UHWM Deputy Patient Services Manager

***PLEASE COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM FULLY***

Main Roles & Responsibilities:

Communication

• Liaise with hospital services on behalf of individual patients, sourcing information in response to their queries.
• Act as an advocate for service users by listening to them, giving support and assistance, responding to their complaint, helping them in crisis situations and providing them with information about hospital services.
• Represent service user’s interests in all interactions with hospital staff and hospital departments and to provide information to relevant services and directorates to improve services for patients.
• Be responsible for the monitoring and management of patient feedback which is used to enhance and improve the quality of services delivered.
• The post holder must maintain close working relationships with members of the Hospital Management Team and Quality and Patient Safety functions within the hospitals.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders (directly, in writing and by phone).
• Maintain confidentiality of complaints, documentation, records, etc.
• Ensure Patient Services Manager is kept informed of any issues.

Planning & Organising Resources

• Examine each complaint and determine if a complaint falls within the scope of the ‘Your Service, Your Say’ Policy and Procedures for the Management of Consumer Feedback to include Comments, Compliments and Complaints in the Health Service Executive (HSE) Standard Operating Procedure or if it requires management under alternative processes.
• Discuss with the Patient Services Manager any potentially serious complaints and escalate to Senior Management Team.
• Investigate and respond to complaints as per the parameters set out in ‘Your Service Your Say’.
• Review patient records and communicate with relevant staff in the investigation of individual complaints.
• Plan, organise and attend family meetings as appropriate and as agreed with Patient Services Manager.
• Provide complainant and relevant staff with a clear concise investigation report of the complaint and a determination on whether the complaint is upheld or not.
• Ensure all formal complaints are entered as soon as possible after being received by the Patient Services Office on the National Complaints Management System, and that the database is kept up to date.
• Using data generated from the CMS, work with the Patient Services Manager to collate complaints data by service, directorate and at hospital level. Formulate reports as required by the Patient Services Manager.
• Monitor the Patient Services Office processes and measure against National KPIs relating to Complaints Management and plan and deliver sustainable QIPs as required.
• Support the Patient Services Manager in the development of reports for Directorates/Committees and Working Groups as appropriate.
• Contribute to QPS departmental reports as required.
• Work with the Patient Services Manager to ensure mandatory training is completed by all team members.

Building and Maintaining Relationships

• The Deputy Patient Services Manager must maintain close working relationships with members of the Hospital Management Team and Quality and Patient Safety functions within the hospitals.
• Work closely with service managers and Clinical teams to ensure the effective management of complaints relating to their service
• If the Patient Services Manager is absent, liaise as necessary with Consumer Affairs Office, National Complaints Governance & Learning Team, IEHG and Office of the Ombudsman in relation to managing, progressing and resolving complaints.
• Communicate effectively with other team members.
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers (directly, in writing and by phone).
• Promote and participate in the Open Disclosure process as appropriate.

Commitment to Providing a Quality Service

• Ensure that the standardised HSE ‘Your Service, Your Say’ procedures for complaint management are being implemented and adhered to in the Patient Services Office and throughout the Hospital
• Ensure that all service managers and staff within UHW are supported to effectively manage complaints at the first point of contact.
• Support the implementation of the HSE ‘Your Service, Your Say’ complaints management process by non-HSE Service Providers (i.e. contracted services e.g. Cleaning and Security services).
• Co-ordinate and facilitate education and training for staff in understanding the “Your Service, Your Say” complaints management process and complaints handling.
• Contribute to the development of Quality Improvement Plans (QIP’s) based on trends identified, where possible.

Standards, policies, procedures & legislation

• Have a working knowledge of the policies as relevant to the role such as, HSE ‘Your Service, Your Say’ .
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards and other standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc. and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards.
• To support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.