Patient Access Clerk in Liverpool

The post holder shall follow all the policies and procedures of the organisation.

Registration

• Register patient on PAS for outpatient episode commensurate with relevant referral and use Summary Care Record (SCR) to validate patient information (NHS No).
• Issue new hospital number (RQ6) and prepare any new documents for new patients to the Trust in accordance with Trust Policy.
• Ensure all referrals are date stamped upon receipt.
• Scan referral letters into the referral workflow system in date/terminal digit order adhering to departmental processes, systems and protocols and ensuring that the correct level of clinical urgency is applied.
• Forward referrals to appropriate clinician/department for authorisation via relevant workflow processes.
• Respond to telephone enquiries from Referrer requesting status updates for patients.
• Ensure complete compliance with Trust Elective Access Policy.

Booking of appointments

• Liaise with secretaries and admin departments regarding booking of appointments, referral letters etc.
• Using PTLs and the PAS system, in chronological order, invite patients and book appointments as appropriate.
• Process patients from TAL (Telephone appointments line) identifying available appointment slots.
• Manage appointments generated by the Electronic Referral System (ERS) in line with local/national standard operating procedures.
• This includes slot issues, cancelling appointments, rebooking appointments and sending confirmation letters.
• Refer to line manager any issues which jeopardise 18 week pathways.
• To process and prioritise the scheduling of outpatient appointments due to clinical urgency and length of wait and in accordance with departmental procedures, protocols and Trust Policies.
• Receive and process telephone calls from relatives/carers of patients informing the Trust of the patients death and amend PAS accordingly. This may require sensitive handling.
• Telephone patients to negotiate convenient outpatient appointments or receive calls from patients/relevant others (e.g. Other Hospitals) regarding booking, changing or cancelling their appointments.
• This involves identifying the correct appointment, clinic, session and doctor code to which the caller is referring and rescheduling or cancelling the appointment as appropriate.
• Inform the appropriate Consultant/Directorate/secretarial staff of patients who have cancelled their appointment inappropriately e.g. urgent appointments.
• Receive and process telephone calls from patients to update and amend their demographic details and make the necessary changes on the PAS system.
• Contact GP Practices/other Hospitals for validation of patient demographic details and to obtain information if required e.g. copy letters, NHS Number etc.
• In accordance with Trust procedures, open suspended clinics, add on patients and re-suspend clinics ensuring appropriate comments are recorded on PAS.
• On the instruction and authorisation of the Consultant/Clinician, overbook clinics ensuring authority to do so is recorded on PAS.
• Working with guidance from clinical staff/secretaries, pro-actively fill cancelled appointment slots with patients to minimise the impact of non-attenders.
• Offer patients a mutually convenient date and time for outpatient appointments on either a full or partial booking basis in accordance with local standard operating procedures.
• Contact patients as requested in order to cancel/reschedule their appointments.
• Arrange and book interpreters for patients attending clinics as required.
• Inform line manager of any system or appointment slot issues.

Template management

• Build clinic templates in accordance with Trust procedures as authorised via Patient Access Manager, to include standard clinics, firewall clinics and additional clinics.
• This may involve liaising with clinical/directorate staff to ensure correct entry of clinic codes and appointment time slots.
• Once template is built, communicate clinic codes to relevant personnel.
• Perform template maintenance/changes on PAS as instructed by relevant personnel.
• Cancel/reduce/suspend clinics as per instruction and authorisation, moving patients into appropriate new slots where appointments have been cancelled.
• Communicate cancelled/reduced/suspended clinics to relevant personnel.
• Receive, store and prioritise emails from secretaries/clinicians/directorates requesting template changes.
• Once action complete save email confirming work completed.
• Amend clinic booking rules as necessary.
• Transcribe clinic templates as requested.
• Update booking rules for clinics in accordance with instruction from Patient Access Manager/Directorate Managers.
• Inform line manager of any system errors.

General Support

• Support the Team leader/Officer in training of new staff within the department.
• Development and implementation of new policies and procedures within the Department.
• Implementing and meeting national and local initiatives, specifically supporting referral to treatment targets for patients.
• Record and collate ad hoc information for monitoring and reporting purposes.
• Undertake self-supervision and effective self-organisation in terms of coordinating annual leave in co-operation with other members of the team and with approval from management.
• Establishing good levels of communication and liaison with other clerks, secretaries, clinical staff and other departments and hospitals.
• Liaising with other clerks in the department to ensure continuity of work by mutual assistance.
• Liaising with manager regarding any flexible working arrangements within the office.
• Ensure that policies, protocols and procedures for the work of the department are followed.
• Ensure all equipment used is in working order and any required repairs reported to line manager.
• Ensure general office stationary is stocked to correct levels, reporting low levels to line manager.
• Sort daily delivery of post following agreed guidelines and redirect inappropriate mail to relevant departments.
• Deal with general enquiries into the department.