Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide a first point of contact for visitors to the orthotic services department. This requires the post-holder to have excellent inter-personal and customer service skills in order to over-come communication difficulties which may arise.

To be responsible for responding to patient enquiries, both face-to-face and by telephone, in a sensitive, tactful manner. This includes a requirement to accept ownership of the enquiry until it is resolved or passed to the person responsible for it resolution.

To maintain communication with patients and their carers, in order to arrange planned review appointments and invite recall appointments following broken appointments.

To provide routine information to patients, regarding their appointment and entitlements, using tact to overcome barriers to understanding in order to ensure effective communication.

To receive and process confidential information, in accordance with policy.

Able to apply tact and understanding in communication with patients and staff.

To maintain effective communication with the contracted orthotic supplier(s) in order to resolve issues arising from incorrectly presented invoices.

To communicate financial and statistical data to the Orthotic Services Section Manager, on a monthly basis.

To open & scrutinise incoming referrals in order to identify whether the referral is within the referral protocols for the orthotic service.

To scrutinise incoming referrals in order to determine whether the referral should be passed to a Biomechanics Specialist Podiatrist for their opinion.

To be responsible for monitoring the performance of the orthotic contractor against specific service criteria and communicating this information to the department manager.

To administer the departments waiting list in accordance policy, giving due regard to individual priorities

To arrange patient appointments for initial assessment, fitting, issue and review of patient appliances. This will include a responsibility to identify the required appointment interval from the patient’s case notes and to liaise with the contracted orthotic company to ensure the timely issue of delivered goods.

To manage the appointments diary for the orthotist in order to maintain optimal activity levels and ensure the rapid issue of orthoses.

To arrange ambulance transport, for those patients who require it, using appropriate criteria to assess need.

To arrange the repair or repeat prescription of patient appliances. This requires that the post-holder liaises closely with both the patient and the orthotist to ensure appropriate action is taken in a timely manner.

To be responsible for the filing and retrieval of patient records, in time for clinic attendance

To assists in the preparation of patients prior to consultation, including assisting in the removal and replacement of clothing where necessary.

Be able to manage stock and its distribution.

Will require advanced keyboard skills for typing duties.

To be accountable for the accuracy of confidential patient data entered/edited by the post-holder on the department’s electronic administration system (OPAS).

To ensure that the orthoses ordered for individual patients are available in clinic, ready for issue and clearly labelled, in time for the patient’s appointment.

To act as Chaperone, during consultations between the orthotist and a patient, where requested by either party.

To be responsible for the timely requisition and receipt of items requested by clinicians from non-contracted suppliers, (subject to the approval chain) via the ORACLE system. This will include ordering items requested by the Biomechanics Specialist Podiatrists for use in their clinics.

To be responsible for authorising and receiving orders placed with the contracted orthotic supplier, to a maximum value of £1500 per order.

To be responsible for the receipt & despatch of goods to and from suppliers, ensuring the trace-ability of goods from receipt to disposal. This includes a responsibility to identify the patient for whom the goods were ordered and arrange a suitable appointment for their fitting and subsequent supply.

To be responsible for administering departmental stock control procedures for the stock of appliances which are held in the department for immediate issue to patients.

To track orders for appliances through the procurement and manufacturing system, liaising closely with procurement department, suppliers and finance department to ensure the timely completion of each order.

To be responsible for the maintenance of financial records; in order to provide an audit trail for the receipt, scrutiny, payment authorisation and dispute resolution of invoices presented by orthotic suppliers.

To analyse each order’s administrative history, in order to assess the validity of presented invoices.

To maintain effective communication with the finance dept in order to ensure payment of all correctly presented invoices within 30 days of receipt.

To accept delivery of goods ordered, recording receipt and dispatch of goods, to provide an audit trail and permit the payment of subsequent invoices.

Provide cover for other members of staff in the service during period of absence at other hospital sites in Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB. during periods of staff absence.

To be accountable for the quality of their own administrative work.

May be required to supervise band 2 staff