (NHS No).

Issue new hospital number (RQ6) and prepare any new documents for new patients to the Trust in accordance with Trust Policy.

Ensure all referrals are date stamped upon receipt.

Scan referral letters into the referral workflow system in date/terminal digit order adhering to departmental processes, systems and protocols and ensuring that the correct level of clinical urgency is applied.

Forward referrals to appropriate clinician/department for authorisation via relevant workflow processes.

Respond to telephone enquiries from Referrer requesting status updates for patients.

Ensure complete compliance with Trust Elective Access Policy

Booking of appointments

Liaise with secretaries and admin departments regarding booking of appointments, referral letters etc.

Using PTL’s and the PAS system, in chronological order, invite patients and book appointments as appropriate.

Process patients from TAL (Telephone appointments line) identifying available appointment slots.

Manage appointments generated by the Electronic Referral System (ERS) in line with local/national standard operating procedures. This includes slot issues, cancelling appointments, rebooking appointments and sending confirmation letters. Refer to line manager any issues which jeopardise 18 week pathways.

To process and prioritise the scheduling of outpatient appointments due to clinical urgency and length of wait and in accordance with departmental procedures, protocols and Trust Policies.

Receive and process telephone calls from relatives/carers of patients informing the Trust of the patient’s death and amend PAS accordingly. This may require sensitive handling.

Telephone patients to negotiate convenient outpatient appointments or receive calls from patients/relevant others (e.g. Other Hospitals) regarding booking, changing or cancelling their appointments. This involves identifying the correct appointment, clinic, session and doctor code to which the caller is referring and rescheduling or cancelling the appointment as appropriate.

Inform the appropriate Consultant/ Directorate/secretarial staff of patients who have cancelled their appointment inappropriately e.g. urgent appointments.

Receive and process telephone calls from patients to update and amend their demographic details and make the necessary changes on the PAS system.

Contact GP Practices/other Hospitals for validation of patient demographic details and to obtain information if required e.g. copy letters, NHS Number etc.

In accordance with Trust procedures, open suspended clinics, add on patients and re-suspend clinics ensuring appropriate comments are recorded on PAS.

On the instruction and authorisation of the Consultant/Clinician, overbook clinics ensuring authority to do so is recorded on PAS.

Working with guidance from clinical staff/secretaries, pro-actively fill cancelled appointment slots with patients to minimise the impact of non-attenders.

Offer patients a mutually convenient date and time for outpatient appointments on either a full or partial booking basis in accordance with local standard operating procedures.

Contact patients as requested in order to cancel/reschedule their appointments.

Arrange and book interpreters for patients attending clinics as required.

Inform line manager of any system or appointment slot issues.

Template management

Build clinic templates in accordance with Trust procedures as authorised via Patient Access Manager, to include standard clinics, firewall clinics and additional clinics. This may involve liaising with clinical/directorate staff to ensure correct entry of clinic codes and appointment time slots. Once template is built, communicate clinic codes to relevant personnel.

Perform template maintenance/changes on PAS as instructed by relevant personnel.

Cancel/reduce/suspend clinics as per instruction and authorisation, moving patients into appropriate new slots where appointments have been cancelled. Communicate cancelled/reduced/suspended clinics to relevant personnel.

Receive, store and prioritise emails from secretaries/clinicians/directorates requesting template changes. Once action complete save email confirming work completed.

Amend clinic booking rules as necessary.

Transcribe clinic templates as requested.

Update booking rules for clinics in accordance with instruction from Patient Access Manager/Directorate Managers.

Inform line manager of any system errors.

General

Support the Team leader/Officer in:

• Training of new staff within the department
• Development and implementation of new policies and procedures within the Department.
• Implementing and meeting national and local initiatives, specifically supporting referral to treatment targets for patients.
• Record and collate ad hoc information for monitoring and reporting purposes.

Undertake self-supervision and effective self-organisation in terms of:

• Co-ordinating annual leave in co-operation with other members of the team and with approval from management.
• Establishing good levels of communication and liaison with other clerks, secretaries, clinical staff and other departments and hospitals.
• Liaising with other clerks in the department to ensure continuity of work by mutual assistance.
• Liaising with manager regarding any flexible working arrangements within the office.

Ensure that policies, protocols and procedures for the work of the department are followed.

Ensure all equipment used is in working order and any required repairs reported to line manager.

Ensure general office stationary is stocked to correct levels, reporting low levels to line manager.

Sort daily delivery of post following agreed guidelines and redirect inappropriate mail to relevant departments.

Deal with general enquiries into the department.