Deputy Patient Access Manager

NHS; Brighton; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust is hiring a Deputy Patient Access Manager to deliver high-quality administrative services within the Breast Cancer Unit. The role involves overseeing the patient access process, managing support staff, and ensuring compliance with healthcare protocols, whilst providing compassionate care and support in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

Flexible working

Compressed hours

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in booking procedures and patient access.
• Broad understanding of cancer treatment pathways and targets.
• Proven change management and line management experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage patient pathways and coordinate with clinical teams.
• Oversee line management of Patient Access Clerks.
• Ensure adherence to Trust Policies and Cancer Access targets.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Organizational Skills

Change Management

Tools

Careflow

University Hospital Sussex Trust IT systems

Job description

Go back University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Deputy Patient Access Manager

The closing date is 06 July 2025

The Park Centre for Breast Care is recruiting a Deputy Patient Access Manager to assist in delivering a high quality, effective and flexible administrative service. This role is a key part of the Breast Surgery Team and will support the Patient Access Service Manager in working towards the achievement of Patient Access and Cancer Treatment targets for the service.

The post-holder willbe responsible for the day to day delivery of an efficient and structured out-patients service in a very busy cancer unit,actively monitoring the flow of patients into clinics within set timescales and flexibly dealing with peaks in activity to meet demand. The post-holder will also have direct line management of the Patient Access Clerks, managing workloads, performing annual appraisals and proactively dealing with HR issues in line with Trust Policy.

The successful post-holder will need to have extensive experience in booking procedures, and a broad understanding of cancer targets and the 18 week referral to treatment pathway. A proven track record of change management and experience in line managing a team are also essential.

You should be able to work well under pressure in challenging conditions with good attention to detail and effectiveorganisationalskills. You will also be experienced in managing your own workload, multi-tasking, adhering to tight timescales and working autonomously to deal with the changing capacity and demand needs of the service.

Main duties of the job

Main Duties include: Managing the patient's pathway from triage, first outpatient appointment, through diagnostics, treatment planning and treatment, highlighting potential delays in the pathways to Patient Access Service Manager, so they can escalate to Directorate Management, ensuring that all patients on a cancer pathway receive timely care and treatment. Also reviewing and proactively managing the routine patient workload.

Responsible for the review of the outpatient waiting lists and the continuous monitoring of patient pathways, both patients on the Cancer Pathway or routine 18 week pathways . This includes identifying blockages, bottlenecks in service delivery, a worsening treatment position and risk to patients from inadequate timescales to clinic availability.

Ensuring adherence to Trust policies and procedures, in particular the Patient Access Policy. To recommend systems and processes which improve compliance to the policy.

To oversee and line manage the Patient Access Staff working in the Breast Cancer Booking Hub. Liaising with the team leaders and booking appointments clerks to ensure adherence to Cancer Targets and the Patient Access Policy, ensuring all cancellations, DNA's and patients affected by clinic changes are rebooked in an appropriate timely manner. Mobilise additional clinical capacity as required on behalf of the Directorate manager.

Responsible for the day-to-day line management of administrative staff in line with Trust policies and procedures.

About us

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in ourWellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.

We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.

Candidate information pack - University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

Job responsibilities

Role Summary

This role is a key member of the administration management team, working towards the achievement of key targets for the Breast Cancer Unit and Cancer Directorate.

The post holder will be responsible to the Patient Access Service Manager and will work within the Trusts patient access policy to deliver high quality, effective and flexible patient access, clerical and administrative services.

They will also be responsible for the line management of the administrative Patient Access Clerks and Team Leaders. This will include the allocation of work, training and development, staff appraisal and recruitment and selection.

Key Working Relationships

Internal:

Operational Managers

Patient Access Managers

Senior Management Team

Team Members and colleagues within Directorates especially Consultant body and Clinical Nurse Specialists

Diagnostic teams

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Communication

• Contribute to meetings for the area of expertise and up-to-date knowledge of service performance in a clear, concise manner, which include both recommendations for issue resolution and corrective action.
• Lead by example and demonstrates excellent communication and listening skills to staff and customers/patients, as the issues are often complex, highly sensitive and highly emotive as they involve waiting lists, time to treatment and delays to care, including cancellations.
• Convey knowledge of Cancer Targets and the Patient Access Policy to a range of staff including doctors, administration teams, nurses and management representatives, and others as required e.g. Commissioners and GPs. Ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times and that staff adhere to the Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act and the Caldicott Principles, especially as patient records are commonplace.

Service Delivery and Improvement

• To deliver a high quality, effective and flexible service in respect of the patient pathway from referral to treatment.
• Work closely with clinicians, nurses and all clinical staff to ensure that patients are actively managed through their pathways.
• To manage the patients pathway from triage, first outpatient appointment, through diagnostics, treatment planning and treatment, highlighting potential delays in the pathways to Patient Access Manager, so they can escalate to Directorate Management.
• To check and report on triaging of new referrals to ensure that the service meets booking targets, ensuring that patients are booked appropriately and equitably.
• To identify extra capacity slots required by each Service, to meet national cancer targets with identification of the correct staffing and skill mix required to treat the patient lists.
• Responsible for the knowledge management of the Patient Tracking List (PTL for designated services on behalf of the Directorate.
• Being fully updated and aware of patient demand exceeding or diminishing in relation to current capacity and communication of the position to the Directorate Management Team, including the Patient Access Service Manager
• Responsible for the review of the outpatient, inpatient and day case waiting lists and the continuous monitoring of all patient pathways, both patients on 18 week pathways and those awaiting planned care or who require regular follow up monitoring and review. This includes identifying blockages, bottlenecks in service delivery, a worsening treatment position and risk to patient from inadequate timescales to clinic availability.
• Ensuring adherence to Trust policies and procedures, in particular National Cancer Targets and the Patient Access Policy. To recommend systems and processes which improve compliance to the policy.
• Minimising clinic cancellations by ensuring a 6 week look forward of consultant availability is tracked to the clinic templates available, therefore avoiding late cancellations and where possible, arranging alternative availability.
• To work closely with Patient Access Service Manager and Directorate Management to develop and refine policies and procedures to ensure seamless management of the patient pathway from referral to treatment.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of all applicable targets and processes relating to the patient pathway and to be a point of reference within the directorate.
• Actively manage the services waiting lists and maintain a clear overview of all patients currently active in their pathway.
• Predict and prevent breaches of waiting time targets and delays due to problems in capacity, through liaison with clinicians. This includes highlighting performance risks and potential breaches to the Directorate Management team including the Patient Access Service Manager
• Ensure outpatient utilisation is on target by analysing the look forward reports and taking appropriate action with the clinicians.
• Work with reception teams to ensure all outpatient clinic outcomes are recorded within 1 working day of the clinics.
• Ensure all diagnostics are booked within pathway target times.
• Review all waiting lists and take appropriate action in working with the Patient Access Clerks in the booking of outstanding patients.
• Work with the Breast Unit Booking Hub Staff in relation to correct adherence to the Patient Access Policy, ensuring all cancellations, DNAs and patients affected by clinic changes are rebooked in an appropriate timely manner. Mobilise additional clinical capacity as required on behalf of the Directorate manager(s).
• Analyse, investigate and resolve complex queries relating to the service.
• Keep up to date with relevant Patient Pathway guidance, Patient Access Policy, best practice and impending changes which could impact on the way of working.
• Providing support to the Patient Access Service Manager for the attendance at key meetings in regard to the access target and PTL list, as required.

People Management and Development

• Assist Patient Access Service Manager in training of new staff, designing and monitoring the induction programme for the individual, including conveying knowledge of the service performance and systems and processes within the Trust which contribute to this.
• Responsible for the day-to-day line management of administrative staff in line with Trust policies and procedures.
• To maintain accurate annual leave and sickness records on behalf of the Patient Access Service Manager.
• To offer support and guidance through training and regular 1:1s with administration staff.

Learning and Development

• Attend mandatory training updates as required.
• Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.
• Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
• Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager
• Participate in the Trusts appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service.

This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department and the organisation.

Mission and values

The mission of University Hospitals Sussex what we are striving to achieve is to provide:

excellent care every time

All our efforts to do this put the interests of our patients first and foremost, and are underpinned by our values:

• Compassion
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Respect
• Professionalism
• Inclusion

These values were selected by our staff, patients and public when we were talking about the merger and the sort of organisation we want University Hospitals Sussex to be.

Our mission and values are extremely important to us and we expect everyone who works at University Hospitals Sussex in any capacity to share and uphold them.

Patient First is our Trust-wide approach to improving the quality of care for patients and to build and embed a culture where staff can be confident that their views matter and will be heard.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Trust is committed to supporting Inclusion as can be seen by our Patient First Triangle with a clear value being Inclusion. We all have a responsibility to treat our colleagues, patients and service users with respect and dignity irrespective of; age, race, disability, gender reassignment/identity, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and part of the Stonewall Workplace Equality Champions programme.

All staff have a duty to report any behaviours which contravene this to their managers.

Person Specification

Experience/ Qualifications

• Contact and/or visit to Unit prior to shortlisting
• Working knowledge and expertise of Careflow
• Knowledge of Patient Access Policy

Skills

• Ability to communicate across a variety of platforms
• Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own workloads.
• Able to establish and maintain working relationships with colleagues from a variety of professional and organisational backgrounds.
• Proven ability to train others of varying abilities
• Knowledge of University Hospital Sussex Trust IT systems

People Management and Development

• Effective leadership skills with the ability to manage and direct people
• Experience of undertaking performance and development reviews
• Experience of working with teams across sites

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

£29,970 to £36,483 a yearPer annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time,Flexible working,Compressed hours