Clinical Research Facility (CRF) Administrator

Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust; London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in London is seeking a CRF Administrator to provide high-quality administrative support in a clinical research facility. Responsibilities include managing patient bookings, ensuring smooth operations at the facility, and maintaining databases. Candidates should have strong IT skills and prior administrative experience in a healthcare setting. The role offers opportunities to support research initiatives and engage effectively with patients and staff.

Benefits

Supportive work environment

Opportunities for professional development

Qualifications

• Proven business administration experience in a patient-facing setting.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.
• Confidence in making decisions when handling competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Manage patient appointment system and administrative support.
• Ensure efficient operations of the reception and waiting areas.
• Maintain the CRF Booking System and assist with quality maintenance.

Skills

Proficient in IT systems

Excellent organisational skills

Customer service

Education

Good general education with English and Maths to GCSE standard

NVQ 3 or equivalent experience in business administration

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Guy's and St Thomas' is among the UK's busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.

Guy's is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas' has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children's Hospital.

Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.

Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients.

In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.

We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King's Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King's College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.

Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of 'good'. Our adult community services achieved a rating of 'outstanding'.

The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients.

We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS.

Job overview

The CRF Administrator will provide high quality general administrative support to the Clinical Research Facility staff, participants and visitors and contribute to maintaining a high standard of research at all times. The CRF Administrator will play a key role in the efficient day to day activities of the department.

Main duties of the job

The CRF Administrator will primarily be responsible for the management of all room and resource bookings within the CRF through, use of the CRF Specific booking system (CRFManager) and will ensure that all space is utilised efficiently. They will greet all patients and researchers to the facilities and be responsible for tracking patient administration through the hospital Patient Information Management System EPIC.

Tasks will include typing, reception duties, customer service, maintaining databases, booking appointments and meetings, filing, organising and general administrative support to the Department.

The post holder will often be the first point of contact for the department and will be required to communicate in a professional and courteous manner. The post holder will answer general queries and explain information relating to the department.

Working for our organisation

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best-known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high-quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.

We are among the UK's busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.

It is also home to Evelina London Children's Hospital. Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.

We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties
• Meet and greet all Patients and visitors to the CRF and ensure that there is an accurate record kept of all personnel and patients visiting the facility. This includes ensuring that each patient has an accurate wristband and that all entries are recorded.
• To ensure that the reception area and waiting area are tidy and well presented at all times.
• To manage the patient appointment system including admitting and discharging all patients attending the CRF.
• To manage research clinics and patient bookings including: booking patient visits, updating outcomes, closing out clinics and uploading documentation to the appropriate patient management system.
• To provide administrative support by writing letters, filing, arranging meetings, booking transport and accommodation for staff.
• To take formal minutes for CRF meetings when required.
• Organise transport for patients to reach the hospital and for departmental transfers within the hospital including handling of patient expense claims.
• To answer telephones, deal with patient, staff and external caller enquiries, appropriately transmitting messages to the correct person.
• To accept and record all post and parcel deliveries to the CRF including patient's samples.
• To report and record maintenance problems within the facility to the Works Department.
• To maintain a rolling stock of stationary and food/drink in the CRF. Making decisions independently about when to order new stock.
• To act as fire warden for the floor.
• Cross site working between Guy's CRF site and St Thomas' CRF site on a rota basis.

Support for Research
• To provide training for all users and new staff on the use of the CRF Booking system (CRFManager).
• To keep the CRF Booking System up to date ensuring all data is recorded accurately for the production of reports.
• To manage The Over-volunteering Prevention system (TOPs) to ensure regulatory standards for patient safety are met.
• To assist the Quality team with the maintenance and updating of the documentation system Q-Pulse.
• Maintaining the CRF supply of study specific consumables and notifying others when items have expired e.g. laboratory kits.

Communication
• Act as first point of contact for callers, visitors and deliveries to the department.

• Deal with all enquiries from patients, staff and visitors in a courteous, efficient and tactful manner referring to appropriate staff when necessary.

• Manage diaries, and organise meetings and events ensuring that all supporting arrangements are in place.

General Office Duties
• Maintain stationary supplies, order stationery, supplies and services in accordance with policies and procedures.
• Sort, distribute and handle incoming mail and in a timely and efficient manner. Ensure that outgoing mail is collected and dispatched. Arrange the receipt and delivery of courier mail and parcels as required.
• Photocopying, collation and distribution of reports, correspondence, handouts etc.
• Establish and maintain accurate and efficient filing systems.
• Ensure the department is maintained and kept tidy at all times.
• Covering front desk duties as required.
• Reporting and monitoring any maintenance / facilities as appropriate.

• Undertake any other reasonable administrative duties necessary to support the smooth running of the service.

Person specification

Qualifications/ Education

Essential criteria

• Good general education with English and Maths to GCSE standard or equivalent
• NVQ 3, City and Guilds certificate level in business administration or evidence of equivalent experience e.g experience in administrative roles

Previous experience

Essential criteria

• Proven business administration experience which demonstrates the understanding of the key functions to providing an admin support service
• Experience working in a patient facing setting

Desirable criteria

• Experience working in a similar NHS Research role

Skills/ Knowledge/ Ability

Essential criteria

• Proficient in use of IT systems and applications, including Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as using own initiative
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
• Confidence in making decisions when dealing with competing priorities
• Excellent command of English - both written and spoken
• Able to demonstrate excellent written English including grammar, punctuation and structuring written text
• Ability to work methodically in a busy environment and meet deadlines
• Ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with all levels of staff
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Experience of working with hospital administration systems e.g. EPIC and hospital systems

Guy's and St Thomas' celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study's at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.

Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy.

As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends.

Flexible working

We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking in to account the individual's personal circumstances as well the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on-boarding process.

Your e-mail address is important to us - We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis.

Please apply for this post by clicking "Apply Online Now."

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• JD & PS (PDF, 192.4KB)
• FRF (PDF, 376.6KB)