Outpatient Receptionist, KTC

at  Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Key Duties: Postholders must be able to work on their own initiative when carrying out their usual duties. Supervision is available as required. To ensure that there is good communication between the administration team and the clinical team so that the department runs smoothly. To ensure that all patients are received and directed to the appropriate waiting area or department, in a courteous and professional manner.
The postholder is often the first point of contact for the majority of patients. To ensure that patients demographic details are always kept up to date in the medical records and on the PAS system, by checking personal details such as name, address, telephone number, ethnic origin, and GP. To use the Patient Administration System (Oasis), to book patients into an outpatient clinic on arrival and to make follow up outpatient appointment or discharge patients on departure. To respond to patient telephone or face to face complaints in the first instance, seeking support and advice from the team leaders or nurses as appropriate.
To ensure that the nursing staff are aware of arrivals for clinics, either by telephone, OASIS logs or the availability of case notes. Using the information on the clinic outcome form or agreed protocols, ensure that the outcome of the clinic attendance is recorded accurately and immediately on PAS. To ensure that routine enquiries from patients about their appointments such as postponing, cancelling or rearranging are all dealt with professionally and immediately. To ensure that Ambulance control and the porters are informed of any passengers awaiting transport / transfer and advise patients of how to book transport for their next visit.
To ensure that any new patients arriving in clinic are registered on the system. To ensure that any event case notes leaving the department, are tracked on OASIS using the correct tracking code, unless going directly for scanning. To open and distribute post that may come to the department. To ensure that any event case notes of patients who did not attend are dealt with according to Consultants instructions.
To ensure that an up to date clinic list and vacancy summary list is available for the clinical staff if required and that the lists are filed in date order at the end of the session. Liaise with clinical staff in outpatient clinics to ensure that a quality service is provided to patients and to ensure that nurses are kept fully informed of any general messages or issues regarding appointments or patient concerns. In exceptional circumstances where clinical staff are unable to arrive for the clinic, support the appointments team and nurses with cancelling patients by telephone at the last minute. In advance of the start of the clinic, ensure that the Reception Co-ordinator / team leader is notified of any problems regarding missing casenotes or referral letters.
On occasions, support the co-ordinator / team leader by requesting notes / letters from the GPs or Departments. Ensure that any walk-in / emergency patients arriving in clinic are booked an appointment immediately onto the PAS system. Print an outpatient event pack associated with that appointment/speciality and informs the nursing staff of the patients arrival. Ensure computer, printer equipment and stationery is available and working effectively working, reporting any faults or problems to the Reception Co-ordinator / team leader.
Work flexibly within normal clinic hours to ensure that the clinic is covered at all times and never left unattended. Notify the team leader of any foreseen problems that will affect the smooth running of the department. To show new staff how to carry out the basic reception duties and the processes specifically required for the named reception area. To undertake training to become familiar with, and competent in current Booking Service/Health Records procedures and practices, to provide an effective, efficient, courteous, high quality patient access service.
This will include recording data and maintaining data quality on manual and computerised systems in accordance with agreed policies and procedures. Carry out any other duties, within the grade, as requested by the Booking Services Manager. Vision and Values: The Trust aims to provide local services for local people. It has developed its vision to reflect this commitment.
To continue to be the major provider of acute/specialist services for the people of Worcestershire (and wider) with a strong reputation for providing outstanding, high quality, reliable, accessible and integrated healthcare for local people Driving this commitment is a set of Trust-wide values, developed by the Trusts staff: Patients: Patients at the centre of all we do everyone is entitled to privacy, dignity and compassion Respect: Treating everyone patients, colleagues and the public as you would want to be treated yourself Improve/Involve: The best patient pathways, thinking innovatively, valuing patients and involving stakeholders Dependable: Driving safe, quality care, getting things right first time, learning from mistakes, dependable services with good communication Empower: Staff take personal responsibility for their actions, challenging if something is not right. Standard Clauses: The purpose of this post should remain constant, but the duties and responsibilities may vary over time within the overall role and level of the post. The post holder may from time to time be asked to undertake other reasonable duties. Any such changes will be made in discussion with the post holder in the light of service needs.
Competence The post holder is responsible for limiting his / her actions to those which s/he feels competent to undertake. If the post holder has any doubts as to his or her competence during the course of his / her duties then s/he should immediately speak to their line manager or supervisor. Codes of conduct All employees of the Trust who are required to be registered with a professional body, to enable them to practise within their profession, are required to comply with their code of conduct and requirements of their professional registration. Those staff who are not required to be registered with a professional body are required to comply with the Trusts codes of conduct.
Confidentiality The post holder must maintain confidentiality, security and integrity of information relating to patients, staff and other Health Service business. Records Management All employees of the Trust are legally responsible for all records that they gather, create or use as part of their work within the Trust (including patient, financial, personnel and administrative), whether paper or computer based. All such records are considered public records and all employees have a legal duty of confidence to service users. Employees should consult their manager if they have any doubt as to the correct management of records with which they work.
Health and Safety Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations (1992) and all relevant Trust Health and Safety Policies and Guidance. This ensures that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees, patients and visitors to the Trust. Infection Control Employees must accept personal responsibility and accountability for Infection Prevention and Control practice. Employees should ensure they are familiar with, and comply with, all relevant Infection Control policies for minimising the risk of avoidable Health Care Associated Infection.
All Employees must undertake annual mandatory updates in Infection Control. Non Smoking Policy The Trusts approach to smoking is in line with the governments on-going initiatives for an eventual smoke-free environment. It aims to adhere to the Worcestershire Health Community Campaign to help Worcestershire stop smoking. A no smoking environment policy exists within all Trust premises including entrances and exits to hospital buildings and on other Trust property (with the exception of staff resident in staff residences, as these are the homes of staff).
In June 2014 a ban was implanted which meant staff, contractors and volunteers were no longer permitted to smoke in any of the hospital grounds, including car parks. Further to this, The Alexandra, Kidderminster and Worcestershire Royal Hospitals, have all become smoke free to all patients and visitors as of 17 June 2015. This means that, as well as staff, members of the public, patients and visitors are not allowed to smoke in any of the acute hospital grounds, including car parks. Risk Management It is a standard element of the role and responsibility of all employees of the Trust that they fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions.
This entails the risk assessment of all situations, taking appropriate actions, and reporting all incidents, near misses, and hazards promptly. It is a contractual obligation that all employees must co-operate with any investigations undertaken

Please refer the Job description for details