Patient Liaison Officer

• Provide support to patients, families and carers in the complaint's procedure, receiving verbal and written complaints from patients, conducting investigations, and providing responses to complainants either verbally, face to face or in writing, depending on the patients preference.
• Contact complainants by telephone to discuss correspondence and agree actions for resolution where appropriate. Acknowledge all complaints in a timely manner.
• Work with relevant people to resolve issues for patients where prompt action may negate the need for a full complaint's response.
• Lead on the investigation of complaints, ensuring investigations are completed appropriately and within a strict timeframe.
• Cross reference between statements, clinical correspondence, medical records, call recordings and other sources of information to ensure accurate and complete responses to patient complaints.
• Compile written responses, ensuring that these address the issues raised in the complaint and ensuring a written response is signed off by the relevant clinical or non-clinical lead.
• Ensure that complaint response letters are of the highest quality and translate complex medical terminology and principles into clear explanations, adapting tone and language as appropriate to the recipient.
• Ensure that complaints responses adhere to best practice guidance in terms of duty of candour, clear decision as to outcome of investigation, all adhering to NHS Guidelines.
• Complete complaints outcomes and summarise details on the complaints log ensuring that these are kept up to date and readily available to summarise for analysis and reporting.
• Analyse complaints data and provide reports and summaries to senior members of the team.
• Present an annual report to the practice team on complaints, highlighting trends and actions taken as a result of complaints.
• Lead on identifying issues that can be improved upon, instigating measurable action plans in direct response to complaints and ensuring that these are fed back to the relevant areas for action.
• Support the implementation of any actions or lessons learned from complaints with the relevant team leader or manager. Log actions taken and their completion.
• Support other actions or activities arising from a complaint as required.
• Identify trends and themes arising from concerns and patient feedback ensuring lessons are learned.
• Support patients with signposting and further information to help them discuss concerns or complaints with other organisations or the patient advocacy service.
• Arrange independent complaints reviews where required, and to be the main point of contact with the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and NHSE.
• Ensure that all patients/relatives can access the complaints procedures by updating patient information leaflets and posters that are displayed in all of practice sites and website.
• Monitor and record all positive feedback from patients, improving staff moral by publicising a selection of complimentary comments via practice communications.
• Complete Significant Event Analyses and lead on the coordination and management of the Significant Event Analysis Multi-disciplinary team meetings, preparing papers and producing minutes.
• Monitor patient DNA reports, issue letters reminding patients of the Practices DNA policy, and follow the policy when patients repeatedly fail to attend appointments.
• Lead the Staffa Health Staff Awards scheme by coordinating the nomination process, collating submissions, reviewing all nominations fairly and objectively and organising the presentation of the awards.
• Act as the lead contact for patients who have moved outside the Practice catchment area, following the relevant policy and issuing correspondence to advise them that they will need to register with a GP practice closer to their new address.
• Undertake other ad hoc duties as requested by the senior management team to support the Practices governance arrangements.

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Good listening skills.
• An empathetic and supportive approach to people.
• Ability to manage situations with sensitivity and deal with challenging situations with patients and families.
• Well-developed word processing/data collection/IT skills.
• Ability to establish data bases.
• Ability to analyse data and information, drawing out points for discussion.
• Time management and ability to prioritise workload.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and present a bright and professional image to patients and staff.
• Ability to work independently and resourcefully.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in recording information.
• Able to establish and maintain effective communication pathways within the organisation and with external stakeholders.
• Self motivation.
• Flexible approach to work.
• Mobile and able to travel between sites.

Desirable

• NVQ in customer service or business administration .
• Training in Microsoft office packages.
• Medical terminology training certificate .
• Evidence of other further training and personal development undertaken.

Essential

• Understanding of Primary Care
• Understanding of equal opportunity and diversity issues.
• Demonstrable knowledge of patient liaison and the NHS complaints procedure.
• Understanding of statutory requirements for general practice .

Desirable

• Willingness to participate in relevant training programmes to develop knowledge and skill in customer care and managing concerns.
• Understanding of medical terminology.
• Awareness of data security requirements.

Essential

• Customer care or work with patients in a healthcare environment.
• Office and administration work.
• Working with computer systems.
• Dealing with complaints from customers / patients.

Desirable

• Work in a Primary Care organisation.
• Complaints management, patient liaison or patient advocacy.
• Working with confidential information.
• Familiar with all functions of the clinical system (SystmOne) and their application.