Administration Assistant

Job overview

The post holder will be required to support all administrative aspects of the patient pathway from referral to clinic attendance. The department is a busy expanding unit and therefore flexibility and the ability to work well under pressure is essential

Main duties of the job

Please refer to the Job Description for detailed information.

Act as the first point of contact for patients and healthcare professionals, providing a friendly and professional service both in person and over the phone.

Handle telephone and email enquiries sensitively and efficiently, escalating as appropriate.

Provide comprehensive administrative support across the department, including covering key duties during staff absence.

Maintain accurate patient records using hospital IT systems and ensure timely data entry for audits and reports.

Liaise with GPs, referrers, and internal departments to coordinate patient appointments, admissions, and procedures.

Support clinicians by arranging tests, procedures, and meetings, and by preparing relevant documentation.

Manage clinic schedules, including setting up, amending, or cancelling clinics in line with service needs.

Ensure timely distribution and scanning of clinical correspondence and documentation.

Monitor and maintain stock levels of departmental supplies and patient information materials.

Participate in departmental meetings, training, and service improvement initiatives.

Working for our organisation

The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.

Our Values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provide a friendly, welcoming and professional first point of contact on the telephone and in person to patients and a range of health care professionals. Telephone calls should be dealt with in a sensitive and tactful manner especially when liaising with distressed, angry or confused patients and/or relatives.

Deal with telephone calls and emails, responding in a timely manner and taking appropriate action as required. Provide non-clinical information to patients as appropriate recognising when to redirect calls to senior staff.

Provide administrative support for all aspects of the department.

Provide essential elements of the Pathway Co-ordinator role when he/she is on leave.

Liaise with GP’s and other referrers when necessary to obtain further information for the clinicians prior to the patient’s appointment.

Record and update patient information on hospital IT systems accurately.

Use information systems effectively ensuring a high standard of information recording is maintained.

Ensure in-patient Consultant referrals are printed, triaged and completed in a timely manner. Logging the triaged referral on the EPR system and create waiting list entries.

Support other administrative staff with the organisation of clinics and appointments and provide other administrative duties appropriate to role.

Organise the admission of patients for procedures/treatments, liaising with the relevant department and contacting the patient to inform them of the admission arrangements. This include liaising with relevant departments (this include Ophthalmology and DTU, etc.) where appropriate to arrange appointments for patients.

Providing assistant to clinicians by requesting tests using trust systems as instructed by clinicians. At the request of clinicians arrange any procedures as required.

Print and distribute clinical correspondence accurately within Trust timescales, ensuring that all instructions and enclosures are actioned prior to distribution.

Ensure all documents that require scanning onto the electronic patient record are uploaded accurately and appropriately in a timely manner so that patient information is available to clinical staff.

Input accurate information as requested for audit purposes and produce standardised computer reports.

Perform basic data entry for departmental database.

Provide administrative support to the clinical staff with setting up meetings and educational sessions to include preparing relevant documentation/packs for the attendees.

Act independently to sort, prioritise and distribute incoming mail to the appropriate members of staff. Using judgement and experience to prioritise and pass to clinicians or pass directly to other areas for action and information, using own initiatives,

Maintain stock of stationery equipment and patient information material in the department and clinical rooms.

Provide cover for and undertake duties of absent colleagues appropriate to experience and competence.

Take an active role within the department attending staff meetings and participate in discussions to improve and evaluate the service

Undertake relevant training identified in conjunction with line manager.

Have an overview of timescales for best practice tariffs to ensure that all patients receive timely appointments.

Manage own workload, follow through queries and chase progress, in order to free up clinical time for clinicians, improving information and access for patients.

Manage and communicate clinic changes including setting up additional clinics, changing, moving or cancelling clinics depending on clinician availability and or service need.

Conduct monthly forward look review with clinicians to ensure that all availability is accurate and any changes are acted upon in a timely manner.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent including English and Mathematics

• Computer literate to ECDL standard or equivalent

Experience

• Office/administration experience
• Computer work
• Experience of working in a busy demanding environment

• Experience of working with confidential information
• Use of databases
• Public contact
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting
• Prior experience in dealing with complaints

Knowledge

• Knowledge of Microsoft office package
• Office practice

• Knowledge of NHS IT systems – IPM, Evolve, Bighand

Communication Skills

• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent telephone skills

Skills

• Able to use own initiative
• Able to plan prioritise and schedule work to ensure effective time management
• Ability to work to tight deadlines
• Able to cope with sensitive and emotional situations
• Good attention to detail

• Minute Taking

Personal Characteristics

• Caring and understanding
• Ability to use own initiative
• Flexible and adaptive
• Good team Player
• Willingness to learn new skills

It is an exciting time to join the newly formed Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.