Lung Cancer Support Administrator

To provide administrative and secretarial support to the Lung Cancer Screening team through the tracking of patients, management of incoming referrals, data entry and clinic letter typing.

The post holder who will assist in the tracking and coordination of suspected cancer referrals and appointments. They will ensure that incoming referrals are actioned in accordance with national screening protocols and will assist in the coordination of the patients' care by working closely with Specialty Nurses and Respiratory Physicians.

The Lung Cancer Screening Support Administrator will attend SRM / MDT meetings and work with the local respiratory lung cancer pathway team by ensuring all necessary information is available for Consultant and Radiologist review. Following SRM / MDT, the post holder will ensure there is effective co-operation between departments and divisions involved in the delivery of suspected cancer services.

Data entry and accuracy is critical in complying with the programmes guidelines. The Lung Cancer Screening Support Administrator will demonstrate precise data collection on a daily basis. In tandem, the post holder will also coordinate face to face and telephone appointments for suspected cancer patients in Nurse-led and Consultant-led clinics

Main duties of the job

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.Available as a fixed term contract.

The post holder will be responsible for monitoring and tracking referrals arising from the Lung Cancer Screening programme. They will ensure all relevant referrals are entered into the Lung Cancer Screening and cancer tracking databases.

The Lung Cancer Screening Support Administrator will assist in the coordination of SRM / MDT meetings and note the discussions and outcomes detailed by the clinical team. They will ensure data is collected in 'real time' as patients move through the screening programme and into suspected cancer pathways.

Data will be collected from a variety of sources, e.g. patient case notes and SRM / MDT meetings to ensure all documentation is adequately maintained. The post holder will enter data accurately into digital databases on both local and external systems in accordance with the agreed data definitions in order to ensure local performance is comparable with national benchmarks.

The Lung Cancer Screening Support Administrator will maintain strong communication with teams in the Peninsula while maintaining the confidentiality of patients and staff at all times.

About us

The UHPNT Respiratory Department is the largest in the South-West Peninsula and provides a comprehensive general service for a local population of approximately 450,000. It also provides specialist and tertiary-level respiratory services to the wider Peninsula population with a broad range of expertise in areas including cystic fibrosis, severe/difficult asthma, pulmonary hypertension, complex sleep and ventilation, lung cancer and pleural disease, and complex pulmonary infection. Support is provided to other tertiary services based on the Derriford site including bone marrow and renal transplant programmes, cardiothoracic surgery, and neurosurgery.

Job responsibilities

The Lung Cancer Screening Support Administrator will be responsible for monitoring and tracking referrals arising from the Lung Cancer Screening programme. They will assist in the coordination of care for patients with suspected cancer by ensuring that all relevant referrals are managed in accordance with national protocols. The post holder will have an understanding of cancer pathways following a range of procedures and practices. They will understand the importance of communicating with different departments and divisions involved in the delivery of suspected cancer services.

The post holder will receive and communicate complex information from Specialty Nurses, Respiratory Consultants and Radiologists in attendance at MDT / SRM meetings. They will appropriately coordinate the care plan outlined by the clinical team for suspected cancer patients with the understanding of routine, urgent and suspected cancer urgencies. Capturing and tracking information from referrals, MDT / SRM meetings, appointment letters and clinical systems will be coordinated effectively in the understanding of patient and staff confidentiality.

The Lung Cancer Screening Support Administrator will negotiate appointments with patients for both face-to-face and telephone clinics for their Nurse and Consultant colleagues. They will manage the outcomes of the appointments and ensure further communication with the patient is received in a timely manner. The Support Administrator will consider the availability of the clinic and administrative team when coordinating clinics and will be confident in communicating with patients in regard to the booking or cancelling or changing of appointment times and dates.

The post holder will send and receive referrals in accordance with the relevant urgency and understanding of national guidance. They will communicate effectively with other internal and external teams and departments to ensure national waiting times and targets are met using the Trusts tertiary referral procedure. This includes receiving and sending sensitive information.

The Support Administrator will ensure that data is collected accurately and in real time as patients come through the Lung Cancer Screening pathway. Data will be recorded from receipt of referral, to diagnostic tests and results, clinic appointments and outcomes. They will understand and apply national data definitions and maintain a high level of data entry accuracy to comply with national programme delivery plans. The post holder will be able to collect data from a variety of sources such as MDT / SRM meetings, clinic appointments and letters and patient case notes while ensuring that all documentation is adequately maintained. The Support Administrator will comply with data protection and confidentiality policies while keeping all real time accessible for monthly and weekly deadlines.

The post holder will have the ability to make judgements involving a range of facts when applying applicable waiting time adjustments to patients pathways in accordance with National Waiting Times Guidance. The Support Administrator will be required to interpret and analyse patient data and treatment plan information regarding cancer waiting times, cancer outcomes and services datasets on a daily basis. They will routinely update cancer tracking databases with terminology and outcomes detailed by clinical teams following MDT / SRM meetings and clinic appointments.

The Lung Cancer Screening Support Administrator will be willing to maintain relationships and communication with all staff across the Peninsula, including Specialty Nurses, Clinicians and Lung Cancer Screening Navigators. They will work closely other Trusts and provide administrative cover and support when there are staff absences. The post holder will also work closely with local Specialty Nurses by booking and managing clinics and coordinating letters and correspondence to patients and other clinical teams.

Person Specification Qualifications

• 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade C or above including English Language and Maths
• Educated to NVQ Level 3 or equivalent demonstrable experience
• Demonstrable experience of working in the NHS
• Competent in Microsoft applications including Outlook, Word, Powerpoint and Excel
• Demonstrable experience of working in an office environment

Knowledge and Experience

• Advanced keyboard skills
• Proven knowledge of medical terminology
• Attendance and coordination of MDT meetings
• Proven knowledge of hospital information systems
• Proven knowledge of cancer waiting times data
• Demonstrable experience of data collection
• Ability to identify problems and quickly report / act on them to ensure patients are treated within target
• Ability to analyse problems and identify obvious anomalies / discrepancies
• Proven knowledge of the cancer pathway tracking database
• Proven knowledge of clinical pathways
• Understanding of clinical audit and data methodology
• Proven knowledge of medical records systems and data retrieval

Aptitude and Abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Effective diplomatic interpersonal skills
• Able to communicate with a range of different professional groups (including clinical and non-clinical)
• Effective team player able to work with people at all levels within the trust
• Ability to convey complex information to colleagues
• Self-motivated but also able to motivate others
• Possess effective listening skills
• Negotiation and influencing skills
• Offers appropriate help and advise with sensitivity

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Chest Clinic, University Hospitals Plymouth

Chest Clinic, University Hospitals Plymouth