Outpatients Booking Clerk

• Are you an experienced Administrator/Coordinator/Receptionist/Clerical Assistant/similar with NHS or Healthcare experience?
• Do you have experience booking medical/patient appointments in the NHS or Healthcare sector?
• Can work onsite in Brighton, full-time from 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday, on a temporary basis expected to be for 4 months and maybe longer?
• Can you commence employment immediately or within 1 week, if successful?

Our client is looking for an Outpatient Booking Clerk where they will be working for the Referral Management Team where they will be loading incoming referrals for the whole Trust.

Outpatients Booking Clerk

Location: Brighton

Job Type: Temporary

Sector: Healthcare

Working environment: Office (Not on site at a Hospital)

Duration: This is expected to be for 4 Months and maybe longer

Band: 3

Pay Rates: £12.00 to £12.50 paye inclusive of holiday pay per hour depending on skill and experience.

Days and Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm - 37.5 hours per week

Part time may be considered but this would need to be for considerable hours - minimum of 30 hours

Remote Working: Not an option, this role is on site at all times

The main duties of the post are:

• To register new patient referrals and send these for clinical triage so that the urgency of the appointment can be highlighted by a clinician
• To book, amend and sometimes cancel outpatient appointments for patients via the telephone and to confirm these details by letter using the patient administration system
• To answer telephone calls from patients, GP’s, and other Trust staff, always maintaining confidentiality and ensuring that a patient focussed/professional service is maintained

Main duties and responsibilities

• To register new patient referrals and send these for clinical triage so that the urgency of the appointment can be highlighted by a clinician
• To index referrals in the Trust referral management system so that the correct clinician can review the referral
• To update patient demographics in the Trust patient administration at time of referral registration
• To book, amend and sometimes cancel outpatient appointments for patients via the telephone and to confirm these details by letter using the patient administration system if required.
• To work to targets and objectives, managing a workload or phone calls, booking of appointments, dealing with queries, data management and general daily duties
• To respond to patient needs and ensure that their individual needs are always met, making adjustments where required in order for them to access the care that they need. For example, booking interpreters for patients whose first language is not English
• To provide and receive complex and sensitive information to and from patients about their appointment, and give explanations and instructions clearly and concisely where barriers to communication may exist
• To raise and escalate any questions where you do not have a solution for the patient so that this can be investigated to ensure that there is no delay to patient treatment
• To follow the patient access policy when booking and amending patient appointments and to always book patients in order, by waiting time and by clinical urgency
• To ensure that the correct appointment type is booked i.e., new/follow up, face to face or telephone
• To update referral urgency and sub-specialty information on the Trust patient administration system following a clinical review of every referral
• To answer telephone calls from patients, GP’s, and other Trust staff, always maintaining confidentiality and ensuring that a patient focussed/professional service is maintained
• To cancel clinics in line with the Trust policy, ensuring that the correct approval process has been followed. This will involve cancelling patient appointments and where possible re-booking to another date.
• To ensure the correct recording of cancellation reason and reason in the Trust patient administration system, ensuring that all updates are recorded in the referral comments
• To book 2WW suspected cancer appointments according to national guidelines, ensuring that patients are seen within two weeks of referral and escalating where this is not possible
• To update patient demographics on the Trust patient administration system at time of booking if there has been a change
• To ensure that text message confirmations are sent when making or amending appointments
• To work under pressure, maintaining the ability to multi-task whilst dealing with complex and sometimes emotional situations, such as cancelling patient appointments at short notice.
• To problem solve and escalate any issues and record all information accurately
• To always maintain professionalism when dealing with patients and colleagues, ensuring that the expected standards at work are maintained
• Organise and prioritise assignments to complete work in a timely and efficient manner, particularly when there are changes in workload or demands. Escalate as required so that help/assistance can be arranged.
• Carry out any other duties that may be required from time to time in line with the job holder's grade, experience and job title.

Please apply now if interested.