Patient Pathway Administrator

OUH; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Oxford is recruiting for a full-time administrative post in the Ear, Nose and Throat Department. The role provides essential support to consultants, handles appointments and correspondence, and maintains high standards of data quality and patient confidentiality.

You will work within a busy team, manage pathways, and contribute to service improvement. The position is based at John Radcliffe Hospital with standard hours and a pro‑rata salary for

Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths.
• NVQ or Apprenticeship in Customer Care or Business Administration.

Responsibilities

• Provide primary administrative support to consultants and clinicians.
• Book follow up appointments and manage correspondence.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and accurate patient records.
• Assist with waiting list management and validation of pathways.
• Coordinate interpreters and liaise with clinical coding teams.
• Support service development and handle ad hoc duties as required.

Skills

Accurate data entry

Typing

Good communication

Organising and prioritising

Teamwork

Conflict resolution

IT aptitude

Education

GCSE English and Maths

NVQ/ Apprenticeship in Customer Care or Business Admin

Tools

EPR

Scan IT

Job description

Main area Ear, Nose and Throat Department Grade NHS AfC: Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday) Job ref 321-NOTSS-7930561-B4

Site John Radcliffe Hospital Town Oxford Salary £28,392 - £31,157 Per Annum / Pro Rata Salary period Yearly Closing 08/10/2026 23:59

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.

The Trust comprises of four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellenceand its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

Many of our recruitment programmes use Value Based Interviewingto identify those who have the skills we seek, who share our values and who are able to deliver compassionate excellence from the outset. We know that this makes a significant difference to your job satisfaction and above all the outcomes and experience of our patients and their families. For more information about our Values and Value Based Interviewing please visit www.ouh.nhs.uk/about/vision-and-values

Job overview

The post holder will be expected to provide primary administrative support to the consultants and clinicians, including booking follow up appointments, correspondence support and other administrative duties as required and as directed by the Team leader/ASM on a day-to-day basis according to service.

Patient administration underpins the patient journey and supports clinical teams in delivering high quality patient care and can make a real difference to the patient experience. Effective and efficient patient administration supports management through ensuring a high standard of data quality and by making the best use of capacity and resources.

The post holder is required to assist in the provision of a professional, comprehensive, and efficient administrative service, which is effectively delivered to all patients and members of the department. This will be through supporting the clinical and administrative teams in the delivery of a comprehensive administrative service. This will involve waiting list management and validation of pathways for a speciality, in accordance with the Elective Access Policy, current RTT targets, communicating appointment and admission related information to patients and carers and/or typing correspondence as appropriate.

Main duties of the job

• Demonstrate high levels of customer care and be an ambassador for customer care within the Trust.
• Provide a robust administration function that underpins the delivery of a high quality service and maintain effective working relationships with clinical, nursing and administrative staff.
• Answer all telephone calls in a timely manner and action as appropriate.
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
• Be flexible in your approach to work, such as covering other job roles at an appropriate grade or site, and to include varying working hours to ensure the service maintains a minimum level of cover during its core hours of 08:00 to 18:00.
• Support the Team Leader, Assistant Service Manager and Service Manager in the investigation and resolution of patient queries and complaints received direct to the service or via PALS / Complaints Department.
• Book interpreters for patients prior to appointments and admissions as and when required.
• Liaise with Clinical coders to ensure patient notes are available so that all patient episodes are coded accurately and promptly.
• To support and contribute to on-going and future service development projects supporting continuous improvement of the services we provide.
• Any other duties at the request of the Team Leader / Assistant Service Manager / Service Manager, which may be needed to fulfil the objectives of the post, which are appropriate to the grade

Working for our organisation

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. Find out more here www.ouh.nhs.uk

The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel .

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Ensure appropriate follow up appointments are booked and elevate to Team Leader and consultant if patient cannot be booked within required time scales.
• Respond to telephone queries coming into the department, taking clear messages to pass to relevant staff to ensure requests are actioned promptly.
• Using Scan IT ensure that electronic health records filing is maintained at an extremely high standard, with timely scanning of paper records on to EPR as required.
• Ensure accurate filing of paper notes and records is maintained as required.
• Follow the tracking procedure for the movement of all patient notes (Case Note Tracking).
• On an as and when required basis, update patient details on EPR to include ensuring patients that require discharge are processed accordingly.
• Actively use and manage the work lists in Revenue Cycle to manage Patients Missing Follow Up and Deferred patient lists
• Act as the first point of contact for patients coming into the department.
• Ensure there is adequate cover on the reception desks
• If required, admit and discharge patients to the ward.
• Act upon queries from referrers, patients, and other relevant parties in liaison with clinical staff. Take relevant action to provide reassurance and support to patients and their families by finding appropriate solutions to problems, which requires the ability to understand and explain basic medical procedures and terminology.
• Book interpreters for patients prior to appointments and admissions as and when required.
• Actively review patient DNAs, liaising with the appropriate clinical staff and reschedule patient appointments in line with agreed local processes.
• Adding additional list capacity on EPR as directed by management.
• Book patients as required.

Pathway Tracking

• To have an excellent working knowledge of the 18 weeks referral to treatment (RTT) rules / Cancer waiting targets / Screening wait times, as required for the job, and use them in conjunction with the OUH Elective Access Policy to proactively manage all patient pathways.
• Undertake validation of the 18 week RTT PTLs and contribute to the validation of the cancer PTL where appropriate. Investigate and take appropriate action where pathways are incomplete to ensure that patients are treated in clinical priority and breach date order and that reporting on performance and waiting times is robust.
• Escalate pathway issues if required to the Patient Pathway Team Leader and Assistant Service Manager.
• Book in clinical priority and breach date order, whilst monitoring the 18 week / Cancer PTLs or screening list to ensure any late additions are identified and processed appropriately. In doing so, take the necessary steps to avoid target breaches and resolve any issues i.e. 28 day theatre cancellations.
• Recognise when patients are on cancer care pathways and proactively link with the MDT Coordinator and MDT Tracker to ensure these patients are actively managed through their diagnosis and treatment.
• Ensure Trust systems are updated with patient pathway status information and that data quality is maintained.
• Liaise with internal and external colleagues to share patient pathway information and diagnostic information, and expedite patient journeys where needed.
• Ensure inter-provider transfers are timely and that the appropriate paperwork has been completed and sent or received.
• Liaise with clinical coders to ensure patient notes are available so that all patient episodes are coded accurately and promptly.
• Co‑ordinate appointments and procedures at others hospitals and organisations, where the pathway requires input from these.
• Ensure accurate information is added to EPR / Infoflex and other internal and external IT systems and databases, as required.
• Liaise with external commissioners if required

Patient Pathway

• Actively review patient DNAs, liaising with the appropriate clinical staff and reschedule patient appointments in line with agreed local processes.
• Raising clinic capacity issue to management via the Patient Pathway Team Leader and ASM
• Adding additional list capacity on EPR as directed by management.
• Book patients as required.

Person specification

Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths, grades A-C
• NVQ or Apprenticeship in Customer Care or Business Administration

Experience

• Previous NHS experience
• Previous experience in a similar role
• Good knowledge of patient pathways
• An understanding of the Trust’s Elective Access Policy / Cancer waiting targets / Screening Programme targets as appropriate to the role
• In-depth understanding of Medical Terminology appropriate to specialism
• EPR Experience
• Understanding of patient priorities and performance targets
• Thorough knowledge of healthcare administrative systems and processes
• Experience of effective waiting list management

Skills

• Accurate data entry, typing and checking skills
• Manages and interprets data correctly to inform decision making
• Good communication - both written and verbal
• Maintains high standards and quality of work
• Contributes to service improvements and is solution focused
• Follows instructions, adheres to organisational policies, protocols, and procedure
• Organising, planning a prioritising skill
• Evidence of good team working
• Evidence of interacting with a wide range of people
• Basic conflict resolution skills
• Willingness to develop computer technology skills

Sexual Safety Charter : In 2023NHS England launched its first sexual safety charter, and our Trust proudly signed it. We pledge zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behaviour and commit tothe ten core principles

Oxford University Hospitals promotes a safe, respectful hiring environment.

If you want to make a difference with us, come and join our team. Together, we will uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism.

Vacancy Closures: Please note, this vacancy may close early if a high volume of applications are received.

Visa and Immigration: Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is able to offer Certificates of Sponsorship for all eligible roles for a Skilled Worker Visa without exception, provided the role meets the minimum salary and skill level criteria set by the Home Office (UKVI). All eligible candidates will be considered with equal consideration at all stages of the application and recruitment process. Skilled worker: Health and Care Visa | NHS Employers / Work in the UK - GOV.UK

COVID-19: The COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not a condition of employment, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated there is helpful advice and information at Oxfordshire County Council Website where you can also find out more about how to access vaccination.

Probation Period: This post is subject to a 6 month probationary period. If you currently hold a contract of employment with the Oxford University Hospitals, this will not apply. This statement does not apply to Medical staff or Executive Appointments.

Referencing: When providing employment reference details please provide correct work related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your first referee will need to be your line manager, supervisor or clinical lead from your current or most recent post or place of study. Please note that if you have previously worked for the Trust we will require a reference from your last Manager, this information is essential if your offer of employment is to be confirmed.

To note: Applicants must write their own applications. If AI tools are used, the application may be rejected as this document is crucial for assessment. This does not prevent you from seeking support via AI with applications for the purposes of any disability and/or long-term health conditions.

When using AI to help write your application, it is important to personalise it, especially your supporting statement. While AI can simplify the process, it will not fully understand the job's requirements and/or be able to showcase your skills, knowledge, and experience. Write your statement to show why you are interested in the role and how you would be a valued member of the team/OUH employee.

No unsolicited recruitment agency telephone calls or emails.

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.

Application numbers

Please note that this job advertisement will close automatically once the application limit is reached, regardless of whether this occurs before the advertised closing date.

Band 5 NurseandBand 2 Healthcare Support Workerrecruitment iscentralised, meaning when you apply you will be considered fora number of rolesacross the Trust. If you have any questions please email: [e-mail] .

Vacancies with our PFI partners

Domestic / catering / porteringservices at theJohn Radcliffe Hospitalare provided byMitie.

Domestic / catering / portering / maintenance engineerservices at theChurchill HospitalandNuffield Orthopaedic Centreare provided byG4S.

Maintenance engineer services at the John Radcliffe Hospital are provided by Equans.

All meetings and interviews will be scheduled on Microsoft Teams from a verified OUH email account.

If you have any doubts about any correspondence around recruitment, please contact us

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