Receptionist Outpatients

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; East Grinstead; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Outpatients Receptionist at Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in East Grinstead. The successful candidate will manage reception duties, providing a courteous service to patients and supporting clinic operations in a fast-paced environment. This full-time role involves working with a dedicated team to deliver excellent patient care while promoting the Trust's commitment to sustainability and patient satisfaction.

Benefits

Tailored personal development programmes

Flexible working arrangements

Dedicated reward programme

Qualifications

• Proven knowledge of Word, Outlook, and Excel.
• Experience working in a frontline reception of a healthcare setting.
• Understanding of Information Governance Guidelines within a healthcare setting.

Responsibilities

• Manage Outpatients and Virtual clinic reception desks.
• Provide clerical support and ensure clinics are cashed up.
• Book follow-up appointments and manage patient queries.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Organizational skills

Ability to work under pressure

Education

Maths & English Grade C/5 or above

NVQ Business Administration Level 3

Tools

Word

Outlook

Excel

Job description

Main area Corneo Plastic Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri 8am -5.30pm on a rota basis) Job ref 276-7211808-AC

Site Queen Victoria Hospital Foundation NHS Trust Town East Grinstead Salary £24,625 - £25,674 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 17/06/2025 23:59

Welcome to Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and thank you for your interest.

In addition to receiving tertiary referrals from across the South East of England, we have a network of ‘spoke’ sites at district general hospitals enabling our consultants to offer their expertise with routine treatments and consultations as close to patients’ homes as is possible. With the recent addition of video led ‘virtual’ consultations we also enable patients who have some distance to travel to avoid the additional stress and worry of a long journey.

Working at QVH combines the excitement, challenge and career opportunities of many larger organisations with the satisfaction of delivering excellent patient care that really does re-build our patients’ lives.

We also offer attractive benefits such as

• tailored personal development to support career aspirations, including accredited clinical and management development programmes
• flexible working arrangements for a work-life balance that suits you and your needs
• a dedicated reward programme, offering a range of national and local discounts, cashback and tax relief schemes

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Sustainability

At Queen Victoria Hospital we want to be the first Net Zero Hospital in England, and to achieve that wants every member of staff to be a green champion. The way in which the Trust works has a significant impact on the organisation’s carbon footprint and that of our patients. From the heat, light and power supplies within the hospital to avoiding unnecessary patient journeys, the Trust is empowering all staff to create a sustainable health and care environment for future generations. The Trust expects all staff to reuse and recycle more, to use energy and water efficiently, to walk or cycle to work if you can, and to have a focus on sustainability in the workplace.

An opportunity has arisen for a full time, well organised and enthusiastic individual to join the Outpatients Reception Team based onsite at the Queen Victoria Hospital. The Reception areas are fast paced therefore candidates should have the ability to work well under pressure and as part of a team. You will provide a courteous service using your excellent interpersonal skills to assist both patients and clinical staff.

The post holder is required to provide reception duties for the Outpatient Departments (OPD) and the Attend Anywhere Clinic waiting areas and toprovide administration and clerical support for the services, some of which may be non-routine.

• The post holder is required to provide reception duties for the Outpatient Departments (OPD) and Attend Anywhere Clinic waiting areas on a rota basis.
• To provide administration and clerical support for the services, some of which may be non-routine.
• To ensure clinics are cashed up in a timely manner and book follow up appointments for patients after their OPD appointment as required.
• To deliver a responsive, sensitive and courteous approach to all patient and service users in a busy and potentially stressful environment.

Main duties of the job

• Manage Outpatients and Virtual clinic reception desks for the department and deliver an excellent Patient experience by meeting and greeting stakeholders in a friendly and professional manner.
• Validating patients’ identification and demographic details. Where new or revised information is obtained, update PAS.
• To check that patient’s arrival and departures are correctly recorded on trust systems which are currently Enlighten for check in and Attend Anywhere for Video consultations
• Maintaining contact with patients waiting either in person or online
• Managing the flow of patients and their carers through the reception area, identifying those who may require assistance or to be highlighted as a priority to the clinical staff.
• Maintaining regular communication with the clinicians throughout the session and making sure they are aware of any patient who has been waiting a long time.
• Book follow up appointments as and when requested by the clinician.
• To manage the Reception team email box and decide on the appropriate course of action to ensure that all queries are responded to within 24 hours.
• Ensuring that patient cancellations and DNAs are dealt with in accordance with the Access policy.
• Ensure visitors and patients are directed to the appropriate waiting area, as required, keeping parents/ carers/ patients regularly informed of any delay

Working for our organisation

Rated GOOD overall with outstanding care by the CQC. A specialist NHS hospital providing life-changing reconstructive surgery, burns care and rehabilitation services across the South of England and beyond.

A centre of excellence, with an international reputation for pioneering advanced techniques and treatments. Everything we do is informed by our passion for providing the highest quality care and the best clinical outcomes.

At QVH we are proud of our achievements and our specialist services continue to record excellent clinical outcomes for patients. We regularly receive excellent results from patient satisfaction surveys and on average 98% of inpatients say they would recommend the hospital to their family or friends.

Our success is underpinned by the skills and enthusiasm of our staff and a strong culture of partnership. We are fully committed to training and development of the workforce with support for continuing education and learning.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Manage Outpatients and Virtual clinic reception desks for the department and deliver an excellent Patient experience by meeting and greeting stakeholders in a friendly and professional manner.
• Validating patients’ identification and demographic details. Where new or revised information is obtained, update PAS.
• To check that patient’s arrival and departures are correctly recorded on trust systems which are currently Enlighten for check in and Attend Anywhere for Video consultations
• Encourage patients to complete the Friends and family Survey
• To ensure that clinic schedules are adhered to, utilising consultant and patients time efficiently throughout clinics and escalating any capacity issues to service leads.
• Maintaining contact with patients waiting either in person or online
• Managing the flow of patients and their carers through the reception area, identifying those who may require assistance or to be highlighted as a priority to the clinical staff.
• Maintaining regular communication with the clinicians throughout the session and making sure they are aware of any patient who has been waiting a long time.
• Book follow up appointments as and when requested by the clinician.
• Proactively check next day’s clinic packs are available to ensure the start of clinics is not delayed.
• To manage the Reception team email box and decide on the appropriate course of action to ensure that all queries are responded to within 24 hours.
• Ensuring that patient cancellations and DNAs are dealt with in accordance with the Access policy.
• Raise Datix to the Risk team for incidents that occur within the department.
• Ensure visitors and patients are directed to the appropriate waiting area, as required, keeping parents/ carers/ patients regularly informed of any delay.
• 1.1 Book Oncology MOS (Minor Oral Surgery) procedures in accordance with current 2WW process (including any actions from Cancer PTL)
• 1.2 Book all non-Oncology MOS procedures in accordance with guidelines
• 1.3 Deal with any MOS cancelled clinics, by contacting patients and rebooking accordingly
• 1.4 MOS clinic management – ensure clinics are fully utilised, raising any issues with the Maxfax service manager
• Deal with queries and potentially challenging or distressed patients at reception or online, especially if clinics are running late, clinics have been cancelled at short notice or the patient has received upsetting news.
• Phone for taxis for patients who have attended the hospital but are less able.
• Ensure Trust standards relating to confidentiality are followed at all times, including the disposal of confidential material and use of online/video systems.
• To ensure all clinics, be they face to face, telephone or virtual are cashed up on a daily basis
• To ensure follow up appointments or actions highlighted on the outcome forms are completed, liaising with relevant departments if there is no clinic space
• To answer and resolve a wide range of telephone, face to face and online queries to the department in a professional, empathic polite and courteous manner. These may be non-routine and will require some questioning of the caller, who may be a patient, carer or member of another hospital team in order to understand the nature of their query and then take action as appropriate.
• Ensure uncashed clinic reports are actioned weekly, liaising with secretaries as required.
• Work with the team leader and clinical service managers to identify opportunities to improve the service. This will be particularly true for the online receptionist role which is a new role and not yet fully defined.
• The ability to respond to unexpected events or difficulties encountered by both clinicians and patients either in the clinic or online, identifying the possible causes of any issue and choosing the most appropriate course of action in order to resolve.
• Maintain a tidy, safe working environment, reporting any hazards of faults in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Any other tasks that are highlighted as the responsibility of the Reception team

Person specification

.

• Maths & English Grade C/5 or above
• Proven Knowledge of Word, Outlook and Excel
• Information Governance Guidelines within a Healthcare setting
• NVQ Business Administration Level 3
• Understanding of RTT18
• Experience of working in a frontline Reception of a healthcare setting

The closing date given is a guide only. There may be some occasions when we have to close a vacancy once sufficient applications have been received. You are therefore advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

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.