(**) Operational Manager - Outpatients Referral & Communication Team

VerseOne Group; Basildon; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust in Basildon is seeking an Operational Manager for the Outpatients Referral and Communication Team. You will lead Booking Clerks, Receptionists and Administrators, guiding day-to-day operations and ensuring efficient patient pathways.

The role requires autonomous leadership, prioritising work, and timely escalation to the manager. Experience in managing a team is advantageous. Band 6 and permanent contract with 37.5 hours.

Qualifications

• English and Maths GCSE completed.
• Experience working in a customer/patient focused environment.
• Experience managing a team.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day functions of the Outpatients Referral and Communications Team.
• Coordinate and authorise rotas, annual leave, and sickness.
• Conduct performance appraisals and development plans.
• Ensure use of Trust systems (EPR, ERS, EMR) and clinic capacity management.
• Monitor waiting times and patient tracking lists.
• Liaise with Consultants, GPs and nursing staff to ensure patient-focused service.

Skills

Customer service

Team leadership

Education

English and Maths GCSE

Job description

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is one of the biggest trusts in the country, following the merger of Mid Essex, Basildon and Southend hospitals in April 2020.

(**) Operational Manager - Outpatients Referral & Communication Team

Band 6

Main area Outpatients Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 390-NR-COR-BA-5795

Site Basildon Town Basildon Salary £39,959 Per Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time) Salary period Yearly Closing 11/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 24/11/2026

Regarding your application please be aware :-

We need your application to be in your FULL NAME as per your ID and any Professional Registration to be able to check these.

As per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold. for the role.

Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application.

Job overview

We are looking for someone to join our Outpatients Referral and Communications Team as our new Operational Manager in Basildon.

As our Outpatients Operational Manager you will guide and support a friendly and hardworking team of Booking Clerks, Receptionists and Administrators whilst also managing the day-to-day function of the team, and driving positive and proactive service delivery to our patients awaiting referrals or treatments.

You will be expected to work autonomously, managing the demands of your day, prioritising both your work and the team’s work and escalating concerns/ issues with your manager in a timely manner. So, experience of managing or leading a team is advantageous for this role.

Main duties of the job

If successful, some of your duties will be to:

• Manage the day to day functions of the department, coordinating management responsibilities with Supervisors
• Coordinate and authorise rotas including annual leave and sickness with Supervisors, monitoring sickness levels and conducting back to work interviews
• Conduct performance appraisals and review personal development plans across the team
• Excellent knowledge of the Trust systems and Contact Centre Systems including: Electronic Patient Record (EPR, Electronic Referral System (ERS) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
• Oversee that new appointments and Follow ups are booked in chronological and Priority order and liaise with Service Unit Managers and Clinicians when capacity is not available
• Ensure all clinic capacity is fully utilised, coordinating clinic cancellation requests and template changes in line with the Trust Waiting Policy
• Monitor outpatient waiting times and patient tracking lists for all specialties booked by the team
• Hold team meetings and deliver relevant messages
• Liaise with Consultants, GPs, medical and nursing staff as required to cover clinical issues and ensure a patient focused service

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full details about this varied and rewarding role, please see attached job description.

We look forward to your application.

Please be aware that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a suitable number of applications.

Person specification

Qualifications

• English and Maths GCSE

Experience

• Experience working in a customer/patient focused environment
• Experience managing a team

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.

Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.

We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.