Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Scheduler

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust; Ashton-under-Lyne; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester is seeking an admin scheduler to align SACT treatment and Outpatients appointments for haematology services.

You will communicate with patients and relatives face-to-face and by phone, ensuring timely appointments and continuity of care.

Qualifications

• Experience in scheduling patients for treatment and clinic appointments.
• Strong communication with patients, relatives, and healthcare staff.
• Ability to work to deadlines and handle multiple tasks.
• Experience in NHS or hospital administration is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Schedule SACT treatments and Outpatients appointments.
• Communicate appointment details to patients and relatives.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and accurate notes in systems.
• Coordinate with MDT and GP communications.

Skills

Scheduling

Communication

Organizational

Teamwork

Tools

iQemo scheduling system

Patient information system

Job description

The SACT team require a scheduler to work as part of our existing team to schedule patients receiving Systemic anti-cancer treatments. The post holder will be based at Tameside and primarily supporting the haematology services. The scheduling of patients SACT treatment, and Outpatients appointments, communicating with patients and relatives both face to face and on the phone, ensuring patients receive their appointments in a timely manner. Other administration skills will be required. It requires the individual to meet deadlines for appointments and targets, to communicate well with all members of the multidisciplinary team, patients, and their relatives and to act in a professional, courteous manner at all times.

KEY ROLE DIMENSIONS Communication & Relationship Skills

• Exchange information with patients and staff on the admission and discharge of patients, both verbally and in written format
• Communicate complex information about chemotherapy appointment schedules to patients
• Communicate with patients who may be anxious, angry or upset
• Exchange relevant information with GPs and other health professionals
• Deal compassionately with distressing situations
• Liaise with other members of staff regarding case notes and patient visits
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times

Analytical & Judgmental Skills

• Resolve issues arising in own role, such as cancellation of patient appointments and missing patient notes
• Use own initiative to liaise with clinical staff where necessary regarding patient queries
• Use patient information systems to assist patients and staff with solving issues
• Apply knowledge to correctly code treatment appointments and first definitive treatments
• Assess patients' demographic details and alert management if they do not reach eligibility criteria for treatment in the NHS

Planning & Organizational Skills

• Plan for patient admissions, appointments, and discharge
• Clinic preparation to ensure that all clinical notes and forms are present
• Make alterations to clinic structure to accommodate arrival of unexpected patients
• Use the iQemo scheduling system to book patients for treatment.
• Re‑arrange clinics to accommodate staff absence
• Ensure that annual leave does not occur at the same time as colleagues
• Provide cover for colleagues across the Division and at other trusts who deliver chemotherapy activity in times of sickness and annual leave - therefore will be familiar with systems and processes in all areas.

Physical Skills

• Work in patient information system, requiring standard keyboard skills
• Use office equipment including PCs, fax machine, and phones

Responsibility Patient/Client Care

• Provide comprehensive advice to patients/relatives regarding appointments
• Signpost patients to other areas of hospital

Responsibility Policy & Service Development

• Follow all relevant policy and legislation
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure policies are adhered to

Responsibility Financial & Physical Resources

• Handle financial donations, frequently made by patients visiting the unit
• Ensure that office supplies are adequate, ordered and obtained for the smooth running of the unit

Responsibility Human Resources

• To provide induction support to new post holders
• Demonstrate workplace routines to less experienced members of staff

Responsibility Information Resources

• Update patient demographic details in patient information system
• Enter patient appointments and outcomes in patient information system
• Track patient notes in patient information system
• Print forms to attach to patient notes
• Print out daily clinic lists

Responsibility Research & Development

• Undertake surveys/audits as necessary to own work

Freedom to Act

• Post holder is expected to follow all relevant protocols, SOPs and standard practice.
• Administrative manager is available as point of reference for any queries and will meet regularly with staff
• Plan and organize own time and workload activity with prioritization
• Use own initiative to solve problems and answer staff and patient enquiries

Physical Effort

• Periods of time spent sitting at keyboard to input information
• Moving heavy sets of case notes around reception areas frequently during day

Mental Effort

• Concentration is required when making appointments and entering data on patient information system
• Constant interruptions from phone calls, patients presenting at reception and demands from other members of staff
• Unpredictable pattern of working due to arrival of unplanned patients, missing case notes, cancelled clinics, staff absence and patient illness

Emotional Effort

• Direct interaction with patients suffering from terminal illnesses
• Receiving phone calls from family members informing of the death or deterioration of patients
• Frequent exposure to distressed patients who are upset or angry

Working Conditions

• Continuous use of VDU for patient management
• Very busy reception area

The post holder will require excellent communication skills and be able to work as part of a team but also be able to manage your own workload. The role requires considerable amount of computer work using a few of the trusts systems. A good knowledge of these information systems would be an advantage, although training will be given. The post holder's role will include the booking of patients SACT treatment, and booking Outpatients appointments, communicating with patients and relatives both face to face and on the phone, ensuring patients receive their appointments in a timely manner. Other administration skills will be required. The role requires the individual to meet deadlines for appointments and targets, to communicate well with all members of the multidisciplinary team, patients, and their relatives and to act in a professional, courteous manner at all times. The successful candidate would be expected to work a variety of shifts between 7.30am and 6pm throughout the week. There will also be an expectation to work some Bank Holidays and Saturdays on rotation. This role requires occasional work at various Christie sites, and as such, candidates must have their own means of transport and possess a full UK driving licence.

The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, looking after more than 64,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 25% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We are the largest radiotherapy provider in the NHS with one in 20 treatments delivered at The Christie. We have up to 15 linear accelerators operating across our network of sites. We operate the largest chemotherapy unit in the UK on our main site and treatments are also provided at 13 other networked sites, and in patients homes. And as a specialist tertiary surgical centre, we focus on rare cancers, complex procedures, and multidisciplinary approaches to cancer surgery, specialising in colorectal, peritoneal, gynaecological, urological and plastic surgery. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We have been named by the UK's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), as one of the best hospitals providing opportunities for patients to participate in clinical research studies, with more than 800 studies open at any time, caring for over 3,000 patients.