Clerical Officer (ERS) | The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Manchester is seeking a clerical administrator to manage patient administration and support outpatient services. The role involves welcoming patients, registering them, and ensuring timely management of appointments. Candidates should possess strong communication and administration skills and be able to work collaboratively within a healthcare team. Flexible rotas required to cover operational hours.

Qualifications

• Ability to work on rota ensuring desk coverage.
• Experience dealing with patients in sensitive situations.
• Strong organizational skills to manage workload.

Responsibilities

• Welcome patients and ensure they are checked in/out.
• Communicate appointment schedules and resolve issues.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and handle case notes.

Skills

Excellent administration skills

Communication skills

Ability to use initiative

Compassionate handling of distressed situations

Tools

Patient information systems

PC skills

Office equipment

Job description

As a clerical administrator you are responsible for welcoming patients to the department, updating patient details on the system, registering new patients and adding their referrals and relevant documentation on to the Trust patient administration system (CareFlow) and booking follow-up appointments. The team support outpatient activity through the provision of a high quality, patient/customer focused service.

Clerical Administrators are responsible for ensuring that clinic outcomes are actioned effectively and in line with standard operating procedures and policies as appropriate and also ensuring patient referrals are added on to CareFlow within 24 hours.

The Outpatients reception operates Monday to Friday 8am-6:00pm, and the successful candidate will be required to work on rota to ensure that the reception desk is manned between these hours Monday – Friday.

This is a busy and varied role, and the post holder must possess excellent administration and communication skills. The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, willing to learn, eager to be an effective part of a friendly team, and able to use their initiative.

The above indicates the main duties of the post which may be reviewed in the light of experience and developments within the service. Any review will be undertaken in conjunction with the post-holder.

The post holder will work as part of a team to support the efficient running of the Outpatients Department and to work closely with the Clinic Administrators and Medical Secretaries to ensure the timely preparation of case notes for all outpatient appointments. As a clerical administrator in Referrals and Bookings you will cross cover across outpatients, and also work within the new referrals team. On outpatient you will be welcoming patients into the department, ensuring all patients are checked in and out and that future appointments are booked. When working with the new referrals team, you will support the administrative process of registering outpatient referrals.

All aspects of administration will be conducted according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and trust policies. The post holder will be required to work on a rota alongside other team members, ensuring that the reception desk is manned during the operational hours of the Outpatient Department.

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% of patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.

We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.

We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Exchange information with patients and staff on the admission and discharge of patients, both verbally and in written format
• Communicate complex information about appointment schedules to patients
• Communicate with patients who may be anxious, angry or upset
• Exchange relevant information with GPs and other health professionals
• Deal compassionately with distressing situations
• Liaise with other members of staff regarding case notes and patient visits
• Ensure that all new referrals are registered within 24 hours of receipt, and scanned onto the Patient Administration System (CareFlow) and CWP.
• Liaise with referring Trusts regarding any outstanding patient reports as per Minimum Data Set (MDS) requirements.
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times
• Resolve issues arising in own role, such as cancellation of patient appointments and missing patient notes
• Use own initiative to liaise with clinical staff and other colleagues where necessary regarding patient queries
• Use patient information systems to assist patients and staff with solving issues
• Apply knowledge to correctly code treatment appointments and first definitive treatments
• Assess patients’ demographic details and alert management if they do not reach eligibility criteria for treatment in the NHS
• Plan for patient admissions, appointments and discharge
• Make alterations to clinic structure to accommodate arrival of unexpected patients
• Undertake general administrative duties e.g. collating and disseminating incoming and outgoing correspondence, filing paperwork, to contribute to the effective operation of the team.
• Ensure that annual leave does not occur at the same time as colleagues
• Update information, admitting discharging and transferring patients on the patient information system.
• Work in patient information system, requiring standard keyboard skills
• Use office equipment including PCs, and phones
• Provide comprehensive advice to patients/relatives regarding appointments
• Signpost patients to other areas of hospital
• Follow all relevant policy and legislation
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure policies are adhered to
• To provide induction support to new post holders
• Demonstrate workplace routines to less experienced members of staff
• Undertake surveys/audits as necessary to own work
• Post holder is expected to follow all relevant protocols, SOPs and standard practice.
• Support Manager is available as point of reference for any queries and will meet regularly with staff
• Plan and organise own time and workload activity with prioritisation and liaising with team members
• Use own initiative to solve problems and answer staff and patient enquiries

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive but reflects the main responsibilities of the post holder. Other duties may be required from time to time, which are commensurate with the grade of the post. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification as the demand of the service dictates.

This advert closes on Wednesday 3 Dec 2025.