Overseas Visiting Officer in Wigan

We are currently seeking to appoint an Overseas Visiting Officer to join our team on a full-time basis. This role involves working 35 hours per week, across five working days from Monday to Friday.

Main duties of the job

The role is to ensure that overseas visitors are assessed for eligibility for NHS treatment against the DHSC criteria. Where not eligible overseas visitors attending WWL including Wrightington Hospital, the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Leigh Infirmary, Boston House and Thomas Linacre Centre are charged appropriately for the services they receive. The post holder undertakes the core tasks involved and supports the development of plans, policies and process changes within this service.

Working for our organisation

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values ‘the WWL Way’.

WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.

At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and ResponsibilitiesKey results from the job holder

• Conduct 1:1 interviews (either face-to-face, virtual or using translation services) with overseas visitors to analyse the situation and assess eligibility for free NHS treatment, securing the necessary documentary evidence and recording the key points discussed and conclusions reached.
• Assess patients against eligibility criteria and discuss complex cases with the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer, Directorate Manager or other senior manager as appropriate e.g. Trust solicitor.
• Show appropriate sensitivity in dealing with patients and their relatives in difficult circumstances
• Coordinate arrangements for billing overseas patients for diagnostic tests, procedures etc.
• In cases here immediate necessary treatment is declined, obtain written justification from the clinical staff concerned
• Monitor patient episodes of care to ensure that invoices are raised regularly and reflect the overall care package
• Ensure the timely collection of Undertaking to Pay forms
• Liaise with the UK Border Agency and Home Office regarding the residency status of patients
• Support the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer in research to keep abreast of overseas visitors issues as they arise nationally and in other NHS Trusts
• Support the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer in the development of the Trust’s Overseas Visitors policies and procedures
• Support the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer respond to responses to Freedom of Information requests and the development of Patient Information Leaflets
• Use various IT systems as required and input required data accurately e.g. Oracle, Patient Centre, HIS, Healhcode, MESH, local overseas visitors spreadsheet
• Plan own workload to ensure effective prioritisation

Planning and Organisational Duties

• Have full knowledge and understanding of the complex DHSC Guidance on Implementing the Overseas Visitor Charging regulations
• Utilise the DHSC portal for advice and guidance as required
• Timely submission of overseas patient activity to the DWP Overseas patient portal (EHIP)
• To deputise for the Overseas Visitors/ Private Patient Officer on attendance at meetings including regional/national Overseas Manager Meetings and feedback to Trust representatives as requested by the Overseas Visitors/Private Patient Officer
• Deal with queries from clinical and corporate teams, as well as external agencies, over the phone, by email and in person in a calm and polite manner and in accordance with Trust policy.
• Maintenance of patient records and preparation of clinic/admission notes where necessary
• Maintain appropriate records for audit purposes

Communications and Key Working Relationships

• The post holder has a wide range of working relationships including
  o Patients and their families
  o Trust Clinicians
  o Trust staff
  o Finance including SBS
  o NHS Counterfraud
  o UK Border Agency
  o Home Office
  o Department of Work and Pensions
  o Safeguarding team
  o Other Trusts

Responsibility for Finance

• The post holds no budget responsibility but the post holder has a responsibility to ensure that Trust income is not lost due to ineligible overseas visitors being given treatment.
• To raise estimated costs of treatment in accordance with NHS Upfront tariff
• Securing cash/credit card deposits/payments for treatment of Overseas Visitors in advance of treatment where practicable or prior to discharge

Responsibility for Human Resources

• The post has no line management responsibilities for staff but will be involved in training and advising members of the wider administrative team.

Responsibility for Teaching

• The post holder is expected to teach basic principles of the management of overseas visitors to members of the wider administrative team to facilitate service resilience.
• The post holder will contribute to Trust wide education programmes to raise the profile of the Overseas Visitors team.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Good standard of general education to NVQ level 3 or equivalent
• GCSE Maths and English or equivalent

Experience

• Previous public facing/customer service experience
• Experience of effective communication when dealing with people/situations involving distressed or agitated individuals

Skills

• Good interpersonal skills
• Use of Microsoft Office
• Motivational and persuasive skills
• Effective time management and prioritisation skills
• Tenacity and an enquiring approach

Knowledge

• Understanding of the basic functioning of the NHS
• Knowledge of Overseas Visitor Charging Regulations

Additional

• Able to facilitate multi-site working
• Flexibility and adaptabiliy
• Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence Page 2 of 2 structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation

Our Trust prefers candidates to submit applications online. Please contact the Recruitment Team on 01942 244000 if you have difficulty applying online.

Using AI when writing job applications
If you choose to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other tools to assist in writing your application, it’s essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting statement to reflect the skills and experience to match your job application. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting statement is not advocated by Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as it could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process. Please refer to the attached \”Applying for a role in the NHS guidance\” for further information regarding the use of AI.

The Trust reserves the right to close adverts earlier than the stated closing date if there is a high volume of applications.

We endeavour to inform all applicants of the outcome of their application by email or SMS text message.

Guidance on Completing Your Application

Applications are scored against the person specification, therefore we recommend that you use the supporting information section of your application form to demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role, providing illustrative examples where possible.

On-Call

Please note that some roles may require you to participate in an on-call rota, if the role is predominantly operational.

WWL has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. and will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester Local Authority or NHS organisation, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority; giving you access to our service-related benefits.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Name Louise Benson Job title Directorate Manager Email address louise.benson@wwl.nhs.uk Telephone number 01257256214

If you have problems applying, contact

Address Buckingham Row
Brick Kiln Lane
Wigan
WN1 1XX
Telephone 07786529678

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