Patient Access Clerk in Wolverhampton

The post will require you to undertake various clerical/reception and appointments duties in connection with the administration processes within Patient Access services. You must possess excellent communication skills both face to face and over the telephone. You must be able to use a keyboard to input information, as well as possessing a mature outlook when dealing with sensitive and confidential issues. You must be flexible and be able to cover in the absence of colleagues.

Main duties of the job:

• To undertake various administrative duties associated with the custody and use of Health Records as well as those associated with a patient's admission and/or attendance to the Trust, as outlined in the Patient Access Policy (OP39).
• To ensure patient confidentiality is maintained at all times.
• To respond in an efficient, polite and timely manner to all incoming telephone calls.
• To be responsible for the accurate input, update and amendment of patient related information onto the computerised Patient Administration System (PAS) and departmental Electronic Referral System (ERS).
• To ensure the accurate copy and pasting of GP referral letters from ERS onto DOCMAN using multiple programmes in a timely manner.
• To accurately scan paper referral letters onto DOCMAN in a timely manner.
• To process all incoming referral letters in accordance with Trust policy, ensuring accurate input onto the Hospital PAS system and book outpatient appointments within agreed Trust targets.
• To accurately record reasons for patient cancellations/change of appointments, including re-booking appointments as requested.
• To be responsible for the booking of interpreters for patient clinic appointments as requested.
• To amalgamate/register patient temporary registrations ensuring re-numbering is accurate and timely.
• To take necessary action to book, cancel or change appointments on the PAS.
• To process and book all ward appointments/secretary lists ensuring patients appointments are booked correctly and in a timely manner.
• To be responsible for ensuring the daily unfilled slot report is dealt with and new/review patient slots are utilised and filled at short notice.
• To raise any foreseeable capacity issues where patient slots are not available to your line managers.
• To work with and maintain the Outpatient Waiting List (OWL) and the ERS work lists ensuring the information is kept up to date and accurate.
• To ensure the text-messaging system (Envoy) is maintained on a daily basis ensuring PAS is maintained to reflect any changes as appropriate.
• To prepare case notes/paperlite packs for all attendances ensuring they comply with the Standard Order of Case Notes, and to ensure X-ray and investigation proformas relevant to each attendance are available.
• To ensure all patient referrals are available for clinic either electronically or in paper form for those areas where not-less working has not been adopted.
• To amalgamate case notes where more than one record exists and to ensure that all case notes are filed in the recognised format.
• To provide a patient focused reception service, ensuring that the service is efficient and welcoming.
• To update demographic details on PAS for each attendance in clinic and ask questions in line with the Data Quality Standards within the Health Records Policy - OP7.
• To make appointments, place on OWL and discharge patients where necessary using PAS.
• To update Referral To Treatment (RTT) pathways for all pathways open and ensure all patients are either marked as attended or DNA on each clinic.
• To arrange transport for patients as required.
• To ensure that the 18-week RTT pathways are opened and closed appropriately.
• To be aware of, and adhere to all Trust & Local policies and procedures with regard to confidentiality, ensuring that all information handled within the department is dealt with to the highest standards of confidentiality and security, and to respond in a professional & sensitive manner when dealing with confidential issues.
• To be familiar and comply with all Divisional and Trust policies, procedures and practices.
• To take part in the annual appraisal system.
• To cover in the absence of colleagues as required.
• To undertake mandatory training sessions and undergo training as deemed appropriate by your line managers as and when required.
• To assist with the training of newly recruited Patient Access staff, including an introduction into working practices and procedures.
• To participate on the Bank Holiday Rota if required.
• To be aware of, and comply with Health & Safety, Fire Regulations and to report accidents / untoward incidents / hazards to the Team Leader / Manager.
• To have a duty of care and keep the department tidy.
• To be aware of the security arrangements in your own working area and to be responsible for the security/distribution of any keys or fobs held in the department.
• To ensure data quality & departmental standards are maintained & kept up to date at all times.

About Us:

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands providing primary, acute and community services and we are incredibly proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve. We are building a workforce that can help us to fulfil our values, improve quality of care for patients, and solve the health care problems of tomorrow. We’re passionate about the value that diversity of thinking and lived experience brings in enabling us to become a learning organisation and leader in delivering compassionate care for our patients. We are delighted that we have been rated as 'Good' by CQC. We have achieved numerous awards; the Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020. The Trust is a supportive working environment committed to creating flexible working arrangements that suit your needs and as such will consider all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.

Person Specification:

• Essential qualifications: GCSE (or equivalent) in four subjects, one to be English; Good standard of education.
• Desirable qualifications: NVQ 2 in business administration (or equivalent).
• Essential experience/skills: Experience in clerical post; Experience of Microsoft Word and Outlook.
• Desirable experience/skills: PAS / ERS experience is advantageous.

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