Skip to main content
Please wait, loading
  1. Sector
  2. Administrative Services job search
  3. Job list
  4. Job details

Job summary

Main area
Administration
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 2
Contract
18 months (Fixed term for 18 months)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
Job ref
216-PL-A7118562
Employer
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Central Records Library
Town
PLYMOUTH
Salary
£24,169 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
22/04/2025 23:59
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust logo

Health Records Assistant

NHS AfC: Band 2

Job overview

To provide and maintain an efficient and high standard Health Records Service throughout the Trust.
The post holder will work to maintain the Main Store and Archive area ensuring the integrity and security of all health records. 

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Main duties of the job

The Central Records Library comprises of three main areas: Main Office/Pre-file and Archive 

Main Office/Pre-file area
To provide support for the pulling and filing of Health Records within the Central Records Library for all clinical activity.
Prioritising workloads and all other Central Record Requests.
Efficiently manging the urgent line with a professional approach.
Archive area
To provide support for the filing and culling of REI records and Deceased records.
Undertake the retention and destruction of all Health Records and REI records in accordance with the Records Management Code of Practice 2021 and following the Trust’s policies and procedures. 
Review and highlight any storage capacity issues and identify any bottlenecks within the store for yearly Deceased notes. 

Roles in these three areas are generic which means the post holder can be allocated to any area within the Central Records Library at any time.  This will involve staff rotating across all 3 areas to ensure continuity of service during staff absences as and when required.  This generic job description covers all duties required of a Health Records Assistant.

 

Working for our organisation

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

 
PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES 
 
MAIN OFFICE/PRE-FILE AREA
 
• Action all telephone calls/written/emailed requests for case notes promptly using a high standard of attention to detail, recording a detailed account and outcome of each request/call, retrieve and pack notes and trace electronically to the appropriate department.
 
• Ensure that all notes are available for clinics daily and ensure Prepping Teams are informed in advance of appointments of any notes that cannot be found.
 
• Unpack all deliveries of case notes / loose sheets, pre-sort into appropriate filing areas, and then file into main store, tracing each case note onto iPM at every stage of the process.
 
• Distribute all incoming external and internal mail deliveries to appropriate office areas within the CRL.
 
ARCHIVE AREA
 
• Regularly reviewing storage capacity within the main store and archive area and planning for future growth to accommodate deceased and culled records. This entails moving boxes and hospital records in large quantities within a tight timeframe. 
 
• Filing of all REI records, boxing up Deceased and A&E records. 
 
• Ensuring all patient record requests from Crown are dealt with efficiently and spreadsheets are kept updated. 
 
• Responsible for the retention and destruction of all patient health records ensuring all guidelines are followed as per the Records Management code of practice 2021. 
 
• Scanning the main store as and when required to identify misfiles and growth.
 
• Preparing and sorting Service Personnel records ready for destruction. 
 
GENERIC TASKS ACROSS ALL MAIN OFFICE/PREFILE & ARCHIVE AREAS
 
• Assist the CRL Supervisors in acting as a point of contact for Clinicians and other Staff groups, providing advice and support on all Health Records issues.
 
 
• Generate electronic pulling lists for patients via the Corporate Services function on Trustnet and utilise those lists to locate and pull case notes from the main store and Archive area.  
 
• To undertake comprehensive searches and take all necessary actions and exhaust all avenues to ensure the completeness of clinics.
 
• To use personal judgement and initiative when analysing the facts that are required to locate a patient’s record, such as looking for a mis-file or determining when a temporary folder should be created.  
 
• Utilise the CRL electronic emailing system to action and close electronic requests from a variety of hospitals, departments’, and other areas.
 
• Ensure that all notes are in a good secure condition with year stickers, carry out basic repairs on badly damaged case-notes, or pass to Filing Coordinator for attention.
 
• Maintain tidy filing bays by moving case notes as and when necessary, in particular when dealing with excessively large case notes are returned to file.
 
• Maintain library storage in terminal digit order, including realigning, accurate filing and adhering to the Records Management Code of Practice 2021.
 
• Work within agreed standards and benchmarks with the ability to demonstrate initiative and flexibility to achieve good practice. 
 
• Monitor and report on personal workload statistics in readiness for analysis by the CRL Manager. 
 
• Participate in audits, questionnaires and surveys relating to evaluation of services.
 
• Deal with queries from clinical and other Trust staff and have the initiative to know when help from a more senior staff member is required.
 
• There is a frequent requirement to concentrate when working to predetermined schedules, whilst having the ability to respond to ad-hoc interruptions and urgent queries throughout the shift.
 
• During out of hour’s periods, action incoming telephone requests for urgent case notes.
 
• Cover other CRL staff duties as and when required.
 
• Be available to work a Bank Holiday on a rota basis.
 
• To assist new members of staff, demonstrating duties, sharing knowledge and experience, with ongoing help and support if required.
 
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade of post in agreement with the department manager.
 
• Maintain the status of a closed Medical Records library by ensuring identification of visitors to the department is checked at all times. 
 
• All staff working evenings/weekends/bank holidays are required to secure all entrances/exits of the building and to set the alarm at the end of their shift, in accordance with the instructions displayed in the lobby area. 
 
• All staff should familiarize themselves with the process to follow to deactivate the alarm at the beginning of their shift and complete this when necessary.
 
• Participate and comment in discussions relating to departmental procedures and policy development supporting service change.  
 
• Frequently liaise with higher disciplines of staff when requesting or searching for case notes, with sufficient influence to ensure their support in locating and sending the relevant documents. 
 
• To be familiar with and adhere to the Health and Safety Policy and other Trust policies and procedures.
 
• To support and enhance the continual quality initiative ensuring a “quality first” approach to all aspects of work.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Person specification

Knowledge & experience

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrable experience of managing own workload and working to strict deadlines
  • Understanding the need for patient confidentiality
Desirable criteria
  • Trust background and proven knowledge of iPM and a range of Health Records/Case note procedures

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Numeracy and literacy qualifications (GCSE or O Level grade D or above, CSE grad 1, key skills level 1) or equivalent
  • NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration or equivalent demonstrable experience

Aptitude & abilities

Essential criteria
  • Able to work within a warehouse environment, climbing ladders and using kik stools, while carrying case notes
  • Manual handling-to safely carry/move/lift case notes, load and unload blue boxes of case notes
  • Accuracy and attention to detail
  • Excellent communication and inter-personal skills
  • Remain calm when working in a busy environment

Disposition/attitude/motivation

Essential criteria
  • Self motivated/able to work on own initiative
  • Enthusiastic and responsive to new demands
  • Willing to learn new skills and welcome change
Disability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer. Being positive about mental health.Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Letitia Brookes
Job title
Central Records Library Operational Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01752 430739
Additional information

Letitia Brookes, telephone 01752 430739, email [email protected]

List jobs with University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust in Administrative Services or all sectors

Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies
  1. Sector
  2. Administrative Services job search
  3. Job list
  4. Job details