Access to Health Coordinator Supervisor

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust; Consett; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Foundation Trust in Consett is looking for an Access to Health Coordinator Supervisor to oversee patient information requests and manage a team. This role is crucial in ensuring high standards within the Access to Health service, requiring strong organisational and interpersonal skills. Candidates should have supervisory experience within the NHS and be able to handle sensitive patient information with care. This position allows for hybrid working arrangements.

Benefits

Hybrid working arrangements

Support for training and development

Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Candidates must have NHS supervisory experience.
• Experience in a busy office environment is required.
• In-depth knowledge of the Data Protection Act and Access to Medical Records Act is essential.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a team of 9 clerical officers ensuring compliance with standards.
• Coordinate data extraction from patient administration systems.
• Liaise with staff for continuous service improvement.

Skills

Organisational skills

Interpersonal skills

Microsoft Office skills

Ability to meet deadlines

Confidentiality

Education

Diploma or NVQ level 4 in Business & Administration

Tools

EPR systems

ECDM knowledge

Job description

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 27 January 2026

Access to Health Coordinator Supervisor

An opportunity has arisen for a Band 4 Access to Health Coordinator based at Shotley Bridge Hospital. You will be responsible for overseeing the processing of all Subject Access Requests from solicitors and patients, and requests for information from various Government Organisations including the police.

This is a key role in assisting the Access to Health Manager to effectively manage and achieve high standards within the Access to Health and ECDM service. You will have the freedom to be innovative and greatly influence the service provided to our patients.

Candidates must be interested in ensuring patient satisfaction, have good organisational skills, a sensitive manner when dealing with patients, and work to a high level of accuracy. The ability to work under pressure both individually and as part of a team is important to ensure deadlines are met. Good organisational and interpersonal skills are essential.

You will ensure all policies, procedures and standards are adhered to and updated on a regular basis and monitor performance.

Main duties of the job

• Day‑to‑day coordination of a team of 9 clerical officers, ensuring all policies, procedures and standards are adhered to and monitoring all absences.
• Liaise closely with clinicians, managers and other key staff throughout the Trust with regard to continuous service improvement; identify and implement service improvement changes.
• Coordinate complex extraction of data and information from several different patient administration systems.
• Ensure all analytical data is presented appropriately when required.
• Access all EPR systems and track paper patient records per Trust policy.
• Carry out regular audits to ensure compliance and test effectiveness of practices.
• Identify any issues with documentation and support users to resolve these.
• Actively work with clinicians, managers and staff to develop an environment that promotes continuous service improvement and ensures sustainability.
• Ensure necessary service improvement changes have been integrated into work practices and are maintained.
• Understand the need for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and adhere to all principles in effective safeguarding.
• Investigate complaints made about the service, ensuring lessons are learned.
• Monitor performance targets.
• Carry out staff appraisals and identify staff training needs.
• Monitor staff absences, conduct return‑to‑work interviews, ensure all absences are recorded accurately and take appropriate action where necessary.
• Monitor staff performance, including disciplinary, capability and grievance issues.
• Recruit and select clerical staff.
• Check staff timesheets in accordance with agreed procedures.
• Order stationery requests via the CARDEA system.
• Oversee the provision of requests for medical information from solicitors, patients, Government organisations, other NHS organisations and the police according to the Data Protection Act 2018, Access to Health Records Act 1990 and common law duty of confidentiality within the legal deadline.
• Ensure strict timescales are adhered to for complying with subject access requests.
• Work closely with staff to standardise systems and processes wherever possible.
• Assist in creating a patient‑focused environment and ensure patients are satisfied with the service delivered by the Access to Health Team.
• Ensure all legislation is followed when dealing with Access to Health requests.
• Report performance against local and national targets in the delivery of Access to Health requests.
• Coordinate Health & Safety checks.
• Carry out the role of IAA to ensure that IRM processes are embedded within the organisation.
• Attend all training identified as appropriate by line management.

Qualifications

• Educated to diploma or NVQ level 4 in Business & Administration or equivalent experience.

Experience

• NHS supervisory experience.
• Working in a busy office environment.
• Knowledge of EPR and ECDM.

Special Requirements

• Good interpersonal skills.
• Approachable and friendly.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Willing to undertake any training required for the post.
• Ability to travel across sites.
• Self‑reliance.

Special Skills & Knowledge

• In‑depth knowledge of the Data Protection Act and Access to Medical Records Act.
• Ability to manage time autonomously and meet deadlines.
• Organisational skills.
• Microsoft Office skills.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to prioritise.
• Able to lead a team and set high standards.
• NHS supervisory experience.
• IT literate with excellent keyboard skills.
• High level of interpersonal, communication and negotiating skills.
• Experience of working within the NHS.
• Experience of NHS Patient Administration systems.

About the Trust

The Trust provides hospital services from two acute sites – Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham – a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland, and community hospitals in Chester‑Le‑Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale, as well as over 80 other community‑based settings and care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under‑represented.

Additional Information

You must be able to produce all certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre‑employment checks.

The post includes the ability to hybrid work (office and home working).

Employer name

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust