Private Patients Customer Service Officer

Posted 4 days 6 hours ago by NHS

£60,000 - £80,000 Annual

Permanent

Full Time

Temporary Jobs

London, United Kingdom

Job Description

Go back Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Private Patients Customer Service Officer The closing date is 17 March 2026

We are currently recruiting for a Private Patients Customer Services Officer within Finance / Financial Operations. You will be responsible to the Deputy Billing and Operations Manager.

Main duties of the job To provide a high quality of customer service for private patients, with particular responsibility for the capturing of charges and creation of accurate invoices. To aid in the production and presentation of statistics for senior management.

To meet and greet and liaise with patients, creating a high standard of image and quality of service from admission through to discharge whilst optimising revenue for the Trust.

To take responsibility for the effective provision of administrative services to the private patient team and to take action to ensure that work is managed appropriately.

To play a major role in the continuous development of the Trust as a member of the Private Patients team and as a potential member of a range of Trust quality/process improvement project groups.

About us Our values

Our values help us to define and develop our culture, what we do and how we do it.

It is important that we all understand and reflect these values in our work. We are:

Ambitious - we innovate and strive for excellence
Inclusive - we respect each other and work collaboratively

Our values and behaviours framework describes what it means for every one of us in the Trust to put our values into action. A summary of our framework can be found on our Trust jobs pages and our intranet.

Job responsibilities Communication

To deal in person and with telephone calls, verbal messages and correspondence as required and to ensure that refined interpersonal communication skills is effective when providing and receiving complex, sensitive or contentious information to high status customers like embassies and health insurance companies
Ability to challenge highly contentious information from private patients, embassies and health insurance companies, where persuasive and negotiating skills are required to ensure that full financial payment is achieved for the Trust
To liaise with insurance companies, embassies and other third parties on status of current inpatients and ensure that funding is always relevant to current inpatient episode
Ensure consultants and their secretaries who use the private patients service receive helpful responses to their requests for information
Ensure telephones are answered promptly in a polite and professional manner and using tact and discretion when dealing with telephone enquiries from customers
Attend daily ward meetings on the adult and paediatric wards, as and when necessary
To liaise closely with Credit Control department in regards to unpaid invoice

Patient/customer care (both direct and indirect)

To act as a first point of contact for private patients, Consultants, third parties and members of the general public seeking information and support from the private patient department and hospital. The post holder must be able to triage the calls appropriately, as well as deal sympathetically with people who may be distressed or angry
Provide an agreed level of general and clinical information relating to tests, investigations and financial enquiries for example procedure costing, payment and invoices. Use judgment to know when to refer to the clinical team
To be familiar with all third party agreements in order to invoice patients correctly
To liaise and build up good relationships with other departments and consultants, ensuring fees are captured in a timely fashion
To work with the Finance Manager and Deputy Finance Manager to streamline and improve the financial service for Private Patients
To liaise and work closely with Credit Control and third parties to ensure invoice queries are explained and invoices are paid efficiently
To ensure that all Private Patients are financially cleared and pre authorised prior to admission
To ensure that all Private Inpatients read, understand and sign an agreement to pay form
Responsible for taking deposits, issuing receipts and keeping records for banking and audit purposes
To admit private patients, adult and paediatric, ensuring they are familiar with relevant Trust policies and procedures, private patient charges and ward routine
To liaise closely with the nursing staff, ward clerks and bed co ordinators on the paediatric wards, to build and maintain good relations and a high level of communication. In addition to this the post holder will also introduce processes in order to ensure the admission of private paediatric patients is managed efficiently and professionally
To be responsible for data collection with regards paediatric bed occupancy, paediatric surgery and cardiology cancellation
To attend daily paediatric bed management planning/meeting
Provide a high quality information service to all private patients, both pre admission and during their stay. e.g. provide information on local hotel facilities, send patient information leaflets, advise on transport arrangements, financial arrangements etc
The post holder has responsibility for checking the accuracy of Trust literature, ensuring it is up to date and of high quality
The post holder will have the ability to work independently using own initiative when dealing with customers enquiries
Assisting with the booking and scheduling of private patients and liaising with the private patient administrator supervisor and the ward staff
To provide an accurate daily bed status of Private Patients, to all relevant users and departments ensuring that all Private Patients are identified
Management of the financial arrangements for self funding patients on admission
To be familiar with the pricing policy for private patients in order to be able to supply correct information to all enquirers and give realistic quotes for treatment
Responsibility for compiling an accurate summary of activity and checking patients treatment to ensure all inpatient costs are captured, on a daily basis
Liaise with insurance companies, embassies and other funders on status of current inpatients and ensure that funding is always relevant to current inpatient episodes
Be familiar with contract clauses ensuring purchasers are informed of current patient status as per contract agreements
Provide a high standard of administrative support to the Private Patients department
Adhere to the private patient policy and procedures, as amended from time to time

Resource management

Post holder is responsible for stock management for the private patient office
To be responsible for ensuring the swift turnaround of work within the team within available resource
To be responsible for their own educational personal development needs
Planning and organising patients admissions which may include readjusting bed management
To assist with the planning and organising staff within own team to cross cover staff
To report any faults in office equipment, equipment and personal computers
To set high standards of punctuality and time keeping and to ensure that these are maintained within the Private Patient department
To provide finance training to new and temporary staff, as and when required

Information management

Register and maintain patient records on the Trusts patient database (currently EPIC).
Be familiar with the Compucare system, and be able to analyse, investigate and resolve complex financial queries and discrepancies
Be expert in generating invoices both for inpatient and outpatient and working in collaboration with Credit Control
Responsible for designing and formatting financial spreadsheets and relevant information databases with Private Patient department.
To keep updated with IT training (i.e. Windows, Outlook, Epic, Compucare 8) including any relevant training courses

Person Specification Qualifications / Education

Degree or equivalent experience
Engaged continuous personal development and training
Good experience/understanding of working in high pressure office environment
Experience of finance support or equivalent transferable experience.
Experience of working in an environment with direct customer contact
Experience of working within a hospital environment with private patient contact
Experience of raising private healthcare invoices

Skills / Knowledge / Ability

Numerate, accurate and methodical.
Proficient IT skills in word/excel/outlook.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a high degree of customer care skills.
Able to work under pressure maintaining a prolonged level of concentration showing effective prioritisation and co ordination of a varied workload under pressure and to deadlines.
Ability to work effectively as part of a team
Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
An ability to show initiative to deal with all situations.
Experience in using Compucare software.