Job vacancy: Outpatient booking clerk, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, Warwick

Job summary

Main area: Orthopaedics
Grade: Band 3
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (To include 1 late until 6pm)
Job ref: 203-EL946

Employer: South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Orthopaedics Administration
Town: Warwick
Salary: £24,937 - £26,598 per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 08/07/2025 23:59

Outpatient booking clerk

Band 3

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top performing organisations within the NHS. Our staff think this is a great place to work and we hope you will agree. We have recently been rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following our most recent inspection.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the whole county. This includes our Community Teams in North Warwickshire.

We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Over 6000 people work for the Trust and many of them have been here a long time. People find they don’t need to go elsewhere to find a fulfilling career in healthcare.

The first thing you will notice about us is how we take our values seriously. We believe that our values underpin everything we do. If you are interested in a role with us you need to make sure our values match your own.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide inclusive, safe, effective and compassionate care’. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn’t matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Probationary Period

All new staff to the Trust will be subject to a standard 6 month probationary period, the details of which will duly follow in your contract of employment.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and inclusive working environment for all our employees. Our aim is to ensure that employees are equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society. We define diversity as valuing everyone as an individual – we value our employees, job applicants, students, patients and visitors as people. This is reflected within our values of being Inclusive, Safe, Effective, Compassionate and Trusted.

Agile and Flexible Working

All our staff will have a work base. However the Trust operates as an Agile Working Team therefore staff may be working from home on a regular basis as required by the service. However, occasionally travel around Warwickshire and into your base will be required so access to your own transport would be helpful.

The Trust also welcome staff to work flexibly and we would welcome the conversation at interview regarding flexible working.

Staff Benefits

The Trust offer a wide range of additional benefits to staff. Anyone who joins us on a substantive basis can assess things such as the Lease Car Scheme, Electronics Scheme, Discounted Leisure and Travel, Cycle to work scheme amongst many others available.

Car Parking

The Trust currently have limited availability of car parking spaces, as such are operating a waiting list for new starters joining the organisation.

To keep up to date on our latest recruitment activity follow us on twitter @swftrecruit or look us up on Facebook (Recruitment - South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Negotiate patient appointments to attend for both Outpatients and day surgery/ in-patient procedures, working against agreed protocols either through face to face contact or via the telephone, including any changes to pre-planned dates.

Ensure all relevant patient information is recorded on the Trust’s PAS system and updated accordingly, including early offers of operation date.

To be the point of contact in the Trust for booked admission enquiries from patients.

Work flexibly and provide cross cover for colleagues in the Department.

Deal with day to day enquiries from patients, Consultants and other staff within the Trust in a professional and calm manner.

Ensure patients on a 2 week wait pathway are treated within national cancer target requirements.

Communication

Ensure patients are sent appropriate communication regarding their appointments i.e. confirmation letter to patient, reschedule letter, along with any relevant information.

Liaise with patients to ensure they receive relevant information regarding the booking process with telephone & E mail contacts.

Participate on the call handle rota, managing calls in a professional manner and assisting patients with their queries.

Liaise with reception staff regarding clinics and follow up appointments.

Service Improvement/ Team Development

Be involved in the development & revision of protocols & processes as required.

To participate in the training and induction of new starters and work experience.

Data Quality

Ensure any data entries are accurate and good record keeping is maintained at all times.

Ensure waiting lists are regularly validated to ensure accurate.

Monitor patient pathways to ensure patients don’t breach their 18 week pathways.

Person specification

Qualifications/Training

Essential criteria

Good general education
NVQ level 2 Customer Service/ Administration or equivalent
European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) or RSA Stage II/III Typing
NVQ 3 Customer Service/ Administration or equivalent knowledge

Experience

Essential criteria

Previous customer service experience
Previous clerical experience

Desirable criteria

Previous Healthcare/NHS experience

Skills

Essential criteria

Articulate and able to communicate clearly: verbally and written
Good interpersonal skills – able to work as a team
Able to use initiative and show practical skills and dexterity
Competent to communicate with all grades of staff and public
Knowledge and use of outlook, excel and word
Ability and experience in managing own workload
Demonstrates initiative and use of innovative and lateral thinking in problem solving
Good analytical skills to ensure good knowledge and experience in balancing theatre lists/clinic mix

Desirable criteria

Knowledge of Patient Administration System
Good understanding of clinical procedures in order to manage waiting list
Knowledge of Medical terminology

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

Responsible and reliable
Able to use own initiative
Able to work effectively as a team member
Co-operative and flexible
Recognises own limitations
Receptive to change
Professional manner
Adhere to patient confidentiality
Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines

Desirable criteria

Able to implement new ideas to benefit patients, staff and working environment

Other

Essential criteria

Keen to develop personal skills
Demonstrate ability to work flexibly and ability to multi task

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Sometimes we get a lot of applications for our roles. On those occasions we might close the job early. If you don’t want to miss out we recommend submitting your application as early as possible.

The Trust use an Applicant Management System called TRAC which helps us manage the recruitment process. All communications regarding your application will come via TRAC (even if you applied via NHS Jobs).

Please check your TRAC account regularly and ensure your email is set up to accept messages so they don't go into your junk/spam folder.

We aim to shortlist all vacancies within 2 days of the vacancy closing, we will get back to all candidates ASAP.

Please ensure all sections of the application form are completed fully. Please particularly ensure that you provide full details of all referees including business email address, telephone contact details and postal address.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer who is committed to Equality and Diversity and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the grounds of any protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010.

All South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust sites are smoke free. We feel it’s a great way to help our patients, visitors and staff stay healthy.

The Trust is part of a ‘Foundation Group’ through a strategic alliance with Wye Valley NHS Trust, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. This partnership is great for the sustainability of all four organisations and allows us to share learning and maximise opportunities to ensure the delivery of high quality health and care services for our local populations.