Outpatient Call Handler

Salary: £22,383 per annum pro rota.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Flexible rota pattern).

As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Job overview

Do you thrive in a fast paced environment?

Do you want to make a contribution to the NHS?

Would a flexible approach to working with a hybrid mix of home and office based hour’s interest you?

Have you got an interest in delivering excellent customer services?

The Outpatient Appointment Centre has an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic team as a call handler. This position is well suited to an individual looking to work and gain experience in a thriving and supportive team where training and development is paramount. The team has a unique trust wide insight into outpatient services.

The Appointment centre is open Monday to Friday 8.00 to 19.00 post holders will be required to work shifts to cover these opening hours with the potential for some Saturday mornings. The Appointment Centre is closed during bank holidays.

Full time, Flexible, home, office working.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work within University Hospitals Bristol & Weston. The Role includes, to book, cancel and alter patient appointments using the Trust’s Patient Administration System and will include ensuring this is done in accordance with the Patient Access Policy and local Referral to Treatment (RTT). The role of Call Handler is often the first point of contact for patients starting their treatment. The role is therefore responsible for setting a high level of patient care and reflecting the Trust’s Values. The role of Call Handler must deliver excellent customer service to patients when making and answering calls, acting upon patient appointment and other queries, and do so within set departmental time limits. The Appointment Centre operates between Monday to Friday 08.00-19.00, staff work on a flexible Rota basis between these hours. The Appointment Centre is closed during bank holidays.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of dealing with the public, both on the telephone and in person.
• Data entry experience.

Desirable criteria

• Previous NHS experience.
• Customer care/call centre experience.

Skills and Abilities

Essential criteria

• Excellent/professional telephone manner.
• Flexible approach to duties.
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines whilst maintaining a high standard of accuracy.
• Ability to work in a busy environment.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft packages.
• Confidence to handle difficult conversations with patients, relatives and carers.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria

• Educated to GCSE, grade C or above (or equivalent) in English Language and Maths.

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.

UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.

If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.

The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.

By applying for this post, you are agreeing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.