Patient Experience Officer

Job overview

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) provide a central and visible point of contact for any service user requiring information or advice about the Trust’s services or on health related matters. Importantly, PALS provide confidential support and advice to service users who have concerns about the Trust’s services or the care and treatment being provided.

Where PALS are unable to quickly resolve a concern, they support the service user to access the Trust’s formal complaint process and other relevant support services.

From their unique perspective, PALS play a key role in sharing patient insight to aid continuous improvement, supporting the delivery of safes care along with an excellent experience.

Please be advised that sponsorship is not eligible for this post.

Closing Date: Please be advised that this job advert will close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Please apply for this job as soon as you can, if interested.

Secondment will be considered for internal candidates – If you are successful after interview, you must obtain approval from your current line manager to accept the offer.

Main duties of the job

To work within our integrated Quality Department to assist patients, carers and visitors to resolve concerns and enquiries they may have with any aspect of the Trust’s services; supporting them and showing them empathy in resolving their concerns. The post holder will:

• Work as part of a team, handling concerns and informal complaints within specified time limits.
• Liaise with enquirers, identifying the key points, agreeing an action plan and timescales and supporting the contact throughout the process.
• PALS officers are an integral part of the Real time feedback work which includes speaking to patients and their families on the wards.
• Log contacts in a timely and accurately way on DATIX.
• Update and analyse DATIX to identify trends and problems to be resolved.
• Assist in the processes that ensure the department and the Trust achieve statutory standards such as Care Quality Commission requirements

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide a highly visible point of contact for patients or a representative raising an enquiry or complaint.
• To function as a key point of contact for patients or their representatives through consulting with them to understand and to take details of their enquiry or complaint, whether that be in person, over the telephone or by written correspondence.
• To produce high quality confirmation acknowledgments confirming the complaint details and the patient’s or their representative’s desired outcome.
• To provide comprehensive support to those accessing and using the service through explaining and agreeing with them how their enquiry or complaint will be investigated.
• To maintain an exceptional understanding of data protection regulations and the PALS Policy to ensure that patient information in only shared when it is appropriate to do so.
• To ensure all contacts are kept fully updated throughout their case.
• To refer clients to advocacy services and other health and social care services when appropriate.
• To plan and facilitate complaint meetings and other methods of resolving patient, family, and carers’ concerns.
• Communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, relatives and carers in a compassionate manner and advise them of their options if they are dissatisfied with the outcome of their enquiry or complaint.
• Maintain an excellent awareness of the Trust’s Patient Safety Process and to recognise and flag when any issues raised within a complaint may constitute a patient safety incident.
• Work in close collaboration with staff across the Patient Relations Team and wider Trust to ensure we deliver a patient centred approach to the handling of enquiries and concerns.
• Maintain accurate and up to date electronic case records on the Trust’s incident management system and on other programmes, such as Microsoft Excel.
• Maintain a good working knowledge of accessibility standards to identify any requirements of service users and to make reasonable adjustments wherever required to provide an accessible service.
• Participate in appraisals and personal reviews and work to achieve agreed set objectives.
• Participate in appropriate training and development activities.
• When required cover the work of colleagues during periods of absence or peak workloads.
• Undertake any other duties as required by the Patient Experience management/coordinators in accordance with the grade and nature of the post.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.