Private/Overseas Patient Officer (Band 4)

at  North Bristol NHS Trust

If you’re an experienced administrator with a keen eye for detail, looking for a challenging and interesting role, join our friendly and inclusive Private and Overseas Patient Team.
We are looking for enthusiastic and self-motivated candidates with strong organisational skills and an interest in learning new systems. Excellent communication skills coupled with the experience and ability to deal with difficult situations sensitively will be essential. You provide the key link between patients, insurance companies and the Trust
This primarily office-based role is pivotal to ensuring all relevant patient activity is recorded and actioned ensuring that income is maximised from private and overseas patient sources. With some scope to work flexibly following a training period and with development options available for the right candidate, this would be a rewarding and fulfilling role for an administrator looking to further their skills.
To be responsible with the support of colleagues for the day to day running of the Private and Overseas Patient Office and maintenance of relevant files/systems.

• Administration of the Trust’s Private Patient procedure, including contact with patients in writing prior to/on admission to confirm private status and ascertain payment arrangements and contact with insurance companies to obtain pre-authorisation.
• Production of accurate estimated costs for self-funding private patient work to be undertaken.
• Day to day running of the private and overseas patient office, maintenance of the relevant Department of Health and Social Care documentation and all relevant files and information.
• To run and analyse reports from the patient activity system to ensure that all patient activity is captured and acted upon.
• Raising invoices for private/overseas patient treatment using the Trust’s various current tariffs, theatre procedure classifications and consultants’ professional fee scales. The post holder is required to collate information and raise invoices on the Oracle system and maintain a register of all invoices raised.
• Enter all private and overseas patient data on to relevant Access database.
• Receiving and accounting for payments into the private patient deposit account/cashier (by means of cash, credit card or cheque payments ranging from small amounts to several thousands) in accordance with the Trust’s Standing Financial Instructions. Ensuring correct attribution of payments to clinicians and hospital departments.
• Reviewing overseas patient files on a regular basis to ensure exemption from charges is still applicable, in line with current Department of Health and Social Care guidance.
• Administration of NHS Overseas patient procedure in accordance with NHS guidelines and Department of Health and Social Care regulations, including the interpretation of any changes and determines practical ways of implementing them. This includes the identification and interviewing of often distressed and emotional overseas patients to assess liability to pay. The completion of Department of Health and Social Care returns for relevant patients.
• Responsible for ensuring overseas patients are given correct overseas status on relevant system.
• Contact with UK and overseas insurance companies to assess patient’s insurance cover. Acting as a liaison point between patient and insurance companies.
• Responsible for accurately documenting interviews and telephone conversations with patients to ensure colleagues have complete and precise information regarding their circumstances.
• Providing information to support collection of outstanding debts/invoices.
• To be responsible for own personal development and takes an active part in learning opportunities. Keeps record of own development review process. Using feedback from others to effectively help in this process.
• Any other duties as may be required from time to time by the department’s manager