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Job summary

Main area
Ophthalmology
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri 8:00-16:00)
Job ref
218-AC-B3-8216224
Employer
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire
Town
Coventry
Salary
£25,760 - £27,476 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
23/08/2026 23:59
Interview date
01/09/2026

Employer heading

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust logo

Failsafe Officer, Ophthalmology

NHS AfC: Band 3

Job overview

The Failsafe Officer (FO) will support the Ophthalmology service and ensure patients are managed within the guideline timescales. The post of Failsafe Officer will provide the interface between clinicians, supporting staff and patients to manage and develop the overall patient pathway. Oversee the day to day management plans for patients through liaison with clinicians for:
  • Investigations
  • Treatment plan
  • Review and assessments
  • Ongoing treatment
Also the below duties:
  • To ensure all patient events are appropriately recorded, accurately and timely on the Patient Administration system (PAS).
  • To maintain an accurate tracking system and monitor compliance with defined treatment timelines for all patients.
  • To liaise with clinicians, service managers, waiting list staff and outpatient appointments (PSC) where patients are not booked within required timescales to agree and implement actions required to ensure full compliance.
  •  To work with the Lead Clinician and Ophthalmology Access Manager on service demands and available capacity, implementing any changes required to maintain a fully compliant service.
  • To provide regular reports on patient pathways and tracking compliance to Trust clinicians, managers and PCT representatives.
  • The post holder must be able to prioritise their workload and have the ability to work autonomously and often under pressure.

Main duties of the job

  • Coordinate and monitor patient pathways to ensure timely treatment and compliance with targets.
  • Maintain accurate patient tracking systems and validate data across multiple clinical systems.
  • Liaise with clinicians, nurses, managers, administrators, and support departments to support service delivery.
  • Monitor service demand and capacity, helping to manage clinics, waiting lists, and treatment scheduling.
  • Support service development, projects, reporting, audits, and system improvements.
  • Respond to patient enquiries and assist with complaint investigations.
  • Coordinate treatment sessions with booking and theatre teams to maximise productivity.
  • Provide administrative support, including arranging meetings and taking minutes.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, rated as good by the Care Quality Commission, is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the UK.

We are extremely proud of our employees across our hospital sites, with high quality patient care at the heart of everything we do.

Boasting some of the most modern facilities in Western Europe, the Trust is renowned for being at the forefront of research and innovation as part of its blossoming reputation as a worldwide leader in healthcare.

We are proud to be recognised as a Pathway to Excellence® designated organisation – please click the link for further details about this prestigious award. Pathway To Excellence ® - University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire (uhcw.nhs.uk)

By joining our exciting journey, you will form part of a passionate, talented team and will be able to access a wide range of learning and development opportunities. There has never been a better time to join our team.

The Trust is committed to building an organisation that makes full use of the talents, skills, experience, and different perspectives available in our diverse society. We want everyone to feel they are respected, valued, can achieve their potential and receive the most appropriate and relevant care. We will create an environment where the equality and human rights principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy are promoted and are part of the organisation's core values.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • Co-ordination of the patient clinical pathway for individual patients.
  • Maintenance of patient tracking system to monitor and ensure full compliance of patient pathway and treatments within defined guidelines.
  • Close liaison with clinicians, service managers, ophthalmic nurses, medical secretaries and appointment staff to plan and undertake new patient clinics and assessments, within defined timelines for individual patients. 
  • Ensure the data integrity of the PAS system is maintained through reconciliation and validation of patient event data held on other systems. 
  • Liaison with clinicians and Ophthalmology Access Manager on service demands and available capacity, taking account of planned leave absences to maintain fully compliant service delivery.
  • Liaison with Trust support service departments to ensure effective delivery of the Ophthalmology service, including outpatient departments, medical records and EME department.
  • Support the Lead Clinician and Ophthalmology Access Manager in the development of the service information systems and requirements to include pathway documentation, patient information and IT database development.
  • Liaison with EMIS Care/Medical Imaging to co-ordinate service reporting and general information, including specific patient enquiries, service complaints and audit requirements.
  • Support the Lead Clinician, in liaison with booking offices and theatre departments, to ensure treatment sessions are effectively booked and planned improvements in productivity are attained.
  • Provide day to day support to the Ophthalmology Access Manager in project management of service developments across the various service sites.
  • Arrange meetings as and when required and take minutes.

For further details please see the attached job description.

Please be advised that sponsorship is not eligible for this post.

Closing Date: Please be advised that this job advert will close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Please apply for this job as soon as you can, if interested.

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • • Educated to O level standard/NVQ level 2. • Evidence of commitment to ongoing learning

Experience

Essential criteria
  • • Experience of working in an administrative role. • Decision making and resolving complex work related issues.
Desirable criteria
  • • Knowledge of Hospital PAS systems and Outlook • Desire to work with new technology within the department • Experience in a customer facing role

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • • Knowledge of Microsoft Office • Demonstrates a patient focussed approach.
Desirable criteria
  • • Working knowledge of Trust systems e.g. Powerchart, Revenue Cycle • Awareness of current issues within the NHS. • Desire to work with new technology within the department

Skills

Essential criteria
  • • Computer literate. • Excellent communication skills – with internal and external staff at all levels • Able to prioritise workload and work under pressure • Facilitating and influencing skills Ability to work to tight deadlines • Report writing and presentation skills • Works proactively and collaboratively to support the team. • Highly developed interpersonal skills • Works unsupervised and delivers within tight deadlines. • Develop and present relevant information to assist with the decision making process. • Troubleshooting issues. • Using word processing and spread sheets effectively.
Desirable criteria
  • • Taking and transcribing minutes

Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

Essential criteria
  • • Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust’s values. (As detailed in UHCW’s Values in Action document below) • Applicants applying for job roles with managerial responsibility will be required to demonstrate evidence of promoting equal opportunities through work experience

Employer certification / accreditation badges

No smoking policyAge positiveDisability confident leaderImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Pathway to excellenceCare quality commission - GoodPregnancy Loss PledgeHeart Charter

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Application numbers

Please be advised that this job advert will close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Please apply for this job as soon as you can, if interested.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Natalia Zatorska
Job title
Administration Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
02476966530
Additional information

Lewis Burkacki

Admin manger

 0247696 6505

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