Patient Administrator

University Hospital Southampton NHS FT; Southampton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Southampton is looking for dedicated Patient Administrators and Ward Secretaries to deliver exceptional administrative support that enhances patient experience. Candidates must possess strong organizational skills, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and a customer service orientation. Positions are available full-time and part-time, with opportunities for training and development in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Training and development opportunities

Support for flexible working

A supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Experience as an administrator or secretary in a customer-focused environment.
• Ability to use judgment to solve problems and inquiries.
• Knowledge of secretarial or administrative procedures.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support in cancer care.
• Manage appointment bookings and patient correspondence.
• Deliver exceptional customer service via telephone.

Skills

Communication skills

Microsoft Office proficiency

Customer service skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Education

Level 3 qualification in administration/customer service

Good standard of secondary education (GCSE)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us. Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment? Are you passionate about delivering exceptional administrative support that enhances the patient experience and journey? We are seeking a range of Patient Administrators, Patient Services Centre Administrators and Ward Secretaries to join our Trust. This role is essential for the seamless operation of our services and significantly impacts our patients' experiences. In collaboration with your team of consultants, you will provide comprehensive administrative support. Your responsibilities will be diverse and will include direct communication with patients and healthcare professionals, coordinating appointment bookings, managing correspondence and actions from outpatient clinics, and ensuring the smooth flow of information among various clinicians and support services.

UHS offers outstanding training and development opportunities to help you achieve your career aspirations. Supporting the growth of our staff is fundamental to delivering high-quality, safe, and effective care. We provide a nurturing environment for professional development, and internal applicants seeking to gain experience in different roles or areas of the hospital may be considered for secondment opportunities. Positions are available at Southampton General Hospital, Royal South Hants Hospital, Princess Anne Hospital, and Lymington Hospital.

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations. Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients. At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

There are several different Band 3 Administrator roles throughout the trust that you may be allocated to. Below is a brief description of the main responsibilities of these roles.

Ward Secretary

This is an excellent opportunity for an organized individual with attention to detail and proficiency in Microsoft Office, who is eager to collaborate with various nursing professionals and the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT). Full-time and part-time positions are available.

Main Responsibilities:

• Collaborate closely with ward leaders to provide administrative support in cancer care.
• Prepare documentation, communicate with stakeholders, and use Microsoft 365 to organize and schedule meetings on behalf of the Line Manager.
• Deliver exceptional customer service by providing a professional telephone service, taking accurate messages, and offering information and guidance as appropriate.

Patient Administrator

We are looking for highly motivated and proactive individuals to join our busy department as Patient Administrators. In this role, you will build strong relationships with consultants, administrative teams, nursing staff, and external providers, ensuring a smooth patient pathway through the department. Strong written and verbal communication skills, along with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team, are essential. You will also provide cross-cover for other patient pathway coordinators to maintain consistent and effective administration services. Working closely with your team of consultants, your duties will vary but will include direct communication with patients and healthcare professionals, arranging appointments, managing correspondence from outpatient clinics, and facilitating the flow of information among clinicians and support services. Full-time and part-time positions are available.

Main Responsibilities:

• Confidently use Microsoft systems, working with minimal supervision and demonstrating a tactful, sensitive approach to challenging situations.
• Exhibit empathy and excellent communication skills, acting as the first point of contact by handling telephone calls, emails, and visitors, responding promptly and efficiently to queries, or redirecting them to the appropriate person/department.
• Thrive under pressure and prioritize your workload effectively. Collaborate with a large team, demonstrating flexibility in multitasking and covering for colleagues as needed. Communicate effectively with ward teams, matrons, divisional nursing staff, consultants, ward administrators, and patients.
• Familiarity with the Trust's electronic systems is advantageous but not essential, as training will be provided.

Patient Services Administrator

We approach our conversations with patients with compassion and respect, recognizing that this is a particularly challenging time for them. We seek candidates who are empathetic and capable of handling difficult conversations. If you are resilient and proactive, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and respond to urgent requests from our stakeholders while meeting tight deadlines, we want to hear from you. Effective communication with care groups is essential to inform them of any capacity issues or patients at risk of breaching, as well as attending weekly meetings and following the necessary escalation procedures. This role requires close attention to detail and the ability to quickly assimilate information. Full-time and part-time positions are available.

Main Responsibilities:

• The Outpatient Administrator Centre (OAC) staff are dedicated and hardworking, often serving as the first point of contact for patients. Their responsibilities include:
• Handling approximately 20,000 calls each month from patients.
• Booking over 650,000 outpatient appointments annually across 50 specialties within the Trust.
• Managing clinic schedules, rescheduling, and cancelling appointments, and filling new clinic slots.
• Covering reception desks at all our locations, checking patients in, scheduling follow-up appointments, and addressing queries.
• Preparing patient packs for outpatient clinics.

Our service operates from 7 AM to 6 PM Monday to Friday and from 8 AM to 4:30 PM on Saturdays, and you will be expected to work flexibly within these core hours.

Person specification

Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria

• Good standard of secondary education with literacy and numeracy skills demonstrable to GCSE pass level or equivalent standard
• Either- Level 3 qualification in administration/ customer service or equivalent experience Or- Vocational Level 2 qualification in administration/customer service or an equivalent level of experience
• Experience as an administrator or secretary in an organisation with a customer focused environment
• Able to use judgement to make decisions in order to solve problems/enquiries some of which are non-routine and not straightforward
• Knowledge and experience of secretarial or administrative procedures
• Microsoft Office skills, especially Excel and Outlook

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Courses / further study attended to demonstrate evidence of personal development
• Vocational Level 3 qualification in administration/word processing/typing or an equivalent level of experience
• Diploma level qualification or an equivalent level of experience
• Experience as a medical or patient services secretary linked to a clinical service or customer focused environment
• Proficient in the use of all hospital computerised patient systems
• Experience in understanding and analysing patient pathways
• Knowledge of both local and national targets relating to RTT and cancer pathways

Trust Values

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together