Theatre Scheduler

Job overview

To contribute to providing a high quality and efficient surgical scheduling service for patients, and consultant teams across the Royal Manchester Eye Hospital and Withington Cataract Centre.  To ensure that patients receive their surgical interventions within appropriate timescales according to their clinical need, national waiting list targets, and Trust priority.

As instructed by the Team Leader, the Theatre Scheduler will support the Theatre Scheduling Team, including the pre op service, and act as a point of contact for patients and colleagues.

Departmental Duties

• Booking of preoperative appointments, when required.
• To ensure that strict confidentiality is maintained in all aspects of the work generated through the office in accordance with Trust Policy.
• Responsible for adherence to Trust policies and maintaining awareness of policy relating to the management of complaints
• Dealing with patient enquiries and complaints, responding within an agreed timescale, and referring the enquiry to the line manager where appropriate
• To work with the multidisciplinary team, ensuring co-ordination of admissions and effective communication.
• Undertake any training as required to complete the tasks associated with the job role.
• Participate in department development as appropriate and participate in departmental meetings

Main duties of the job

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The following duties to be performed under supervision

• To support the work of the theatre scheduling service to provide a high quality and efficient theatre scheduling service in a timely manner
• To add patients to the waiting list, and arrange admissions for elective procedures appropriately, using the PAS system
• To input onto ORMIS in line with policy and procedure, ensuring data is accurate and available well in advance of surgical dates
• To promptly escalate any issues to line manager
• To understand and work to the Trust policy and national waiting time targets on RTT, planned, and elective waiting times and to escalate exceptions to line manager.
• To assist in dealing with complex telephone enquiries regarding theatre scheduling promptly and efficiently, escalating, and referring on as necessary.
• To provide team cover and support in the preparation of information and appointments as a part of the theatre scheduling and pre op teams
• To attend regular meetings and appointments with consultants concerning their waiting list pressures and theatre access, as required.
• To contribute towards the development of good working practice, according to standard protocols.
• To undergo training, where appropriate
• To work flexibly to ensure that the theatre scheduling team operates effectively.
• Ensure that all health records are appropriately tracked and securely stored whilst in the department, according to Health Records Policy

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need for this role, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Documents to download’ heading.

Explore ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place’

To help you feel confident, prepared and fully informed before you apply, we invite you to explore Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place.  This welcoming one‑stop hub gives you a real sense of who we are, what we stand for, how we reward and support you, and the many ways we care for you as you care for others.  You’ll also find practical hints and tips for submitting a great application, along with the essential information you need to know before you apply.

To access ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place’, simply click on the relevant PDF document under the ‘Documents to download’ heading and once opened, you can either scan QR code or click on the link provided.

Closing vacancy listings early

We welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. To help us manage applications fairly and give each one the time it deserves, our adverts may close early if we receive a high level of interest. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

Diversity Matters MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU, for our patients, our communities, and each other. As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application, especially personal statements and responses to role specific questions is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

As part of our commitment to safeguarding patients and staff, many roles at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This is a standard process across the NHS and helps us ensure a safe environment for everyone.

What is a DBS Check?

A DBS check is a background check that reveals any criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands, or warnings. The level of check required depends on the role:

Standard DBS: Checks for spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and final warnings.

Enhanced DBS: Includes the above, plus any additional information held by local police that’s considered relevant to the role.

Enhanced with Barred Lists: Includes all of the above, plus checks against the children’s and/or adults’ barred lists.

Who Needs a DBS Check

Most roles involving direct patient contact, working with children or vulnerable adults, or access to sensitive information will require a DBS check. The job advert and recruitment team will let you know if this applies to your role.

The Costs for a DBS

At Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), roles that require a DBS check are subject to a cost recovery policy. This means that the cost of submitting and processing a DBS application if you are successful and join us, will be deducted from your salary within the first three months of employment.   If, however, you withdraw from a conditional offer after the DBS process has begun, you will still be liable for the cost incurred.

For more information about the cost of the various types of DBS, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dbs-fees-are-changing-in-december

DBS Update Service

Candidates are also expected to register with the DBS Update Service which must be completed within 30 days of the certificate being issued. This helps streamline future employment checks and supports safer recruitment practices.  For more information, please visit the DBS Update Service.