Patient Support and Complaints Officer

Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust; Bath; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust in Bath is seeking a Patient Support and Complaints Officer (Band 4) for a 12-month fixed-term contract, 37.5 hours per week. Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum, pro rata, with yearly pay.

You will handle patient and family enquiries via email, phone and in person, escalating where needed. Role requires excellent communication and writing skills, ability to log and investigate enquiries, and collaboration with the PSCT and Patient Experience teams

Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal skills in all forms of communication especially face to face and via the telephone; ability to communicate in a logical and clear manner with empathy.

Responsibilities

• Provide empathetic and responsive advice to patients and families.
• Receive complaints and concerns and agree with the patient or family the best option for resolution (complaint, concern, feedback).
• Frequent communication with patients and service users in person, on the telephone and via written communication.
• Record and maintain PSCT contacts on the Datix database system, escalating issues where necessary.
• Work with the Patient Experience team to ensure a joined-up approach to improve patient and family experience.
• Elevate enquiries to the PSCT Manager when appropriate.
• Assist with collecting organisation-wide patient feedback.
• Manage enquiries related to lost property and liaise with wards to resolve issues.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Empathy

Calm under pressure

Telephone communication

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Main area Corporate Nursing Grade Band 4 Contract 12 months (Fixed term) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday) Job ref 427-8296889

Employer Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal United Hospital, Bath Town Bath Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 14/10/2026 23:59

Patient Support and Complaints Officer

Band 4

Job overview

You will be responsible for receiving, logging and investigating patient and family enquiries received email, phone and in person. Excellent communication skills and writing skills are vital in this role.

You will be required to manage your own caseload by escalating enquiries to members of staff across the Trust, updatingPatients and Families with progress,resolving complex cases and processing formal complaints. The PSCT manager will support you.

PSCT are responsible to manage enquiries relating to lost property and work closely with wards to resolve issues.

You will also be responsible to work in the PSCT office and manage any face-to-face enquiries from patients, families or members of the public that need assistance.

Main duties of the job

• To provide an empathetic and responsive advice service to patients and their families.
• To receive complaints and concerns and agree with the patient or their family the best option for resolution (complaint, concern, feedback)
• To frequently communicate with patients and service users in person, on the telephone and via written communication.
• To record and maintain PSCT contacts on the Datix database system, escalating issues where necessary.
• To work as part of a team, communicating with the Patient Experience team and ensuring a joined‑up approach to improve the experience of patients and their families at the Trust.
• To elevate enquiries to the PSCT Manager when appropriate.
• To assist with collecting organisation‑wide patient feedback.
• To manage enquiries related to lost property and work closely with wards to resolve issues.

Working for our organisation

At the RUH we put people at the heart of what we do, working together as one team to make a difference for our patients, each other, and our community. No matter what your role is, we value everyone’s contribution in supporting the exceptional, person‑centred care we pride ourselves on.

We are committed to creating a compassionate and inclusive environment. This can be seen in our growing community of staff networks – celebrating successes and creating opportunities to listen and learn. We value our differences, champion kindness and civility, and truly believe that diversity makes us stronger.

A culture of learning, developing and innovating is the thread that runs throughout our whole organisation. We want to support you to thrive, taking your career to its full potential.

We value staff wellbeing, with a well‑established programme of support. We believe in a holistic approach spanning all aspects of living a healthy life, including physical, emotional, spiritual and financial wellbeing. We’ve even got a pool!

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about the role.

Person specification

Knowledge and experience

• Excellent interpersonal skills in all forms of communication especially face to face and via the telephone; ability to communicate in a logical and clear manner with empathy.
• Knowledge of health and wellbeing issues and healthcare services acquired through experience.

Skills

• Able to remain calm under pressure and communicate effectively with patients/carers who are angry/upset and highly emotional and on occasions challenging behaviours with distressed and angry individuals.

Skills

• Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office

Please note - Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered unless an alternative right to work solution can be provided. Candidates requiring sponsorship (or will need sponsorship at the end of a current visa e.g. those with graduate visa's) should reviewthe eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying: Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK

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.