Waiting List Coordinator

Job summary

Are you an organised, compassionate professional committed to supporting patients' access to timely, high quality care?

In this role, you will help deliver a smooth, patient centred admissions service, ensuring care is coordinated efficiently and in line with local and national standards. Working closely with colleagues and the Management Team, you will support good booking practice and provide reliable assistance to patients and clinical teams.

You will follow admissions processes accurately and ensure waiting lists and theatre lists are managed effectively to support safe and timely patient care.

Main duties of the job

Schedule patients into appropriate theatre lists, ensuring the surgeons requirements are followed, hospital systems are checked for essential booking information, there is a suitable anaesthetist, all equipment will be present and available, any special bed requests are ordered, and the order of the theatre list is suitable for the surgeon, along with managing the patients' social needs and availability.

Follow and implement waiting list policies, paying particular attention to the 18 week RTT national rules, clock rules for diagnostic tests and the Trust's Access Policy. Negotiate with patients when they wish to cancel admission dates so that they understand that any further cancellation or delay may result in their being removed from the waiting list following the Clinical Review process. Ensure information conveyed to the patient and Clinical Reviewer is clear and accurate so that a fair and appropriate decision can be made on the patient's future care.

Communicate effectively and in a timely fashion with patients/parents/carers as the need arises. Use reassurance and negotiation skills with tact on a daily basis over the telephone and face to face: patients are often very anxious at the prospect of admission to hospital for operations and procedures, so a calm and empathic approach is essential.

Overcoming barriers to understanding, either because there is a language difficulty or because the patient simply does not comprehend the nature and purpose of their admission.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job responsibilities

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Good standard of Education up to GCSE or O Level (A-C) standard.

Desirable

• NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration or equivalent, or demonstratable relevant experience.
• Computer/Word processing qualification or ECDL.
• NVQ Customer Care/Service.

Experience

Essential

• Level of knowledge and understanding of waiting lists, hospital booking processes and medical terminology to be able to work at the required standard.
• Proven experience of working with elective waiting lists or similar.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Willingness to use technology to improve standards of care and support to our patients.
• Ability to juggle tasks as there are constant interruptions.
• Flexible attitude to service provision and enthusiasm for change.
• Able to use own initiative.