Patient Care Coordinator / PALs Officer

Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts, the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Medway Community Healthcare. Nursing vacancies are also open to Student Nurses and Newly Qualified Nurses.

Patient Advice and Liaison Officers (PALS Officers) have a high standard of customer care skills and will be required to deal empathically with patients as well as professionally with all members of staff and externally with other health care professionals; consultants, GP’s and the multi-disciplinary team, both from a primary and secondary care setting.

The PALS officers will support and direct people who contact the Patient, Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) to appropriate clinical services. They will aim to resolve matters quickly and signpost people appropriately. They will accurately record general queries, PALS enquiries and compliments and ensure these are sent on to the service or person concerned. If people wish to make a complaint the post holder will note these and ensure they are passed through to staff to follow the formal complaints process.

Please note, this vacancy does not meet the criteria for skilled worker sponsorship and therefore, we are unable to accept applications from candidates that cannot provide documentary evidence of right to work in the United Kingdom.

• Facilitating the delivery of outstanding care by applying customer care principles when providing routine and complex information and guidance to patients, carers, relatives or colleagues, both verbally and in writing. This includes communicating in a professional and compassionate manner, especially when there may be barriers to understanding for example anxious patients, cultural differences, and language or communication difficulties. Responsibilities will include acting as a first point of contact for enquires by telephone, email and face to face, liaising with colleagues in other teams, services and directorates and assessing, resolving and escalating team issues.
• Ensuring the team operates effectively by undertaking comprehensive administrative tasks, such as handling team correspondence, scheduling appointments, clinics and meetings, managing agendas, diary management for the team, task related problem solving, maintaining stock of equipment and supplies and completion of standard forms, surveys and audits.
• Providing assurance of compliance with Information Governance policy and Standard Operating Procedures through maintaining patient records and or colleague records organisational reports in an accurate and efficient manner. Responsibilities will include taking formal minutes, recording clear actions and following these up to check completion, data entry, updating patient files and databases and assisting with collection of statistical information.

Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’ve got a passion for delivering high standards of patient care and excellent services to improve the health of our communities. To do this we need outstanding people who share our values compassionate Aspirational Responsive Excellent

We know a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion leads to better patient care and a happier workforce. We pride ourselves in being diverse and welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences

We ask for information about your protected characteristics on our application forms. This isn’t visible to anyone involved with shortlisting or interviewing you, except when you choose to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme due to disability. Short listers will see two ticks alongside your application to ensure they apply the principles of the scheme to your submission

The data we collect helps us to ensure we are attracting diversity in our applicants, that all our colleagues have equitable access to career opportunities and supports us on our journey to being a Great Place to Work

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want you to be able to work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Talk to us about a flexible working arrangement that won’t involve sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We’ll support you to work flexibly in a way that will suits us both

See where you can go with KCHFT career pathways

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Donna Knibbs Job title: Head of Quality and Compliance Email address: ***email_hidden***