Appointments ClerkNHS

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

St Helens, WA9 3DA Permanent £25,760 to £27,476

Posted 13 August 2026 Closing date 23 August 2026

St Helens Junction Rail Station (0.9 miles away) St Helens Bus Station (1.1 miles away)

Job summary

An exciting and challenging opportunity has become available for an Appointments Clerk /Open Hold Audit within Patient Booking Services.

The post holder will be responsible for providing clerical and administrative support to the department. You will work closely with a wide range of staff across the Organisation, including other hospitals, GP services and mainly, our patients.

Main duties of the job

You must have excellent communication skills as you are very often the first contact with the Trust. A pleasant and courteous disposition is essential.

You will have a flexible approach to the demands of this post and there will be an expectation that you can work autonomously or as part of a team to ensure we deliver the highest standard of care to our patients.

Job description

KEY DUTIES

Enter tertiary referral letter details accurately onto the Patient Administration System (PAS) on a daily basis adhering to the timescales within the Trust Patient Access Policy and ensuring the outpatient entry is attached to the correct 18 week pathway with appropriate referral/pathway/referral source code.
To deal with pending elective appointments and cancellations, liaising with all relevant staff (including Consultants, Outpatient Managers, Directorate Managers and clinical support staff). Escalating any issues/breaches to the Team Leader/Administration Services Co-ordinator.
Meet/liaise with Consultants on a regular basis in order to manage outpatient clinics lists effectively whilst working within the Department of Health guidelines. Be responsible for the updating and accuracy on electronic systems.
Independently compile clinic status lists 6 weeks in advance, taking into account the composition of lists to include, clinical urgency, diagnostic investigations, therapeutic investigations, complex procedures and 18 week referral to treatment target. Inputting information on to PAS and NHS e-referral.
Liaise with Team Leader/Outpatient Manager and/or Directorate Managers to ensure clinic sessions are utilised when Consultants are on leave. If Consultants are on annual leave/professional leave ensure that Registrar/Staff Grade cover is in place prior to booking patients into clinic session.
Book appointments using the PAS/NHS e-referral system and identify the type of outpatient appointment required. Obtain relevant reports/ information and request HRS/case notes. Update clinic of list changes due to cancellations/alterations. Frequently negotiate with nursing staff to provide additional outpatient clinics.
Update the PAS system and NHS e-referral with all information following patient referral triage with all special requirements.
To ensure management of all clinic requests/reductions/cancellations/clinic changes/patient requests are managed within sostenuto independently
Order interpreters for patients attending outpatient clinics by e-mail.
To arrange patient appointments by telephone/letter ensuring that patients are offered choice of date with reasonable notice in accordance with the current operating framework and the NHS constitution.
Order all necessary equipment for appointments via Outpatient Managers by e-mail.
Responsible for informing the Radiology/Cardio-Respiratory Department of additional clinics arranged.
Take into account daily cancellations and alterations, contacting patients by telephone explaining in a polite and courteous manner reasons for cancellation. To follow the correct procedures and processes for all cancelled appointments and DNAs to ensure dates are re-booked and/or removed according to the Trust Patient Access Policy, escalating any issues.
Manage Netcall reminder report ensuring outpatient slots are backfilled maximising outpatient capacity.
Advise patients of all available options with empathy and discretion particularly when dealing with aggrieved patients regarding outpatient waiting list enquires. Significant conversations including outcomes are to be recorded on PAS.
Monitor and maintain the Patient Target Lists (PTL) for each speciality and individual Consultants, including the maintenance of the RTT and liaise with Directorate Managers on a regular basis.
Monthly validation of 18 week (PTL) for each speciality to maintain 18 weeks, ensure patient availability and/or still require appointment.
Monitor and maintain the Outpatient waiting list reports for individual specialities ensuring that all patients are booked in accordance with Multi-Disciplinary Team guidelines and Department of Health guidelines.
Book linked appointments foe ENT and Ophthalmology prior to appointment date.
Complete data checks on computerised systems (PAS, NHS e-referral, EDMS) amending any changes e.g. appointment procedures, patient details, patient/hospital cancellations or time changes due to allergy risks etc.
Complete Netcall cancellation report, slot availability report within ers, sostenuto, net account on a daily basis.
ASI report managed independently within DOH guidelines for Paper Switch Off Compliance
Management of pas admin reports, clinic changes/amendments for all specialty clinics and directorates
Set up and amendments of clinic schedules on PAS system
Training/mentoring of staff on all roles within the Appointments Department
To ensure that all two week rule referrals/upgrades are managed independently within DOH guidelines on PAS and NHS e-referral system.
To ensure all case notes are requested and available for appointments in line with local standards and protocols. Ensure that any documentation in relation to the patient is sent to the Health Records Department to be scanned onto EDMS (Electronic Document Management System). To file all correspondence and documents, as required, thereby maintaining an effective filing system.
Organise and order stationary items as appropriate.
Deal appropriately with concerns from staff in line with Trust policy.
To provide cover for colleagues during periods of annual leave and sickness. Mentor and train relevant staff as required by the Team Leaders or Administrative Services Co-ordinator.
Participate in call centre rotation.
Liaise with other hospitals both NHS and private, GPs, secretarial, clerical, wards, and cancer services.
Following PTL meeting, complete actions for individual specialities and update capacity for Directorate Managers.
To work in a flexible manner in accordance with the Trust policy.
Any other duties required by Line Manager.
Audit Patients on an Open Hold

About us

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.

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