Sub-Specialty Appointment Co-Ordinator

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Family Health Division as a Sub-Speciality Appointment Coordinator, based at Liverpool Women's Hospital.

This post is a fixed term post to cover longterm sickness cover for a 6 month period.

The Sub-Specialty Co-Ordinator will have excellent communication skills with patients and all levels of staff including senior managers and clinicians and will possess the ability to identify capacity/demand issues within their sub-specialty and help to offer solutions to tackle this.

Main duties of the job

To have complete responsibility for the consultant’s clinic diaries, utilising an excellent knowledge of out-patient clinics, including face to face, telephone and virtual bookings, the duration of appointment times as directed by the clinician.

The production of letters which inform patients of the appropriate appointment times and media type. The bookings can require sensitive negotiations with patients relating to their availability for clinic, with consideration being given to the correct application of the Patient Access Policy.

To Support colleagues and Booking Clerks in the handling of complex bookings, and potentially complaints and PALs queries, in relation to allocated sub-specialty.

To Register new tertiary referrals for allocated sub-specialty onto PAS system within 48 hours of receipt ensuring Referral to Treatment pathways are started / continued appropriately.

To Undertake analysis of patient tracking lists (PTL) information to ensure appropriate scheduling of patients and clinics in the correct order and undertake data quality reviews and action as appropriate.

To maintain and update the clinician’s follow up queues when clinically reviewed. Prioritise urgent patients, and ensure government targets for routine patients are being met. Highlight immediately, and in a timely fashion, any conflicts that might mean patient waiting time targets could be breached.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Complete responsibility for the consultant’s clinic diaries, utilising an excellent knowledge of out-patient clinics, including face to face, telephone and virtual bookings, the duration of appointment times as directed by the clinician.

Production of letters which inform patients of the appropriate appointment times and media type. The bookings can require sensitive negotiations with patients relating to their availability for clinic, with consideration being given to the correct application of the Patient Access Policy.

Support colleagues and Booking Clerks in the handling of complex bookings, and potentially complaints and PALs queries, in relation to allocated sub-specialty.

Register new tertiary referrals for allocated sub-specialty onto PAS system within 48 hours of receipt ensuring Referral to Treatment pathways are started / continued appropriately.

Undertake analysis of patient tracking lists (PTL) information to ensure appropriate scheduling of patients and clinics in the correct order and undertake data quality reviews and action as appropriate.

Organise interpreters where necessary, for patient clinic appointment and maintain records of such bookings for future reference.

Maintain and update the clinician’s follow up queues when clinically reviewed. Prioritise urgent patients, and ensure government targets for routine patients are being met. Highlight immediately, and in a timely fashion, any conflicts that might mean patient waiting time targets could be breached.

Be aware of, and adapt to, any changes in trust policy and general operating systems.

Flag up the need for cover when annual leave is booked, or cancel clinics accordingly.

Provide clinicians with patient details for those who do not attend or repeatedly cancel for a clinical review to be undertaken with a view to discharge.

A comprehensive knowledge of out-patient scheduling and the different processes followed for paper and electronic, new and follow up appointments is essential. Ability to liaise to successfully book patients into clinic appointments in the out-patients department, produce letters, and cancel and rebook as required.

Provide advice and information on procedures, appointments and clinic arrangements to the division within the service.

Track all case note movement as necessary within PAS.

Co-ordinate the requirement for additional clinics, liaising with the Clerical Manager, Clinicians, Out-Patient Sister and Divisional manager to ensure that clinical priorities and Trust policy is adhered to, which will be reviewed at the weekly Clinic Utilisation Meeting along with the Clerical Manager.

Production and distribution of overdue follow up queues for clinical review, and re-dating of patient ‘due by’ dates where indicated by the consultant.

Understand all out-patient activity for sub-speciality within the division. To know the standard operating procedures for consultants in order to answer queries from patients/GPs and other trust staff. To be able to provide cross cover for all other Sub-Specialty Appointment Co-Ordinators and represent the Clerical Manager at the Clinic Utilisation Meeting in their absence.

Manage systems for accurate filing of paper referral letter information, so they can be retrieved at any given time. Produce statistical information about clinic utilisation and patients who have repeatedly cancelled or deferred.

Deal with large volumes of day to day enquires from anxious patients, where there may be language barriers or difficult communication, and also GPs and Trust staff in a courteous, sympathetic manner.

Manage new referral worklist using the e-Referral system, accepting, rejecting and re-directing patients as appropriate. Fully understand the Trust’s Patient Access Policy relating to ‘Patient Choice’ and be able to implement systems and answer questions from patients regarding this.

Manage paper tertiary referrals received ensuring they are registered within 48 hours and kept in date order.

Organise for referrals to be clinically triaged in a timely manner.

In exceptional circumstances, the post holder will be expected to carry out any other duties that may be required from time to time in line with the job holder’s grade, experience and job title.

To understand Referral to Treatment (RTT) ideology from registration, through to treatment and aftercare.

To maintain a professional attitude, and be a role model, as a senior administration clerk within Patient Access and support the training requirements of new staff recruited into post.

To deputise when required and as appropriate for the Clerical Manager.

To be a ‘super user’ of Digicare, CRIS, PENs and in-touch with regards to clinic scheduling, providing expert knowledge and support to the Patient Access & Clerical Manager.

To manage out-patient waiting lists ensuring timely and appropriate bookings, resolving or escalating as required.

To ensure appropriate management of patients who DNA (do not attend) as per Patient Access Policy.

To be conversant with all activities within the Patient Access Centre to provide cover in time of absence.

To ensure national, Trust and departmental policies and procedures are understood and adhered to.

To contribute to introduction of new IT applications and any other modernisation initiatives ie. In-Touch Electronic Outcomes and Pathway Plus.

Attend weekly meeting held by Patient Access Manager/Clerical Manager to understand incidents that have been entered and share learning points.

Contribute to the development of Standard Operating Procedures. Other Responsibilities

Operate within the required behaviours and values of the Trust leading by example in the delivery of the service’s performance.

Communicate and establish working relationships as appropriate in relation to workload, activities, job role with colleagues within the service and across the wider Trust.

The content of this job description represents an outline of the post only and is therefore not a precise catalogue of duties and responsibilities. The job description is therefore intended to be flexible and is subject to review and amendment in the light of changing circumstances, following consultation with the post holder.