Overseas Visiting Officer

Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Wrightington; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A public health organization is looking for an Overseas Visiting Officer to ensure overseas visitors are assessed for NHS treatment eligibility. The role includes conducting interviews with patients, coordinating billing arrangements, and monitoring care episodes. Candidates should have good interpersonal skills, experience in customer service, and a relevant educational background. This is a full-time position with a commitment to patient support and operational efficiency. The closing date for applications is 21 December 2025.

Qualifications

• Previous public facing/customer service experience.
• Experience of effective communication when dealing with distressed or agitated individuals.

Responsibilities

• Conduct 1:1 interviews with overseas visitors to assess eligibility for free NHS treatment.
• Coordinate arrangements for billing overseas patients for diagnostic tests and procedures.
• Monitor patient episodes of care to ensure invoices are raised regularly.

Skills

Good interpersonal skills

Use of Microsoft Office

Motivational and persuasive skills

Effective time management and prioritisation skills

Tenacity and an enquiring approach

Education

Good standard of general education to NVQ level 3 or equivalent

GCSE Maths and English or equivalent

Job description

Overseas Visiting Officer

The closing date is 21 December 2025

We are currently seeking to appoint an Overseas Visiting Officer to join our team on a full‑time basis. This role involves working 35 hours per week, across five working days from Monday to Friday.

Main duties of the job

The role is to ensure that overseas visitors are assessed for eligibility for NHS treatment against the DHSC criteria. Where not eligible overseas visitors attending WWL including Wrightington Hospital, the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Leigh Infirmary, Boston House and Thomas Linacre Centre are charged appropriately for the services they receive. The post holder undertakes the core tasks involved and supports the development of plans, policies and process changes within this service.

About us

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that 'happy staff, makes for happy patients'. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values 'the WWL Way'.

WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.

At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.

Job responsibilities

• Conduct 1:1 interviews (either face‑to‑face, virtual or using translation services) with overseas visitors to analyse the situation and assess eligibility for free NHS treatment, securing the necessary documentary evidence and recording the key points discussed and conclusions reached.
• Assess patients against eligibility criteria and discuss complex cases with the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer, Directorate Manager or other senior manager as appropriate (e.g. Trust solicitor).
• Show appropriate sensitivity in dealing with patients and their relatives in difficult circumstances.
• Coordinate arrangements for billing overseas patients for diagnostic tests, procedures etc.
• In cases where immediate necessary treatment is declined, obtain written justification from the clinical staff concerned.
• Monitor patient episodes of care to ensure that invoices are raised regularly and reflect the overall care package.
• Ensure the timely collection of Undertaking to Pay forms.
• Liaise with the UK Border Agency and Home Office regarding the residency status of patients.
• Support the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer in research to keep abreast of overseas visitors issues as they arise nationally and in other NHS Trusts.
• Support the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer in the development of the Trusts Overseas Visitors policies and procedures.
• Support the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer respond to Freedom of Information requests and the development of Patient Information Leaflets.
• Use various IT systems as required and input required data accurately (e.g. Oracle, Patient Centre, HIS, Healhcode, MESH, local overseas visitors spreadsheet).
• Plan own workload to ensure effective prioritisation.

Planning and Organisational Duties

• Have full knowledge and understanding of the complex DHSC Guidance on Implementing the Overseas Visitor Charging regulations.
• Utilise the DHSC portal for advice and guidance as required.
• Timely submission of overseas patient activity to the DWP Overseas patient portal (EHIP).
• To deputise for the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer on attendance at meetings including regional/national Overseas Manager Meetings and feedback to Trust representatives as requested by the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer.
• Deal with queries from clinical and corporate teams, as well as external agencies, over the phone, by email and in person in a calm and polite manner and in accordance with Trust policy.
• Maintenance of patient records and preparation of clinic/admission notes where necessary.
• Maintain appropriate records for audit purposes.

Communications and Key Working Relationships

• The post holder has a wide range of working relationships including Patients and their families, Trust Clinicians, Trust staff, Finance including SB, NHS Counterfraudel, UK Border Agency, Home Office, Department of Work and Pensions, Safeguarding team, Other Trusts.

Responsibility for Finance

• The post holds no budget responsibility but the post holder has a responsibility to ensure that Trust income is not lost due to ineligible overseas visitors being given treatment.
• To raise estimated costs of treatment in accordance with NHS Upfront tariff.
• Securing cash/credit card deposits/payments for treatment of Overseas Visitors in advance of treatment where practicable or prior to discharge.
• Raise appropriate invoices on Oracle for overseas visitors in a timely manner meeting month and year end deadlines.

Responsibility for Human Resources

• The post has no line management responsibilities for staff but will be involved in training and advising members of the wider administrative team.

Responsibility for Teaching

• The post holder is expected to teach basic principles of the management of overseas visitors to members of the wider administrative team to facilitate service resilience.
• The post holder will contribute to Trust wide education programmes to raise the profile of the Overseas Visitors team.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Good standard of general education to NVQ level 3 or equivalent.
• GCSE Maths and English or equivalent.

Experience

• Previous public facing/customer service experience.
• Experience of effective communication when dealing with people/situations involving distressed or agitated individuals.

Skills

• Good interpersonal skills.
• Use of Microsoft Office.
• Motivational and persuasive skills.
• Effective time management and prioritisation skills.
• Tenacity and an enquiring approach.

Knowledge

• Understanding of the basic functioning of the NHS.
• Knowledge of Overseas Visitor Charging Regulations.

Additional

• Able to facilitate multi-site working.
• Flexibility and adaptability.
• Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exception 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

Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust