Appointments/Call Centre Officer

The Methodist Church in Britain; Greater London; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a call centre officer for the Patient Booking Services team. The role focuses on booking medical and surgical outpatient appointments, managing clinic lists, and handling cancellations to maintain the 18-week RTT target on PAS and NHS e-referral.

The post involves rotating duties, providing cover for colleagues on leave, and mentoring staff. GCSE level education and prior call centre experience are essential requirements.

Qualifications

• GCSE level education or equivalent.
• NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration, working towards Level 3 or equivalent knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Enter tertiary referral letters onto PAS daily, attaching the correct 18-week pathway and referral codes.
• Manage pending elective appointments and cancellations, liaising with consultants, managers and clinical staff.
• Compile clinic status lists six weeks ahead and maintain clinic schedules on PAS.
• Book outpatient appointments on PAS and NHS e-referral, offering patients a choice of date by phone or letter.
• Maintain patient target lists and the 18-week RTT, including monthly validation.
• Manage cancellations and DNAs, rebooking or removing appointments under the Trust Patient Access Policy.
• Run the Netcall reminder and cancellation reports to backfill outpatient slots.
• Order interpreters and equipment for clinics by email.
• Request case notes and send documents to Health Records for scanning onto EDMS and filing.
• Manage two-week rule referrals and upgrades in line with Department of Health guidelines.
• Advise patients on their options, recording outcomes on PAS and handling aggrieved patients with empathy.
• Cover colleagues during annual leave and sickness, and mentor and train staff.

Skills

IT skills

Word processing

Communication

Workload management

Teamwork

Education

GCSE level

NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration

Tools

PAS

NHS e-referral

Netcall

Job description

This call centre post sits in Patient Booking Services at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, where outpatient bookings are co-ordinated for the Trust and external trusts. The core of the work is booking medical and surgical outpatient appointments, managing clinic lists and cancellations, and keeping patients within the 18-week referral target on PAS and NHS e-referral. What sets it apart is the call centre rotation, plus cover for colleagues on leave and sickness. Essential requirements include GCSE-level education and prior call centre experience.

What the job involves

• Enter tertiary referral letters onto PAS daily, attaching the correct 18-week pathway and referral codes
• Manage pending elective appointments and cancellations, liaising with consultants, managers and clinical staff
• Compile clinic status lists six weeks ahead and maintain clinic schedules on PAS
• Book outpatient appointments on PAS and NHS e-referral, offering patients a choice of date by phone or letter
• Maintain patient target lists and the 18-week RTT, including monthly validation
• Manage cancellations and DNAs, rebooking or removing appointments under the Trust Patient Access Policy
• Run the Netcall reminder and cancellation reports to backfill outpatient slots
• Order interpreters and equipment for clinics by email
• Request case notes and send documents to Health Records for scanning onto EDMS and filing
• Manage two-week rule referrals and upgrades in line with Department of Health guidelines
• Advise patients on their options, recording outcomes on PAS and handling aggrieved patients with empathy
• Cover colleagues during annual leave and sickness, and mentor and train staff

What’s required

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent qualification or experience
• NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration, working towards Level 3 or equivalent knowledge

Experience

• Call centre experience
• Previous clerical experience

Skills & knowledge

• Excellent IT skills with Microsoft Office
• Word processing skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Accurate maintenance of computerised and manual systems
• Managing and prioritising own workload
• Working as part of a team

Other

• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
• Using own initiative and responding to new challenges
• Alignment with Trust values: kind, open and inclusive

Nice to have

• Previous NHS experience
• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Experience of mentoring and training staff
• Excellent time management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills