Patient Services Advisor - Call HandlerNHS

Job summary

Do you thrive in a busy environment, enjoy helping people, and have excellent communication skills?

Aspiro Healthcare is looking for enthusiastic Patient Services Advisor to join our friendly and supportive team within the Contact Centre. You will be a first point of contact for patients as a Call Handler accessing Aspiro Healthcare services by telephone and through digital platforms. You will provide a professional, compassionate and efficient service, helping patients access the most appropriate clinician, service or care pathway.

This is a rewarding front-line role where you will be the first point of contact for patients, helping them access the right care at the right time. Every day is different. You'll be speaking with patients, managing appointments, supporting our clinical teams and ensuring patients receive a professional, compassionate and efficient service.

Main duties of the job

What you'll be doing

As a Patient Services Advisor, you'll play a vital role in helping patients navigate healthcare services by:

• Answering incoming telephone calls and online patient requests
• Managing appointments, including booking, amending and cancellations
• Supporting patients using our online consultation platform
• Signposting patients to the most appropriate clinician or service
• Handling patient enquiries in a professional and empathetic manner
• Accurately recording information on our clinical systems
• Liaising with GPs, hospitals and other healthcare providers
• Recognising urgent patient needs and escalating appropriately
• Providing information on practice services and healthcare pathways

What we're looking for

We're seeking someone who can remain calm under pressure whilst delivering outstanding customer service.

Job description

Job Purpose

The Patient Services Advisor is part of our Contact Centre Team, is the first point of contact for patients as a Call Handler accessing Aspiro Healthcare services by telephone and through digital platforms. You will provide a professional, compassionate and efficient service, helping patients access the most appropriate clinician, service or care pathway.

The post holder will provide a professional, compassionate and efficient service, ensuring patients are directed to the most appropriate clinician or service while supporting safe and effective patient access across the organisation.

Main responsibilities

• Manage incoming patient contacts via telephone and online consultation systems, including Rapid Health, ensuring accurate capture of patient needs and appropriate signposting.
• Book, amend and cancel appointments in line with practice protocols, using clinical triage outcomes and appointment prioritisation guidelines.
• Navigate and utilise the Rapid Health system to support efficient patient access, ensuring requests are directed to the most appropriate clinician or service.
• Respond to a wide range of patient enquiries in a professional, empathetic and timely manner, both verbally and electronically.
• Accurately input and maintain confidential patient information on clinical systems in line with data protection requirements.
• Liaise effectively with external organisations including hospitals, community services and other healthcare providers.
• Communicate clearly and efficiently with GPs and the wider primary care team, ensuring accurate and timely message-taking and escalation where required.
• Identify and prioritise urgent patient needs, ensuring those requiring same-day or emergency care are managed safely and in accordance with practice procedures.
• Support patient flow by managing unscheduled demand in a structured and non-disruptive way.
• Provide clear guidance to patients on practice processes, including registration, temporary services and access to care pathways.
• Inform patients of any applicable fees for private or non-NHS services and support associated administrative processes.
• Manage challenging conversations professionally and calmly.
• Support patients who may be distressed, anxious or frustrated.
• Deliver excellent customer service while maintaining practice policies and procedures.
• Support patients to access digital services including online consultations and NHS App functionality.
• Promote digital-first access where appropriate.
• Assist patients with navigating online healthcare services.

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately. Post-holders must adhere to the following principles:

• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers.
• They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with Aspiro policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Aspiro health & safety policy, the health & safety manual, and the Aspiro infection control policy and published procedures. This will include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Aspiro guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks;
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills;
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards;
• Active reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised;
• Keeping own work areas generally clean and overseeing Site Managers in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of their role
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually);
• Reporting potential risks identified to the Aspiro Management

Equality & Diversity

• The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Aspiro procedures and policies, and current legislation;
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues;
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Job Description Reviews

This job description is intended to provide an outline of the key tasks and responsibilities only, the list is non-exhaustive. There may be other duties required of the post holder commensurate with their position. This description will be open to regular review and may be amended in the light of developing or changing services, or as part of an individual performance review process. All members of staff should be prepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order to maintain the efficient running of Aspiro.

About us

Why join Aspiro Healthcare?

At Aspiro Healthcare, our patients are at the heart of everything we do. We pride ourselves on creating a positive working environment where colleagues are supported, valued and encouraged to develop their skills.

We offer:

• A supportive and welcoming team culture
• Opportunities for training and development
• A varied and rewarding role
• The chance to make a real difference to patient care
• Modern systems and innovative ways of working

Apply Now

If you're passionate about helping people, enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and want to be part of a team dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care, we'd love to hear from you.