Customer Service Apprentice - Outpatient Appointment
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
The closing date is 23 April 2025
Job summary
- To process and action all referrals received 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 ensuring a good level of customer service at all times
- To ensure that all appointments are booked and cancelled in accordance with the Access Policy for Planned Care Services and departmental booking guides and processes for clinics.
- To use the different functions on the eRS system daily ensuring that referral letters are printed where needed and the appointments are booked or amended as appropriate.
- The post holder would be trained on the job through a combination of instruction and practice and by attending Access Policy for Planned Care Services, Information Governance and iPM training as well as being allocated a training supporter and Team Leader to support them through each task and each stage of the NVQ
- To ensure that a firm understanding is obtained of all administration procedures in the Access Policy and Service Line Agreements.
- The post holder will be expected to work remotely and fulfil their duties efficiently. Ensuring clear lines of communication are held with their Team Leader and work colleagues on a regular basis throughout the working day.
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
***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.***
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. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. 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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- 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 ensure that all information is entered in a timely and accurate manner, in accordance with the data quality standards and Data Protection Legislation.
- 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 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 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 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.
- The post holder would be trained on the job through a combination of instruction and practice and by attending Access Policy for Planned Care Services, Casenote, Information Governance and iPM training.
- To ensure that a firm understanding is obtained of all administration procedures in the Access Policy and Service Line Agreements.
- To ensure that an Individual Performance Review is obtained from the supervising line manager on an annual basis.
- 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
- The post holder will be expected to work remotely and fulfil their duties efficiently. Ensuring clear lines of communication are held with their Team Leader and work colleagues on a regular basis throughout the working day.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- 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 ensure that all information is entered in a timely and accurate manner, in accordance with the data quality standards and Data Protection Legislation.
- 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 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 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 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.
- The post holder would be trained on the job through a combination of instruction and practice and by attending Access Policy for Planned Care Services, Casenote, Information Governance and iPM training.
- To ensure that a firm understanding is obtained of all administration procedures in the Access Policy and Service Line Agreements.
- To ensure that an Individual Performance Review is obtained from the supervising line manager on an annual basis.
- 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
- The post holder will be expected to work remotely and fulfil their duties efficiently. Ensuring clear lines of communication are held with their Team Leader and work colleagues on a regular basis throughout the working day.
Person Specification
Aptitude & Abilities
Essential
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Good communication skills written and verbal
- Good time management and organisational skills
Requirements
Essential
- Ability to work to the Trust values
Person Specification
Aptitude & Abilities
Essential
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Good communication skills written and verbal
- Good time management and organisational skills
Requirements
Essential
- 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.
