Overseas Visitors Officer

at  Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

JOB SUMMARY: The post holder acts as the Trust focus for Overseas Visitors, ensuring that maximum overseas visitor income is recovered for the Trust through a mixture of direct patient contact, daily reports and through the support of other staff within the Trust. The post holder will determine whether patients suspected of not being eligible for free NHS care are liable. If a patient is not eligible for free care, the post holder will establish the cost of the planned treatment. In order to do this the Overseas Patient Officer will be required to interview the patient in order to establish eligibility according to Department of Health Guidance, and then collate detail on any treatment planned or provided, generate invoice requests and secure payment when possible in advance. The post holder will also be responsible for the administration processes related to Overseas Visitors. Integral to the role is organizing and delivering training for Divisional staff throughout the Trust when necessary. The post holder will be the key link for the Trust with external organisations nationally to liaise with the border agency and department of health teams. They will also submit status verification enquiries to the Home Office.
Implement NHS Charging Regulations as well as procedures relating to income and ensure they develop in line with current and new legislation. Provide advice to staff and patients. R esponsible for identifying overseas visitors not eligible for NHS treatment and maximising overseas patients’ income. Responsible to ensure that all activity is accurately recorded, costed and billed in a timely manner. Ensure smooth running of the office and effective internal and external liaison. The role will require the individual to interact in a busy office dealing with highly complex and sensitive issues, requiring appropriate judgements to be made under minimal supervision.
Will be expected to interview, assess and identify whether a patient’s claim for free NHS treatment is valid based on latest guidance and comprehensively manage the case and ensure where appropriate funds are recovered in a timely manner (upfront), and arrange for undertaking to pay form to be completed and/or full payment collection whenever practical. Act as an advisor for queries. In relation to upfront charging the post holder will be part of a robust credit control process.
High degree of empathy in dealing with extremely sensitive issues. There will be language barriers.
Liaise with outside agencies, for example Border Control and department of Health.
Participate in training staff throughout the Trust. Ensure training is available to all departments as required.
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was created on 1 October 2019 following the merger of two adult acute Trusts, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust.
The merger provides an opportunity to reconfigure services in a way that provides the best healthcare services to the city and improves the quality of care and health outcomes that patients experience.
The Trust runs Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool University Dental Hospital and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
It serves a core population of around 630,000 people across Merseyside as well as providing a range of highly specialist services to a catchment area of more than two million people in the North West region and beyond.
To hear more about our achievements click here https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/media/13089/1606-annual-report-booklet_final.pdf

Please refer the Job description for details