Booking Officer, Band 3- Therapy Service

at  Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

We are looking for someone to join our Administrative Team in the Therapy Outpatient Department at Gloucestershire Royal/ Cheltenham General Hospitals. You will be managing enquiries both face to face and over the telephone, arranging and booking appointments on the hospital computer system for our therapists.
This post requires someone who can demonstrate excellent communication skills, multi-task, be well organised and have the ability to deal with the general public in a caring and professional manner.

The successful candidate will need to be able to work well under pressure, use initiative and problem solve effectively in a busy environment. Experience in working in a customer service/booking role is essential. Full training will be given to the successful candidate.

• To receive and add referrals, for the Therapy Service, on to the relevant systems
• To arrange and book appointments plus any associated administration, without direct supervision
• To support the Therapy service with accurate data inputting and associated administrative tasks
• To register patient data accurately and timely, in accordance with departmental policy
• To provide an efficient, friendly and courteous front of house service to all patients and visitors attending the department
• To ensure the professional image of the department and Trust is maintained at all times
• To have a flexible approach to working hours and site, to meet the demands of the service
• Excellent frontline customer care skills.

The Therapy service provides physiotherapy and occupational therapy to inpatients and outpatients at Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General Hospitals.
We are an integrated service providing patient centred care. Our mission is to ‘enable people to maximise their potential to live well’

The post holder will be required to have flexibility in working across sites at Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital when required.

• To be the first point of contact for most people accessing the Therapy department, by receiving patients at the reception desk and dealing with telephone enquiries from patients and health care professionals, in order to ensure the smooth running of the department. To maintain a smart, professional appearance at all times and keep the reception work area tidy.
• To check all demographics and update the IT system in accordance with Trust policy, taking responsibility for patient confidentiality at all times. To register all patient referrals on the IT system, populate and manage pending lists and complete basic data on patient record cards, ensuring that all details relating to the patient are accurate. To book support services e.g. transport, interpreters.
• To efficiently monitor and maintain waiting lists and provide service leads with timely information to enable action on capacity shortfalls. To use appointment capacity effectively to ensure optimum use to meet new and follow-up clinical and wait time constraints.
• To use verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients/carers. This may include negotiating appointments and giving basic advice. This will include patients/carers who may or may not have barriers to communication through language and cultural differences, cognitive or physical impairment e.g. dysphasia, deafness, blindness and depression.
• To receive paper and electronic referrals, for the Therapy Service, and add them on to the relevant wait lists using the Trakcare system.
• To send out letters and information to patients who have been referred to Therapy, asking them to contact the department to arrange an appointment. To be responsible for booking, cancelling or changing appointments for patients, and accurately recording the outcomes of appointments where appropriate.
• To accurately input data and perform other administrative tasks as requested.
• To prioritise and organise own daily activities with minimal direct supervision.
• To liaise and work with line management to ensure compliancy of daily service management. Highlight any issues to line management which may have a detrimental impact on workload or staff etc.
• To accurately file the therapy records after the patient has been discharged, retrieve patient records and order medical records as required by the therapists.
• To assist with provision of absence cover for colleagues or any duties as requested by management to meet service demand.
• To be a supportive member of the team and share knowledge and skills by assisting with training and appraisal as required.
• To complete all training in accordance with Trust policy and to assist with on the job training for new staff.
• To comply with Trust and Departmental policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), Manual Handling, Data Protection Acts and patient confidentiality at all times. This will include demonstrating compliance with the terms of all safeguarding policies and processes relevant to the safeguarding of adults and children in the care of GHNHSFT and to undergo regular mandatory training concerned with safeguarding matters.

Please see the attached job description for more information

• To receive and add referrals, for the Therapy Service, on to the relevant systems
• To arrange and book appointments plus any associated administration, without direct supervision
• To support the Therapy service with accurate data inputting and associated administrative tasks
• To register patient data accurately and timely, in accordance with departmental policy
• To provide an efficient, friendly and courteous front of house service to all patients and visitors attending the department
• To ensure the professional image of the department and Trust is maintained at all times
• To have a flexible approach to working hours and site, to meet the demands of the service
• Excellent frontline customer care skills