About the Role We are seeking a motivated and well‑organised individual to join our Access Centre team as an Access Booking Officer. The role is key to ensuring patients are booked promptly, accurately and appropriately for outpatient appointments and diagnostic procedures across Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Key Responsibilities

Deliver a comprehensive inpatient and outpatient booking service, rotating across all areas of the Access Office for full service coverage. Act as a named point of contact for patients, relatives, carers and clinical teams, providing clear and timely communication in person, by phone, in writing or electronically. Add patients accurately to waiting lists, recording all relevant clinical and administrative notes. Provide patients with guidance relating to their admission, including pre‑ and post‑operative information and updates on their waiting‑list position. Liaise with Bed Management teams regarding stand‑by patients or cancellations due to capacity issues. Manage all outpatient waiting lists and appoint patients from PTLs in line with Trust performance standards. Register referral letters and ensure all referrals (including ERS) are directed to the correct consultant or clinic. Book new and follow‑up appointments in accordance with departmental procedures and agreed timescales. Manage clinic cancellations or reductions on PAS and ERS, ensuring patients are rebooked appropriately. Maintain and update clinic templates in line with changes to medical rotas. Oversee ERS appointments, including patient‑initiated cancellations, ASIs and capacity escalations. Manage partial booking lists and escalating issues to operational teams when required. Process ward forms to ensure follow‑up appointments are arranged or escalated. Record attendances retrospectively when patients are seen outside of clinic. Handle patient enquiries with empathy, professionalism and confidence, offering reassurance and clear information. Support patients who may face communication barriers due to language, cultural differences, age or additional needs. Communicate sensitive or unpleasant information in a compassionate and supportive manner. Monitor waiting lists proactively, identifying and resolving issues that may lead to breaches of access targets. Analyse waiting‑list data regularly and escalating capacity concerns promptly. Ensure full compliance with the two‑week‑wait standards for suspected cancer referrals. Maintain high standards of data quality when inputting, extracting and producing information across Trust systems. Work within established policies, procedures and escalation processes to support efficient, patient‑centred service delivery. Work flexibly to support colleagues during periods of leave or increased service demand. Assist with the training and induction of new staff, offering ongoing support with workload coordination. Contribute to departmental meetings, providing updates on consultant activity and waiting‑time reductions. Use Trust resources responsibly, ensuring minimal waste and cost‑effective working. Attend weekly operational meetings to discuss capacity, provide updates and support problem‑solving. Generate and send all relevant letters and information leaflets for both paper and electronic referrals. Manage shared email inboxes and main telephone lines on a rotational basis. Maintain up‑to‑date mandatory training and participate in annual appraisal. Proactively engage with clinicians, GPs, staff and patients to enable effective patient flow through the pathway. Overcome barriers on a daily basis in supporting patients who may not easily understand due to cultural or language differences, physical or mental special needs or age.

About the Trust Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 people across 21 sites with a workforce of more than 9,000 dedicated staff. Our Services

Acute Care – Emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all sites. Primary Care – Services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre in St Helens. Community Services – Adult community services in St Helens, wheelchair services in Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire, inpatient rehabilitation at Newton Community Hospital, and urgent care at the Urgent Treatment Centre in St Helens. Specialist Regional Services – Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital, serving more than 4 million people across 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

Application Deadline This advert closes on Sunday 1 Mar 2026. #J-18808-Ljbffr