Job overview The Neurosciences department is looking for a full-time enthusiastic and dynamic Band 4 Patient Pathway Coordinator. The successful applicant will be responsible for the day-to-day administrative work of the service. We are looking to recruit an individual who works well under pressure, is enthusiastic, well-motivated and can work on their own initiative. Good organisational and priority skills are essential along with the ability to work in a busy environment . The successful applicant should be committed to providing good patient care for our patients and their families whilst applying the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust Values. The post holder’s main duty and responsibilities include working closely with clinicians in the planning and the co-ordination of outpatient and inpatient bookings, overseeing waiting lists, managing urgent & routine referrals, managing letters and acting as a primary point of contact for patients and other professionals. This role will also involve booking and co-ordinating MDT meetings, maintaining databases, raising orders via procurement, managing structured education courses and ensuring that these are kept up to date and data submitted in timely manner. The post holder will provide a confident professional service to all patients and carers and service users whilst supporting them throughout their pathway of care. The post holder must adhere to Trust Policies and Procedures at all times. Main duties of the job The post holder’s main duty and responsibilities include working closely with clinicians in the planning and the co-ordination of outpatient and inpatient bookings, overseeing waiting lists, managing urgent referrals, managing letters and acting as a primary point of contact for patients and other professionals. This role will also involve booking and co-ordinating MDT meetings, maintaining databases & tracking patients ensuring that these are kept up to date and data submitted in timely manner when necessary. This includes ensuring that 18 week access and other quality targets are met. The duties and responsibilities are representative of the Patient Pathway Coordinator role and its purpose within the service; they are not exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake additional or alternative administrative and managerial duties and responsibilities commensurate with the level of the post, to support the smooth running of the department. Working for our organisation The Neurosciences Team consists of the Neurofibromatosis (NF) Service and Adult Neurology service, sitting within the Directorate of Medical Specialties. Dr Paul Holmes (Neurology) and Dr Una Sheerin (NF) are our clinical leads within the service. Neurology is a clinical service based at Guy’s Hospital (1 st Floor, Southwark Wing). We also have offices at St Thomas’ Hospital (3 rd Floor, Lambeth Wing) and run clinics at Gassiot House. We are predominantly an outpatient service and seeing a mixture of virtual and face-to-face appointments. We receive new referrals for routine, urgent and suspected cancer, for neurological and our clinics consist of new, follow up and 2WW appointments. We run clinics in general Neurology, Headache, Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, Multiple-Sclerosis and other Neurological conditions. Our NF service, based at Guy’s Hospital is an NHS England highly specialised service to provide specialist support to this significantly complex group of patients. The NF team care for patients of all ages including paediatrics and adults. The NF service is supported by a multidisciplinary team of Consultants from varying specialties, Psychologists, Social Workers, Physiotherapists and Clinical Nurse Specialists, amongst others. The team work closely with our partner organisations across the South of England, and the North England centre for NF in Manchester. Detailed job description and main responsibilities COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Communicate professionally and effectively with patients/carers, the general public and all internal and external agencies both verbally and non-verbally in a timely manner. Ensure diplomacy, empathy and confidentiality when dealing with distressed patients and carers, the general public at all times. Liaise with clinical and non-clinical staff to resolve any issues that may arise, to the mutual benefit of all concerned. Attend and contribute to departmental meetings, team briefs etc. Provide support for day to day queries from all patients/carers/medical personnel/administrator staff. Identify training and development needs and communicating effectively to take these forward where appropriate. To act as a contact point, liaising with patients, relatives, medical representatives, GP’s/other hospitals, nursing staff, surgical team and support services OPERATIONAL SKILLS: Monitor and review patient care and/or treatment progress using the Patient Tracking List in line with Trust and local policies. To follow local policy and effectively manage inpatient pathways and Liaise with clinicians as appropriate. To ensure accurate data input. Identify from the Tracking List the next steps in the patient care pathway in line with clinical need (peer review). Receive patient referrals and administer in line with timings and requirements as set out in Trust and National policies. Co-ordinate and provide administrative support to the relevant teams to ensure that all the relevant paperwork and clinical information is available. Update on all enquiries regarding patients’ care and/or treatment on a pathway from external Trusts and General Practitioners in a timely manner. Develop an understanding of the milestones of the allocated pathway for patients within a designated group. Attend relevant meetings and complete actions regarding the care of patients within the designated pathway. Participate in national audits and collect data as required in relevant meetings, allowing the Trust to identify and improve treatment in patient cohorts. Identify and suggest improvements that can be made to the patient care pathway and/or the patient pathway tracking process. Monitor patients on their pathway and proactively find resolutions to improve the speed of treatment by working directly with clinicians and managers. Action day-to-day issues, ensuring resolution and escalating serious issues to management as appropriate. Escalate any issues and breaches of the Waiting Times standards to the relevant management in line with agreed escalation procedures. Ensure the timely and efficient transfer of patients and information between trusts/other organisations involved in the patient pathway, adhering to agreed communication pathways and protocols. Work within a multi-disciplinary team in developing the service in line with departmental plans and Trust corporate objectives Assist the management team in addressing any complaints within the agreed timescales Exercise judgement and initiative in order to manage the workload effectively and efficiently, taking appropriate action to resolve any issues, liaising with appropriate personnel and seeking guidance from the Line Manager when required. When required, assist in the co-ordination of training programmes for new administrative staff. Working with the Team to analyse target breaches and report issues to management. Provide day-to-day supervision and oversight of duties for the department’s administrators. To record performance of additional capacity to meet demand/shortfall in elective capacity To liaise with clinical leads and other staff regarding annual leave and other absences, to ensure appointments are appropriately booked and closed if necessary. Manage letters in and out of the pathway. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: Maintain effective information management systems, including databases and filing systems, ensuring both accessibility and confidentiality Responsible for adapting and maintaining information systems, comprising both paper-based and computerised documents ensuring accessibility and confidentiality of information. To include the use of databases. Undertake data entry where necessary Responsible for collecting and updating patient information on the relevant databases in line with local policy, to ensure efficient pathway progress. This includes maintaining the accuracy of data at all times. To support the service's commitment to meeting client needs and delivering excellence, it is essential the post holder be able to work their hours flexibly and contribute fully to both existing and new rotas. The post holder may be required to rotate within the team, providing clinic reception cover, booking and rescheduling appointments, general administrative support and telephone cover . Person specification Qualifications / Education Essential criteria Good general education with English and Maths to GCSE standard or equivalent Relevant NVQ 3 or equivalent qualification or experience Evidence of some formal further training in short courses, experience of a range of admin practices and with significant experience of hospital administration Desirable criteria Customer services qualification/training Experience Essential criteria Proven administrative experience Significant experience of working in a customer focused environment demonstrating the ability to deal difficult customers and challenging situations Experience of working both autonomously and in a team Desirable criteria Experience of an administrative role within the NHS Experience of supervising staff Knowledge of medical terminology Skills/Knowledge/Ability Essential criteria Proficient IT skills experience of using Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook Excellent organisational skills, with a demonstrable ability to manage and prioritise workload and work methodically, efficiently and accurately to meet tight deadlines. Ability to work on own initiative and with minimal supervision Ability to work within a team and develop good working relationships with colleagues at all levels Excellent communication skills Ability to supervise others as required Understanding of confidentiality and its application and maintenance in and out of the workplace. Possess a ‘can do’ attitude, with a flexible approach to work and the ability to cope with changing demands. Understanding of equal opportunities Desirable criteria Knowledge of the key waiting times targets including 18 weeks Understanding of Trust hospital systems (e.g. EPIC) Understanding of governance processes Additional Essential criteria To be flexible in their approach to the work, according to priorities and changing organisational systems 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. Further details / informal visits contact Name Patrick Creamer Job title Assistant Service Manager Email address [email protected] Telephone number 07517592434 Additional information For general enquiries about the job, or for an informal discussion please contact: [email protected] (Assistant Service Manager) [email protected] (Service Manager)