Medical Records

Buckinghamshire Healthcare Nhs Trust; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking an Access to Health Records Officer to join the Medical Records team. You will process Subject Access Requests (SARs), ensuring lawful access to health information and maintaining accurate documentation in line with GDPR and national legislation.

You will also support the Registration Authority (RA) duties, including Smartcard registration and access updates to maintain secure digital access across the Trust, contributing to information governance

Qualifications

• Essential criteria: Educated to A level, NVQ3 or equivalent experience.
• Desirable criteria: Further training related to Subject Access Requests, governance, admin or office practices.

Responsibilities

• Receive, assess and process requests for access to patient records in line with GDPR and statutory acts.
• Locate, retrieve, prepare and collate records from paper and digital systems with accuracy and confidentiality.
• Maintain up-to-date records of all requests and monitor progress to meet deadlines.
• Communicate with patients, solicitors, staff and external organisations professionally.
• Provide basic guidance on data protection and access to records requirements.
• Assist with Smartcard registration and identity checks under supervision.
• Escalate complex cases to the Access & Registration Lead.
• Travel to other Trust sites to retrieve records when required.

Skills

Computer literacy

Microsoft Office

Education

A level

NVQ3 or equivalent

Tools

NHS Smartcard system

Job description

Job overview

We are seeking a motivated Access to Health Records Officerto join our Medical Records team. You will play a key role in processing Subject Access Requests (SARs), ensuring patients and authorised representatives receive timely, lawful access to their health information. The role includes retrieving and preparing records, managing sensitive enquiries, and maintaining accurate documentation in line with GDPR and national legislation.

You will also provide supportive Registration Authority (RA) duties, including assisting with Smartcard registration and access updates to help maintain secure digital access across the Trust. This is an excellent opportunity to develop specialist skills within Information Governance and contribute to a vital statutory service.

Main duties of the job

• Receive, assess and process requests for access to patient records, ensuring valid consent and compliance with GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Access to Health Records Act 1990.

• Locate, retrieve, prepare and collate patient records from both paper and digital systems, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality at all times.

• Maintain up-to-date records of all requests, monitor progress and support timely completion within statutory deadlines.

• Communicate professionally with patients, solicitors, staff and external organisations, handling sensitive enquiries with tact and discretion.

• Provide basic guidance to staff on data protection and access to records requirements.

• Support the Registration Authority (RA) function by assisting with Smartcard registration tasks such as identity checks, issuing and updating Smartcards under supervision.

• Escalate complex cases, concerns or potential issues to the Access & Registration Lead.

• Travel to other Trust sites to retrieve records when required.

Working for our organisation

Why colleagues think we are

What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?

As part of our BHT family, you’ll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.

Alongside NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement and pension scheme, you'll have access to NHS discount schemes.

We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.

What do we stand for?

Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.

Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.

We are working hard to increase diversity at all levels within the trust. We believe a diverse workforce can have a positive effect on both staff wellbeing and patient outcomes.

We welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, candidates with disabilities and care-experienced candidates.

We make employment decisions by matching our service needs with the skills and experience of candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

Person specification

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING eg Education, professional qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to ‘A level, NVQ3 or equivalent experience

Desirable criteria

• Further training/experience related to Subject Access Requests, governance, business administration or office practices, including software

EXPERIENCE eg Breadth of occupational experience

Essential criteria

• Minimum 6 months experience of office systems which includes handling queries from colleagues and public
• Experience supporting Registration Authority or Smartcard processes.
• Experience supporting or processing Subject Access Requests or Freedom of Information requests
• Undertanding of General Data, Protection Regulations (GDPR) Data Protection Act 2018, Access to Health Records Act 1990 & understanding of duty of confidentiality

SKILLS, ABILITIES & KNOWLEDGE

Essential criteria

• Computer literate, proficient in Microsoft Office suite

Desirable criteria

• Understanding of NHS Smartcard technology and associated applications.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES eg Ability to travel to other sites. Ability to work internal rotation

Essential criteria

• Able to travel between all Trust sites

PPE requirements: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.

Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.

Application deadline: This post will close on the closing date stated at midnight, however if we receive a large number of applications or there is a change in circumstance, we may be required to close a job before the advertised date.

Application information: If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records (ESR) system.

Shortlisting: The monitoring and safeguarding sections are not made visible to the shortlisting panel. The safeguarding section may be made visible to the interview panel, dependent on the role being recruited into.

Travel expenses: It is Trust policy that travel expenses for interviews will not be reimbursed.

Smoking: All Trust sites are NO SMOKING. Smoking in all areas of the buildings and premises is prohibited.

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