SPOA Team Lead

Whittington Health NHS Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in London is looking for a lead administrator for the MSK Service. This role involves managing the SPOA referral pathway, coordinating patient appointments, and providing clerical support. Candidates should possess strong communication and organizational skills, alongside experience with data entry and administrative tasks. This position plays a crucial part in ensuring timely access to services for patients and referrers.

Qualifications

• Experience in administrative roles, ideally within healthcare.
• Ability to handle sensitive information and queries.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Manage the referral process for the MSK SPOA service.
• Support patients and referrers with appointment queries.
• Supervise junior administrative staff and confirm smooth operations.

Skills

Communication

Data Entry

Coordination

Problem-solving

Tools

e-RS

Medway

RIO

Job description

Overview

This position is an integral part of the administrative team for the MSK Service. The post holder will be the lead administrator for the MSK Single Point of Access (SPOA) referral pathway and will support the MSK Service Manager in finding innovative ways to streamline referral and appointment booking processes. The role covers SPOA administrative/clerical duties as well as RIO, MEDWAY and eRS (Choose and Book) administration associated with referrals and appointment bookings. The post holder will support patients and referrers (GPs) with appointment and booking queries and work closely with the CBS team to ensure timely access to the most appropriate service. The post holder will also work closely with the MSK CATS team providing administrative support and ensuring staff maintain triage in a timely manner for referrals to be processed.

Key responsibilities include managing the referral process for the MSK SPOA service, triaging and processing referrals through digital systems (e-RS, Medway), booking and managing patient appointments, and redirecting inappropriate referrals. The role requires extensive communication with patients, GPs and other healthcare professionals to coordinate care, including arranging interpreters and handling sensitive enquiries. The post holder will also provide comprehensive clerical support (data entry, correspondence, managing departmental diaries, and maintaining office supplies) and supervise junior administrative staff, contribute to activity reporting, and ensure smooth daily operation across multiple sites.

To ensure referrals are triaged promptly, the post holder will liaise with physiotherapists and service leads as appropriate and ensure referrals are processed through e-RS with timely booking. They will liaise with other service leads for urgent referrals (e.g., Rheumatology or Orthopaedics) as needed and redirect inappropriate referrals when required. The role includes managing voicemail, cancellation and booking of patient appointments (in person, telephone, text or email), and ensuring patients understand appointment information. The post holder will organise booking of interpreters and transport, and assist in managing departmental diaries in line with service needs.

Other duties include accurate data entry for patient registration and referral/appointment information, competence in data entry systems (e-RS, Medway, EDMS, RIO, EMIS), and word processing. They will construct letters to patients and health professionals using MSK SPOA templates or as directed, discharge patients as allocated in consultation with senior staff, receive and distribute mail, provide photocopying and filing, and ensure legal requests are handled per protocol. The role requires the ability to prioritise multiple tasks and problem-solve at reception, with escalation to team members when needed. The post holder will be responsible for medical records, investigation reports and medical correspondence as directed, and provide administrative support to Advanced Practice Physiotherapists in the MSK CATS team, including collating reports and chasing referrals.

Organisational Duties

• Report to the Band 5 MSK Services Business Manager.
• Support and appraise Band 3 administrative staff within the MSK SPOA Administration Team.
• Calculate statistical data for monthly activity reporting; undertake activity analysis for simple audits.
• Monitor stationery stock levels and reorder as appropriate; may order other stocks as required.
• Report IT and office equipment faults and take appropriate action.
• Participate in the post holder’s appraisal scheme and local site staff meetings.
• Assist in the induction of new administrative and clerical MSK SPOA staff; maintain safe and hygienic working practices per Whittington Manual Handling Guidelines.
• Cover administration and clerical duties at another site as required (e.g., for annual leave or sickness).

Safeguarding

To comply with Trust Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. This includes familiarity with London Child Protection Procedures, London Multi-Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures, local information-sharing protocols, reporting lines, required training and supervision, and professional boundaries. Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Application Guidance

Your application form should include all evidence of how you meet the essential requirements in the job description, as this forms the base of shortlisting criteria. Closing dates are provided as a guide; adverts may close early. If you do not hear within three weeks after closing, you may not have been shortlisted for interview. Check emails regularly and note that correspondence will be via trac.systems. Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period (except GMC Registered Doctors).

Other Information

• Applicants requiring sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications; check UKVI eligibility.
• Applications from people wishing to job share or work flexibly are welcome. Equal opportunities apply.
• In submitting an application, you authorize Whittington Health NHS Trust to verify NHS service details via Inter Authority Transfer if appointed.
• If offered a role with NLPSS partner trusts, identity and right-to-work documentation will be verified remotely using TrustID with supporting checks; you may need to capture document images and a selfie for facial matching. Identity documents will be scanned during recruitment.
• Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details; information is securely stored to set up ESR HR records.