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Nhs Interview Help

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Greedyfly | 14:03 Fri 25th Jul 2014 | How it Works
13 Answers
Hello

A good friend of mine is changing from the retail sector and wants to get into the NHS. She has an interview next week for a Patient Access role and I have given her an idea of what patient access is.

Any additional help you could give please re questions asked etc....


Thanks

GF
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It depends what that 'role' is. By googling the job I found this which is for a 'co-ordinator'.
[link removed]
Sorry, link didn't work but if you look on most health authority / PCT websites there will be a description of the roles.
PCTs haven't been around since April 2013, zacs - she'll either be working (I guess) for one of the Clinical Commissioning Groups, or for an NHS Trust. It would be helpful, greedy, to know a bit more about the role - in my experience, Patient Access is about the PA network where patients can liaise electronically with their GP practice.
(Don't tell Mrs Zacs she works for the NHS!)
LOL @ zacs... :-)
Don't know why I didn't think of C&P-ing before:
To act as the first point of contact for telephone and written enquiries from patients
or their representatives requesting access to their medical records, or from staff in
other Trust Departments referring details of patient’s requests.
2. To send out application forms, receive application forms and written requests,
acknowledge all requests received and log new requests on the Access Register.
3. To obtain case notes, liaising with staff in other departments to ensure records are
returned in a timely fashion and ensuring case note location details are tracked on
PAS, and to tidy the case notes or arrange to have the notes converted prior to
processing as necessary.
4. To identify the applicant’s information requirements, interrogate the case-notes and
PAS to determine which health care professionals need to be approached for
permissions to be granted.
5. To prepare and send the necessary permission letters to the relevant health care
professionals with the case notes.
6. To liaise with Radiology and the Medical Illustration Department to order copies of
required x-rays and photographs if required.
7. To record all actions on an Access Record Form, regularly monitoring the progress
of all ongoing cases to ensure outstanding responses are chased up and deadlines
for completion are not exceeded. Liaising with health care professionals and their
secretaries at this Trust, other hospitals, PCT’s and GP surgeries, plus other staff in
Local Councils and the Coroner’s Office as required.
8. To identify and report to the Head of Health Records any cases where the deadline
is likely to be exceeded, and contact the applicant by telephone or in writing to
update them of the situation.
9. To undertake Access Interviews with applicants and other healthcare professionals
where relevant, making the necessary arrangements, including booking rooms at
the NNUH if required and confirm all details with the applicant.
10. To access PAS, A&E Symphony and Web-ICE as required to check, locate and
supply patient records and reports.
11. To photocopy and send relevant information from the medical records to the
applicant, checking to ensure the information relates to the applicant and that no
records from any third parties are released, unless their permission has been
obtained, in line with Trust Policy and legal requirements.
12. To accurately record details of the information disclosed to applicants on completion
of each access request, calculate the relevant charges and collect payment from
the applicant before the information can be released. To report all problems with
non - payment to the Head of Health Records.
13. To ensure the Access Register is updated on completion of each access and that
an accurate record is maintained of the access details, relevant charges and
payments received for audit purposes.
14. To confer, when necessary with the Head of Health Records for guidance on
handling complex access cases or advice on the disclosure of information or any
other aspects of the access process.
15. Provide regular feedback on progress of ongoing cases and supply any ad hoc
reports to the Head of Health Records as required. To produce an annual summary
report of all access requests received, demonstrating compliance with the legal
deadlines.
16. To notify the Head of Health Records of any potential complaints against the Trust
and liaise with PALS/Legal Department regarding non–complaint cases when
applicants request additional advice following their access.
17. To maintain an effective filing system for all access documentation and ensure
records are retained for the required 2-year period. Arrange for the confidential
disposal of records as directed by the Head of Health Records.
18. To communicate with applicants on the telephone, by e-mail and occasionally face
to face, managing aggressive, angry, confused, distressed and emotional people in
a pleasant, efficient, calm manner.
19. Frequent bending, lifting and transportation of heavy, bulky case notes (average
weight of case notes handled is 17 kilos) throughout the day.
Neat, zacs - so that's someone working in either a community or hospitals Trust, that make sense.
Question Author
NHS Trust and Patient access is essentially recieving GP referrals and processing them. Plus taking phone calls and making appointments etc...

Unfortunately Zacs none of that applies to this role, that is more of Health Records position. I know the job because I also work for the trust and have worked alongside that team but interview wise I am unusre what to tell her to prepare for as it is a band two role and whilst we have the usual - Good comms, good attention to detail, confidentiality etc... I am wondering what else may come up and she has no NHS experience.

Thanks Guys
Question Author
I did some googling myself and came up with the very same things - seems each role for each trust must be named differently
I suspect they will be called different things, greedy! However, a Band 2 role doesn't carry a great level of autonomy IMO, so she would be given tasks to perform rather than being required to act on her own initiative. Did they now send the job description to her with the application pack?
As i said, that was for a co-ordinator role. There are Managers, Assistants etc.

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