Customer Service Apprentice - Outpatient Appointment

NHS; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job description

Main duties of the job

• To receive, process and action all referrals received to the department from all specialties in a timely manner, ensuring each patient is added to the appropriate waiting list and the referral is filed accurately.
• To manage inbound and outbound telephone calls to/from patients in an efficient and patient focussed manner. This will be across all specialties within the trust.
• To provide a good level of customer service at all times (calls are monitored to ensure standards are being met).
• To ensure that all appointments are booked in accordance with the Access Policy for Planned Care Services and departmental booking guides for clinics.
• To manage and action out of hours reminder requests as appropriate. This will include cancelling and rearranging appointments.
• To ensure that when a patient or GP cancels a routine appointment and no further appointment is required that the waiting list and referral entries are closed on iPM. In the event of an urgent appointment being cancelled that the relevant Clinician is informed first.
• To undertake other duties within the post holders competence/career development plan as may be necessary from time to time, as determined by OAC Manager/OAC Team Leader or Team Leader.

Job responsibilities

• To ensure that all information is entered in a timely and accurate manner, in accordance with the data quality standards and Data Protection Legislation.
• To ensure that patients are given sufficient notification of appointment, as set out in the Access Policy for Planned Care Services.
• To cancel and rearrange appointments as requested by patients or Service Lines as appropriate following the rules as set out in the Access Policy for Planned Care Services.
• To manage and action out of hours reminder requests as appropriate. This will include cancelling and rearranging appointments.
• To ensure that suspected cancer 2-week wait patients are booked within policy guidelines.
• When booking a patients appointment at short notice to ensure that the patient casenotes are requested and the relevant prepping clerk is informed.
• This post requires concentration to ensure patients are booked chronologically and within the times scales provided by National Guidelines.
• To communicate regularly with the Service Lines when slots become available due to short notice cancellations.
• The post holder must advise their Team Leader if the clinic capacity is insufficient to accommodate the number of appointments required and ensure the Team Leader is kept informed at all times.
• To ensure that all emails including ASI (Appointment Slot Issues) are actioned in a timely manner.
• The postholder will need to use the different functions on Choose and Book system daily ensuring that referral letters are printed where needed and the appointments are booked or amended as appropriate.
• To prioritise own workload and work without supervision.
• To ensure that all patients who fail to attend appointments (DNAs) are managed in accordance with the Trust DNA policy.
• Be able to handle patient complaints recognising that some patients may be anxious or difficult to communicate with and there may also be language barriers.
• To organise translators/interpreters as required when booking patient appointments.
• To ensure that an Individual Performance Review is obtained from the supervising line manager on an annual basis.

Person Specification

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Good communication skills written and verbal
• Good time management and organisational skills

Requirements

• Ability to work to the Trust values

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.