Private Patient Centre Liaison Officer

Job overview

The post holder plays a key role in delivering a high standard of customer satisfaction within the International & Private Patient Service. As part of the customer care team, they will ensure a smooth and seamless patient journey by liaising with a wide range of stakeholders, including consultants, UK and international insurance companies, foreign embassies, private hospitals, and diagnostic departments across the Trust.

The role involves supporting private clinics for approximately 200 consultants across various specialties, providing efficient and high-quality administrative support to ensure clinics run smoothly. Working in a fast-paced and sensitive environment, the post holder will manage administrative and financial processes while also responding with tact, discretion, and compassion when required.

The post holder will be responsible for processing all private patient income and associated consultant fees, working closely with inpatient coordinators, care groups, and colleagues within the Private Patients Unit to ensure billing is accurate and timely. This role requires a highly motivated individual with excellent organisational and time management skills, who can work calmly under pressure to meet strict deadlines.

Main duties of the job

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Patient Liaison

Financial Responsibilities

Administrative Duties

General Duties

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Patient Liaison

• Meet and greet
• Communication with consultants, referring GP practices, medical/private secretaries with respect to patient referrals
• Organising clinic scheduling for a large number of consultants from various specialities
• Facilitating the effective running of all clinics, working closely with Departments within the Trust/external bodies to arrange diagnostic test

Financial Responsibilities

• Liaising with Insurance Companies to confirm patient financial status on the day or prior to patient’s arrival.
• Obtaining Letters of Guarantee from numerous foreign Embassies
• Taking and processing credit card payments for self-funding patients
• Raising invoices for all patients in respect of hospital charges and professional fees for most consultants
• EDI data interface processing via a secure line for all Insurance Companies
• Process outpatient issues with respect to Hospital charges and Consultant fees, ensuring that the billing of all outpatient activity through the Compucare Patient Billing System has been completed, working to strict monthly reporting deadlines.
• Out of hours – outpatient investigation – registration and securing funds prior to patient attending the relevant department.
• Generating credit notes to all applicable payees

Administrative Duties

• Ensure that all patients sign a respective ‘letter of undertaking’ in line with Trust policy and procedure.  This is a prerequisite for all attendances and is in addition to verifying financial status of patients.
• Book clinic appointments and confirming in writing, as required, ensuring that all outpatient bookings are recorded on the relevant computerized database.
• Schedule all outpatient clinics on the relevant computerized database.
• Ensure that all private outpatient personal details are registered on the Trust’s database (EPIC) and the Trust’s accounting database (Compucare).
• Ensure also that financial details are obtained and recorded on Compucare and that all information is checked and updated at each clinic attendance.
• Apply the take home drugs protocols for all patients awaiting private prescriptions to be dispensed. Raised relevant invoice and secure payment.
• Print daily outpatient clinic lists for each respective Consultants and provide a copy to reception areas and emailing/fax list to consultants prior to appointments.
• Contact various Consultants/GPs, Private Secretaries and patients via phone and emails, resolving various queries that may arise.
• Ensure adequate supplies of printed stationery and private prescription pads are available within the Clinics.
• Patient and consultant reminder service – ensuring that all patients/consultants on a clinic list have been sent a text reminder at least 48hrs prior to clinic date.
• Maintain an efficient and effective manual filing system, as required
• May be required to chaperone patients in the absence of a nurse.
• Ad hoc cover for Patient Centre team members due to staffing issues
• Assisting newly registered consultants with secretary duties, arranging new/ follow up appointments, face to face or virtual
• Attending to private patient waiting list, ensure all private requests are picked up and actioned as soon as possible or as per on the order request from the consultant

• Welcome all users of King’s Private Outpatient Services in accordance with the agreed Customer Care Standards.
• Register patients, ensuring that we’ve obtained and verified all photographic identification produced.

General Duties

• Ensure that areas are kept clean and tidy and that risk for patients, staff and visitors is minimised at all times, working closely with the housekeeping and catering department
• Receive requests for and make bookings for ambulances and taxis as required in line with the agreements between the International and Private Patient Service, Kings College Hospital and service providers and keep accurate records of such bookings.
• Ensure there is always adequate supplies of up-to-date patient literature available and displayed within the reception areas.
• Ensure that the mailing out of patient related communications, such as admission letters, appointment letters and invoices is done on a timely basis.
• Provide receptionist cover to ensure that patients, relatives and other visitors are directed to the appropriate areas in the Hospital in a polite and courteous manner.
• Participate in an annual appraisal and performance review and to identify personal and team development objectives.
• Act in a professional and responsible manner, always adhering to the required private patient dress code (shirt and tie for men and casual smart, office footwear).
• Any other ad hoc duties as requested by management commensurate with banding and ability.
• Ad hoc administrative duties as requested by consultant client.