Appointments/Call Centre Officer

St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; St Helens; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

MWL Teaching Hospital NHS Trust is seeking an Appointments / Call Centre Officer to coordinate outpatient bookings across Medical/Surgical specialties. You will schedule appointments to ensure timely, patient-focused service in line with NHS frameworks.

The role requires updating PAS and NHS e-referral data, liaising with consultants and managers, and providing cover during staff absences while training junior colleagues. A strong customer-service mindset is essential.

Qualifications

• Call centre experience and strong IT skills.
• Excellent communication and organisational abilities.
• Experience with Microsoft Office applications and data entry.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate outpatient appointment bookings across specialties.
• Enter data into PAS and NHS e-referral systems.
• Liaise with consultants and managers to manage clinic lists.
• Arrange appointments by telephone/letter with patient choice.
• Monitor and update PTLs and RTT targets.
• Provide cover during annual leave and train staff.

Skills

Call centre experience

Excellent IT skills

Strong communication

Organisational skills

Education

GCSE level or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

PAS

NHS e-referral

Job description

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

An exciting and challenging opportunity has become available for an Appointments / Call Centre Officer within Patient Booking Services.

Previous applicants need not apply

Main duties of the job

To co-ordinate the booking of outpatient appointments for Medical/Surgical specialties across MWL Teaching Hospital NHS Trust. To schedule appointments ensuring that an efficient, timely and patient focussed service is provided and the clinical needs of patients are met in accordance with the current operating framework and the NHS constitution.

The Appointments Department provides an operational service for MWL NHS Trust and other external Trusts. The Appointments department co-ordinates the outpatient appointment bookings for all specialties. This data is captured on a variety of computerised systems.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our Services

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY DUTIES

• Enter tertiary referral letter details accurately onto the Patient Administration System (PAS) on a daily basis adhering to the timescales within the Trust Patient Access Policy and ensuring the outpatient entry is attached to the correct 18 week pathway with appropriate referral/pathway/referral source code.
• To deal with pending elective appointments and cancellations, liaising with all relevant staff (including Consultants, Outpatient Managers, Directorate Managers and clinical support staff). Escalating any issues/breaches to the Team Leader/Administration Services Co-ordinator.
• Meet/liaise with Consultant's on a regular basis in order to manage outpatient clinics lists effectively whilst working within the Department of Health guidelines. Be responsible for the updating and accuracy on electronic systems.
• Independently compile clinic status lists 6 weeks in advance, taking into account the composition of lists to include, clinical urgency, diagnostic investigations, therapeutic investigations, complex procedures and 18 week referral to treatment target. Inputting information on to PAS and NHS e-referral.
• Liaise with Team Leader/Outpatient Manager and/or Directorate Manager's to ensure clinic sessions are utilised when Consultants are on leave. If Consultants are on annual leave/professional leave ensure that Registrar/Staff Grade cover is in place prior to booking patients into clinic session.
• Book appointments using the PAS/NHS e-referral system and identify the type of outpatient appointment required. Obtain relevant reports/ information and request HRS/case notes. Update clinic of list changes due to cancellations/alterations. Frequently negotiate with nursing staff to provide additional outpatient clinics.
• Update the PAS system and NHS e-referral with all information following patient referral triage with all special requirements.
• To ensure management of all clinic requests/reductions/cancellations/clinic changes/patient requests are managed within sostenuto independently
• Order interpreters for patients attending outpatient clinics by e-mail.
• To arrange patient appointments by telephone/letter ensuring that patients are offered choice of date with reasonable notice in accordance with the current operating framework and the NHS constitution.
• Order all necessary equipment for appointments via Outpatient Managers by e-mail.
• Responsible for informing the Radiology/Cardio-Respiratory Department of additional clinics arranged.
• Take into account daily cancellations and alterations, contacting patients by telephone explaining in a polite and courteous manner reasons for cancellation. To follow the correct procedures and processes for all cancelled appointments and DNA's to ensure dates are re-booked and/or removed according to the Trust Patient Access Policy, escalating any issues.
• Manage Netcall reminder report ensuring outpatient slots are backfilled maximising outpatient capacity.
• Advise patients of all available options with empathy and discretion particularly when dealing with aggrieved patient's regarding outpatient waiting list enquires. Significant conversations including outcomes are to be recorded on PAS.
• Monitor and maintain the Patient Target Lists (PTL) for each speciality and individual Consultants, including the maintenance of the RTT and liaise with Directorate Managers on a regular basis.
• Monthly validation of 18 week (PTL) for each speciality to maintain 18 weeks, ensure patient availability and/or still require appointment.
• Monitor and maintain the Outpatient waiting list reports for individual specialities ensuring that all patients are booked in accordance with Multi-Disciplinary Team guidelines and Department of Health guidelines.
• Book linked appointments foe ENT and Ophthalmology prior to appointment date.
• Complete data checks on computerised systems (PAS, NHS e-referral, EDMS) amending any changes e.g. appointment procedures, patient details, patient/hospital cancellations or time changes due to allergy risks etc.
• Complete Netcall cancellation report, slot availability report within ers, sostenuto, net account on a daily basis.
• ASI report managed independently within DOH guidelines for Paper Switch Off Compliance
• Management of pas admin reports, clinic changes/amendments for all specialty clinics and directorates
• Set up and amendments of clinic schedules on PAS system
• Training/mentoring of staff on all roles within the Appointments Department
• To ensure that all two-week rule referrals/upgrades are managed independently within DOH guidelines on PAS and NHS e-referral system.
• To ensure all case notes are requested and available for appointments in line with local standards and protocols. Ensure that any documentation in relation to the patient is sent to the Health Records Department to be scanned onto EDMS (Electronic Document Management System). To file all correspondence and documents, as required, thereby maintaining an effective filing system.
• Organise and order stationary items as appropriate.
• Deal appropriately with concerns from staff in line with Trust policy.
• To provide cover for colleagues during periods of annual leave and sickness. Mentor and train relevant staff as required by the Team Leaders or Administrative Services Co-ordinator.
• Participate in call centre rotation.
• Liaise with other hospitals both NHS and private, GP's, secretarial, clerical, wards, and cancer services.
• Following PTL meeting, complete actions for individual specialities and update capacity for Directorate Managers.
• To work in a flexible manner in accordance with the Trust policy.
• Any other duties required by Line Manager.

Person specification

Our Values

Essential criteria

• We are Kind
• We are Open
• We are Inclusive

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to GCSE level and/or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience
• NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration and working towards Level 3 and/or equivalent knowledge through formal training and/or experience

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria

• Call Centre experience
• Excellent IT skills with knowledge and experience of Microsoft office products
• Previous clerical experience

Desirable criteria

• Previous NHS experience
• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Experience of mentoring and training staff

Skills

Essential criteria

• Word Processing Skills
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
• Ability to use own initiative and respond to new challenges
• Ability to manage/prioritise own workload
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to accurately maintain computerise and manual systems
• Ability to work as part of a team

Desirable criteria

• Ability to mentor and train staff
• Excellent time management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. MWL is an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.

Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact