Referral & Scheduling Coordinator and Patient Access Coordinator

Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Home working up to 1 day per week

Job summary

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a versatile Referral & Scheduling Co-ordinator and Patient Access Co-ordinator to join the newly established Centralised Referral Management and Scheduling Team. You will manage referrals, schedule appointments, and liaise with clinical teams to ensure timely access to care, delivering patient-centred service.

The role offers a collaborative environment with opportunities to work from home up to one day per week, subject to service

Qualifications

• Experience in patient access or administrative coordination.
• Strong customer service and communication skills.
• Ability to manage referrals and schedule appointments.

Responsibilities

• Act as first point of contact for patient access queries.
• Vet referrals and schedule first outpatient appointments.
• Coordinate with clinical and operational teams to ensure timely access to care.
• Respond to patient enquiries promptly and maintain accurate records.
• Work flexibly across sites and support service transformation.

Job description

Referral & Scheduling Coordinator and Patient Access Coordinator

A Vacancy at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our newly established Centralised Referral Management and Scheduling Team for various Referral & Scheduling Co-ordinator and Patient Access Coordinator positions.

We are looking for enthusiastic, motivated, and innovative individuals who are passionate about delivering excellent patient care and customer service. Working as part of a supportive and forward-thinking team, you will play a key role in ensuring patients receive timely access to services while contributing to the delivery of high-quality administrative and scheduling functions across the organisation.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a newly developed team at the forefront of service transformation, helping to shape and embed new ways of working that improve the experience of both patients and staff.

Assessment Centre/Interview

As part of the recruitment process, you will be required to attend aface-to-face Assessment Centre and Interview. Please allow approximately 3 hours for the event.

The available dates are:

Please ensure you are available for the full duration of the event when selecting your preferred date.

Due to the anticipated high level of interest in this opportunity, the vacancy may close earlier than advertised. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

The Referral & Scheduling Co-ordinator and the Patient Access Coordinator are key members of the Admin& Clerical Team, providing high-quality, patient-centred service and acting as a first point of contact for patients, carers, and healthcare professionals.

Working across multiple specialties, you will manage referrals, schedule appointments, and liaise with clinical and operational teams to ensure patients receive timely access to care in line with agreed pathways and service standards.

Key duties include customer service, call handling, referral management, appointment scheduling, and resolving patient and stakeholder enquiries within a busy and dynamic environment.

Following successful completion of training and demonstration of competency across the services supported by the team, there will be an opportunity to work from home for up to one day per week, subject to service requirements and operational demands.

Contract and Hours

• Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm

If you are looking to develop your career within a dynamic and evolving service and want to make a meaningful contribution to patient care, we would love to hear from you.

For further information, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.

Ourvalueshelp us to define and develop our culture,what we doandhow we do it. It is important that you understand andreflect these values throughout your employment with the Trust.

The post holder will be:

We provide patient and person-centred care. We care about others’ needs and wellbeing. We listen. We are compassionate to ourselves and others. We reflect on our actions. We are respectful and welcoming.

Ambitious– we innovate and strive for excellence

We innovate and strive for excellence. We act with integrity. We act on staff and patient feedback. We seek ways to improve the care and experience of others. We are efficient. We are committed to growth. We find new ways to deliver excellence.

Inclusive– we respect each other and work collaboratively

We respect each other and work collaboratively. We act on diverse views. We put ourselves in ‘others’ shoes’. We are building an anti-racism organisation. We seek opportunities to collaborate. We show sensitivity towards diversity of culture.

Main Duties

• Act as the first point of call for all patient access queries to the Trust.
• Ensure that the vetting process for referrals has been followed in line with trust and departmental guidelines.
• Be responsible for the scheduling of first outpatient, and all associated appointments according to clinical urgency and length of wait in accordance with departmental procedures and Trust Policies.
• Liaise with patients prior to their hospital visit to ensure that a mutually convenient date and time is agreed.
• Ensure that patients are appropriately reminded of their appointments. This may include sending reminder SMS or contacting patients by telephone, up to seven days before their visit to re-confirm attendance in line with departmental protocols.
• Ensure that departmental standards are met for patients receiving notification or acknowledgement of their visit.
• Provide a courteous and efficient point of contact for patients both face to face and over the telephone.
• Ensure that each patient is treated as an individual and their individual needs are met (ie: appropriate support is in place for their appointment, such as interpreting support).

Preparing for the patient visit

• Ensure that patients and visitors are well informed and that messages are communicated promptly.
• Respond to enquiries in a courteous and efficient manner.
• Ensure all patients’ demographic details are checked with the patient and any amendments/corrections are made in an accurate and timely fashion.
• Ensure that all data is inputted accurately into the computerised hospital administration system in a timely manner.
• Escalate any issues where appropriate to Team Leaders.

Ongoing pathway management

• Develop expertise in all aspects of the speciality pathways for your access team.
• Using the work queues ensure that the booking of all patients is line in with Trust and National waiting time targets and escalade exceptions.
• Respond to patient queries or concerns in an effective and professional manner, escalating where appropriate to Team Leaders.
• Responsible for the accurate input and maintenance of confidential data onto relevant Trust IT systems.
• To have a clear and up to date knowledge of the rules and protocols of the service to ensure full and effective utilisation of clinical capacity.
• Ensure regular, efficient validation of all waiting list data in accordance with Trust Policies.
• In conjunction with Team Leaders, review cancelled/suspended/deferredpatients ensuring appropriate action is taken.
• Attend regular meetings with management and clinical teams to review
• Work flexibly to ensure the department operates effectively, including working across any Trust site and across all specialty boundaries as required.
• Assist in investigating any complaints or incidents that arise in relation appointments for your speciality.
• Ensure that the any telephone, e-mail or written queries are responded to within the appropriate timeframe and escalated if necessary.
• Develop and maintain relationships with all staff groups to ensure the patient access teams function as effectively as possible.

Standards monitoring

• Ensure telephone calls are answered within the agreed time and in line with the Trust greeting policy.
• Ensure that all patient demographics are checked and updated on all Trust systems.
• Ensure patient cancellations/changes are recorded appropriately on all relevant Trust systems.
• Ensure that workqueues are proactively managed in line with Patient Access targets.
• Ensure that local and Trust policies are adhered to at all times.
• Ensure that all referrals received outside of the electronic system are added to the waiting list within 2 working days of receipt of request.
• Ensure urgent referrals are dealt with in line with agreed protocols.
• Ensure that any patient or hospital initiated cancellations to appointment dates are recorded accurately and in real time on PAS.
• Escalate any issues and breaches of the above standards to the Team Leader in the first instance.
• Support the Team Leader to investigate any breaches of the above standards.

Other

• Work within a multi-disciplinary team in developing the service in line with departmental plans and Trust corporate objectives.
• Undertake any general office responsibilities including collection and distribution of post, sorting of incoming post into departmental and priority order, date and receipt stamping of any post.
• Participate in department development as appropriate and participate in departmental meetings.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate to the grade, required to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the department.
• Undertake any training as required to complete the tasks associated with the job role.
• To provide general administration support as directed by management.

The post holder is required to follow Trust policies and procedures which are regularly updated

*refer to attached job description for additional details*

This advert closes on Tuesday 17 Nov 2026

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust