Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties

• First point of contact for all service users and visitors to the clinic reception greeting in a professional and friendly manner and notify the appropriate person of individual’s arrival.
• Responsible for the management of clinics and waiting lists within their Specialty Management Group.
• Prepare and update clinical records for all patients booked within Dental Services ensuring that appropriate records such as referral letters are attached/ scanned appropriately in accordance with Trust’s Policies and Procedures.  Therefore ensuring that the records are available to clinicians prior to appointments. Prepare clinics in advance by printing day lists, pulling out the complete patient records e.g. radiographs, referral etc.
• Support clinic preparation by identifying and chasing any missing information such as histopathology, blood results, imaging etc.
• To handle any face to face and telephone queries or complaints and escalate as and when necessary. This could include booking appointments for the out of hours service.
• Responsible for the management and booking of appointments on the Electronic Dental Records (EDR) and Patient Administration System (PAS) in accordance with Dental Services Standing Operational Procedures (SOPs); to include clinic changes/cancellations.
• Responsible for contacting patients who have not attended their appointments in order to ascertain the reason why and re-book a new appointment, if appropriate, within the agreed targeted timescales.  This would also include the production and action of any associated correspondence.
• Responsible for carrying out any clinic changes/cancellations on the PAS system in accordance with Dental Services Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Booking and/or re-scheduling of both new and follow up appointments from the relevant waiting list and within the appropriate clinic rules and  timescales in accordance with Dental Services Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs).  This will include both making calls to patients/carers as well as receiving calls, confirming details in writing and recording on the PAS system.
• Supporting the Dental Services on national targets e.g. 18 week Referral to Treatment (RTT).
• Ensure patients are offered a choice of appointment in line with national guidance, wherever possible.  Establishing if patients require interpreting services following SOPs as appropriate.
• Ensure that all patients’ outcomes are updated on the EDR at the end of each day. Ensure all sessions are cashed up at the end of the day.
• Liaise with transport and interpreting services when required and escalate any issues to the appropriate staff.
• Liaising closely with and responding to the queries from all stakeholders both internally and externally relating to appointments and activity.    This will include clinic utilisation, reasons for non-attendance, rescheduling clinics, as well as signposting patients as appropriate.
• Ensuring all referrals e-mail and letters are date-stamped and registered on PAS within 24 hours of receipt within Dental Services to ensure triage is arranged within the clinic guidance.
• Ensure all clinical and non clinical correspondence is date stamped and pass to the appropriate staff member.
• Responsible for collecting missing demographics details from referrals and contacting the referring practitioners or patients directly to ensure completion of the referral documentation.
• Ensure that all clinics slots are fully utilised to avoid wasted capacity, where clinics are under utilised informing the Team Leader for appropriate action.
• Ensure that patients who have either i) requested changes to their appointment or ii) have had their appointment changed by clinicians, are offered appropriate revised appointment dates over the telephone in accordance with 18-week rules.
• Ensure all short-notice rescheduling of appointments are entered onto PAS and followed up with a telephone confirmation with the patient/carer.
• Ensure accurate data inputting of clinic activity onto PAS in line with Dental Services Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Divisional/Trust targets.
• Liaise with clinicians regarding any queries with data quality to ensure accurate data is recorded i.e. procedure code forms and out coming of appointments.
• Ensure all activity forms are filed appropriately and within a timely manner and are available for audit purposes.
• Provide general non clinical information to patients and staff while maintaining confidentiality.
• Participate in the rotational tasks across Specialty Management Groups which includes ensuring all telephone lines are appropriately covered by staff at all times.
• Monitor and validate local waiting lists and bring patients appointments forward when possible.
• Actively contribute to the development and delivery of local Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• To be involved in, and to undertake, in accordance with Data Protection Act and Caldicott Principles, are adhered to at all times.
• Partaking in an annual appraisal and agreeing a personal development plan which will include:  attending all mandatory training and participating in meetings as appropriate.
• To take part in any pilots/trials of technology/audits in relation to clinic activity collection.
• Create clinical records for all new patients.
• Maintaining up to date filing, ensure archiving of all patients correspondence in line with Trust record keeping policy.
• Assist the Team Leaders with updating and archiving clinical records and patient administration systems following notification of death.   This will also involve technical updates in EDR and PAS.
• General administrative tasks as required, which would include; printing, copying and scanning - please note this is not an exhaustive list.
• Management of departmental e-mail account.
• Where identified, assist new employees or work experience placements with on the job training or shadowing for administration tasks related to the role. (Placements may be patients, volunteers, school leavers etc.).
• Post holder will follow the escalation policy (part of SOP) to ensure that any issues with clinic times, waits, data inputting are raised with the Team Leader/Specialty Manager at all times.
• Using own initiative to complete duties and escalate when unable to do so.