Team Leader

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 31,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization is seeking a dedicated individual to manage the Short Notice Booking Team within the Outpatient Appointment Centre. This part-time position involves overseeing appointment management, training staff, and ensuring compliance with healthcare policies. Applicants should have strong administrative skills and experience in a clinical environment. The role offers a fixed-term contract for 18 months with a salary of £27,485 to £30,162 per annum.

Qualifications

• Proven patient management system knowledge necessary to manage appointments effectively.
• Strong knowledge of Waiting List Management Policy, ensuring compliance and efficiency.
• Demonstrated experience in an administrative role within an acute clinical setting.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Short Notice Booking Team ensuring effective appointment management.
• Train and supervise staff, maintaining quality service and adherence to policies.
• Monitor performance metrics and address any issues to optimize operational efficiency.

Skills

Patient management system knowledge

Waiting List Management Policy knowledge

Administration experience

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Education

Diploma level (or Equivalent)

NVQ Level 3 in Administration (Desirable)

Job description

Job Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Outpatient Appointment Centre leading the Short Notice Booking Team. The primary responsibility is to oversee the team in filling short‑notice appointment slots to optimise utilisation across the trust.

Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and ‘At Risk’ status, including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main Duties

The candidate will be expected to work between 3 sites. The key responsibility of this role is to work as part of a professional multi‑skilled team within the OAC, carrying out the duties of the appointed area and providing direct support to the OAC Manager. Provide cover for the OAC Manager and other Team Leaders when they are unavailable. This will include the effective and efficient supervision of the Short Notice Booking Team within the OAC, ensuring strict adherence and compliance to all Trust policies and procedures.

About Us

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.

All communication will be electronic – please check your email account regularly. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support, contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work–life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full‑time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Details

Date posted: 03 December 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 4

Salary: £27,485 to £30,162 a year (Per annum, Pro rata)

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 18 months

Working pattern: Part‑time

Reference number: 216-AH-A7566532-A

Job locations:
Central Records Library
Bush Park
Plymouth
PL6 7RG

Job Responsibilities

Primary Duties & Areas of Responsibility

• Ensure a firm understanding of the Access Policy for planned care services and Service Line Agreements, and work to this guidance.
• Ensure staff have a good understanding of all policies and procedures, complying 100%; monitor via Data Quality reporting and take action where necessary in accordance with Trust Policy.
• Accurately record, monitor and review activity within the team; prepare team rota and expectation requirements to meet service line demands and balance OAC requirements.
• Attend regular POD meetings, management meetings and Service Line meetings on behalf of the OAC Manager, ensuring the OAC is represented professionally and kept updated on relevant information; arrange minutes to be issued within agreed timescales.
• Maintain awareness of team performance at any given stage via activity reports, team updates and weekly review meetings.
• Monitor Primary Target Lists (PTLs) to ensure staff are booking patients within current and target waiting times.
• Monitor clinic cancellations and amendments, ensuring patients are rebooked in line with the Trust Waiting List Policy.
• Be responsible for cancelling and reducing clinics as required.
• Understand booking rules of clinics and ensure staff book appointments according to Trust Waiting List policies (including Cancer Waiting Times) and national targets.
• Manage staff to maintain satisfactory service levels, monitoring queues and moving staff as appropriate.
• Ensure staff are aware of each other's roles, providing support and cover during sickness/annual leave.
• Receive and respond professionally to complaints regarding reminder service campaigns; listen to call recordings if necessary.
• Investigate reasons why patients have failed to receive reminders and amend to resolve issues.
• Monitor and report patient call‑back requests; manage call‑backs appropriately.
• Ensure the team selects appropriate activity codes before the next call.
• Set up specialty skills per staff member on the system and amend/remove as necessary.
• Ensure new staff are trained on the telephony system.
• Maintain correct and up‑to‑date telephone directory for the team.
• Obtain thorough knowledge of all OAC staff duties; keep updated on process changes.
• Ensure monitoring and compliance with all Trust policies and procedures.
• Obtain individual performance reviews annually and undertake staff appraisals.
• Accomplish other duties within post holder's competence/career development plan as required.
• Assist in short‑listing and participate in interview panels.
• Conduct back‑to‑work interviews and informal sickness meetings when staff return.
• Report performance issues regarding staff, making file notes and informing OAC & OAC Support Managers.
• Adopt a professional, confidential, and confident approach when dealing with staff issues.
• Hold regular in‑house staff meetings.
• Approve annual leave for teams, ensuring coverage and updating Maps.
• Adopt a hands‑on approach to workload pressures or absences within the team.
• Receive and handle confidential telephone calls from patients, dealing with complaints.
• Produce draft responses to patient complaints and forward them to the OAC Support Manager within agreed timescales.
• Attend meetings when required with all staff levels to provide updates and changes.
• Liaise with service lines for changes to clinic profiles, cancellations/reductions or additional clinics, and provide booking guides.
• Ensure new and follow‑up patients are booked per specific clinical booking rules and are notified sufficiently.
• Ensure suspected cancer 2‑week wait patients are booked within policy guidelines.
• Be aware of incidents preventing patient booking and highlight to OAC Manager and Service Line Managers.
• Monitor outpatient clinic utilisation and escalates issues to OAC Manager and Service Line Managers.
• Ensure the team liaises with service lines for additional information on waiting patients.
• Ensure staff action ASIs/DRSS patients and request referral letters via e‑Referral Service.
• Ensure the team follows the correct DNA policy.
• Ensure staff add alerts to iPM and inform the correct department.
• Ensure OAC staff have referral packs ready for the Prepping Team within agreed timescales.
• Ensure the team requests notes in time for the Prepping Team, including late additions to clinics.
• Liaise with the Outpatient Performance Office Coordinator regarding email access and Corporate Services.
• Alert the OAC Performance Support Manager to risks or manual‑handling issues for risk assessment.
• Ensure work is divided evenly among teams, including additional clinics.
• Ensure the teams cross‑cover in times of absence.

Training

• Assist in ensuring all staff receive appropriate training to undertake duties.
• Assist in ensuring statutory update training (fire prevention, health and safety).
• Ensure all new staff undergo local induction and receive necessary support.

Health & Safety

• Inform OAC Performance Support Manager of situations to prevent H&S issues.
• Ensure staff have appropriate equipment and space to undertake duties and are aware of health and safety responsibilities.

Communication & Working Relationships

• Ensure all communication with patients and staff is clear, concise and complaints are dealt with promptly.
• Ensure all staff are informed of relevant information.
• Liaise with service line regarding issues.
• Ensure OAC and OAC Support managers are kept informed of important issues.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Proven patient management system knowledge
• Waiting List Management Policy knowledge
• Demonstrable administration experience within an acute clinical setting
• Demonstrable experience working within an acute setting or appropriate administrative support teams
• Demonstrable experience working with PCs and spreadsheets

Desirable:

• Demonstrable experience in working within multi‑skilled teams

Essential:

• Good communication skills with a good telephone manner
• Organisational skills
• Ability to remain calm in a busy environment
• Good interpersonal skills
• Mediation skills
• Ability to have a flexible approach
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Good analytical skills
• Ability to review, enhance and improve procedures that meet patient needs
• Good proven knowledge of computerised systems
• Keyboard skills

Essential:

• Diploma level (or Equivalent) in a related subject area
• Equivalent demonstrable experience

Desirable:

• Have or working towards an NVQ Level 3 in Administration
• E.C.D.L

Disclosure & Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and therefore a Disclosure submission will be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Employer Details

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Central Records Library
Bush Park
Plymouth
PL6 7RG
Website: https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/