Access to Health Records Clerical Officer

NHS; Halifax; On-site; CAD 46,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional health service provider in Halifax is seeking a professional to manage Subject Access Requests. The role requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to handle sensitive information while complying with GDPR. The position offers a salary between £24,937 to £26,598 per annum, pro-rata, with flexibility in working hours.

Qualifications

• Experience in clerical office/admin environment.
• Previous experience with NHS health record.
• Knowledge of GDPR and Access to Health Records Act 1990.

Responsibilities

• Respond to subject access requests within legally recognized timeframes.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and manage sensitive communications.
• Liaise with stakeholders for coordinating access requests.

Skills

Attention to detail

Good communication skills

Organizational skills

Ability to work independently

Education

GCSE Maths & English or equivalent

NVQ level 3/4 or relevant experience

Tools

Cerner EPR system

Microsoft packages

Job description

Overview

Go back Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 28 September 2025

To work as part of the Access to Health Records team working within and demonstrating a specialist knowledge of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Access to Health Records Act 1990 (AHRA) in respect of complex and sensitive requests for information from patients and other sources within the strict time frames and guidelines set by GDPR.

The post holder will ensure good communications are maintained across the service dealing with telephone/email and postal enquiries promptly and professionally.

To be able to work on own initiative, but also work closely as part of a team to be able to compile Subject Access Requests within the given timescales.

To provide a confidential and professional service in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.

Flexibility of working is essential to support an extended day when necessary.

Main duties of the job

Will work as part of a team to deliver the Service, to include but not limited to:-

Respond to subject access requests (SARS) within the current legally recognised timeframes. This will involve analysing electronic and paper records and producing documents for Patients, Solicitors, Police, Government Bodies, Other Hospitals, Coroner etc.

Be compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)/Access to Health Records Act (AHRA) and Trust policies in respect of the sharing of information.

Logging all requests for access to health records on a database and keeping the database updated at each step of the process.Respond proactively to all Subject Access requests for patient information ensuring all aspects of the GDPR/AHRA and service level agreements are appropriately adhered to. This may involve face to face liaisons with patients, patient\'s relatives or police officers and may require you to complete witness statements in relation to the handing over of medical records.

Manage complex and sensitive verbal and written communication with patients, relatives and/or other parties or agencies in relation to subject access requests under GDPR/AHRA. This will also include communicating with healthcare professionals of all disciplines.

Liaising with secretarial staff and consultants to ensure that authorisation is received so that requests are completed within one Calendar Month of receipt.

About us

We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients\' homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children\'s and young people\'s services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS- yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff andthe local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.

Job responsibilities

• Assist other medical and administrative staff with advice and guidance on the General Data Protection Regulation and the Access to Health Records Act 1990 where applicable.
• Use Mail merge processes to send out letters from the database.Undertake the relevant training to ensure you have the correct skills and knowledge to investigate and be proficient in the use of an extensive range of Trust I.T systems relevant to obtain Subject Access Request Information i.e. EDMS, EPR, historic EDIS, historic PAS, CRIS, Athena etc.
• Compile information into folders on the shared drive.Tailoring each individual subject access request in relation to the information requested. This will sometimes involve analysing several systems and paper medical records to identify the specific information required.
• Scrutinize medical records which may involve reviewing complex and distressing information sometimes including graphic/disturbing images. This can be time intensive work requiring high levels of concentration using your judgement regarding particularly sensitive data and highlighting this to the relevant clinician before releasing the medical records.
• Attention to detail required for reviewing, checking, and collating the requested information and identifying all the correct documents, making preliminary checks for third party, and/or safeguarding records or misfiled or sensitive data, bringing it to the attention of the relevant clinician/s or allied health professionals if identified prior to their checks. This can be time extensive and will require a high level of concentration.
• Be responsible to actively locate any missing information to prevent breaches under the General Data Protection Regulation. Liaise with, solicitors or other agencies if there is the potential to breach this deadline.
• Liaise with other stakeholders where a subject access request involves more than one service (e.g., Safeguarding, Complaints, e-mails etc) and where necessary, to collate data provided by these services and merge these with other documents to be disclosed to the requester. In accordance with GDPR this can fall outside of the Health Record, e.g. Human resource records, I.T logs of staff access to different systems or e-mails.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING

• Educated to GCSE Maths & English or equivalent grades 9-3 (A*-D)
• NVQ level 3/4 or relevant experience
• Evidence of self-development.

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

• An awareness of the importance of always maintaining and working with patient confidentiality.
• Dealing with enquiries and complaints either face to face, in writing or by telephone.
• Previous clerical experience in an office/admin environment
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail for prolonged periods of time.
• Good Organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines.
• Able to work on own initiative.
• Motivation to develop the role and themselves within the role
• Ability to manage own time effectively to deliver departmental objectives
• Flexible approach to duties and working hours to ensure delivery of service.
• Ability to treat others with sensitivity.
• Confident and assertive.
• Be goal oriented to ensure work is processed to targets set by management and in line with agreed processes and procedures.
• To be able to ensure Quality Assurance throughout the Service Delivery process
• Be able to cope with some stressful and challenging situations.
• Be innovative and proactive
• Excellent computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft packages
• Previous experience working with the NHS health record
• Experience of access to health guidance.
• Knowledge of retention periods for health records.
• Knowledge of the Cerner EPR system
• Knowledge of working practices of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Access to Health Records Act 1990 (AHRA)

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)

• Good communication written and verbal skills
• Able to work as part of a team to deliver the overall response

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

£24,937 to £26,598 a yearper annum pro rata