Job vacancy: Outpatient Receptionist Scheduler, Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Milton Keynes

Job summary

Main area: Outpatients
Grade: Band 3
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 430-CORP25-287A

Employer: Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Outpatient Receptionists (Dept)
Town: Milton Keynes
Salary: £24,937 - £26,598 Per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 31/12/2025 23:59

Outpatient Receptionist Scheduler

Band 3

At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.

MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).

Our benefits

We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:

Free on-site parking including EV charging
Complimentary refreshments
Flexible working arrangements
Discounted gym membership
Salary sacrifice car scheme
Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
On-site nursery (charges apply)
A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main duties and responsibilities

· Scheduling of outpatient appointments in accordance with National and locally defined policies and standards to manage patient pathways, with reference to MKUH’s Patient Access Policy.

· Working in a call centre environment to respond to patient, GP, and other queries, ensuring that general data protection rules are adhered to, and excellent customer service provided.

· Monitoring patient waiting lists to ensure patients are secured an outpatient appointment within designated appropriate timeframes. Escalating issues appropriately to senior managers.

· Provision of Reception cover for Outpatient areas and MKUH Main Reception to receive patients, ensuring Trust systems are updated accordingly and providing excellent customer service.

Central Booking Office

· Ensure patients are scheduled according to national and locally defined policy, inclusive of Referral to Treatment and the Patient Access Policy.

· Respond to patient and other telephone calls, within designated set parameters. Ensuring calls are managed professionally and patients are kept fully informed.

· Communicate with patients in relation clinic cancellations etc as required.

· Work collaboratively with other administrative staff and operational teams to provide an efficient and effective scheduling service.

Reception

· Greet patients and other visitors professionally.

· Check-patients in and out on the eCare in a timely manner, ensuring any additional support in terms of Interpreters etc are in place for their appointment.

· Action clinic outcome forms in a timely manner and undertake a cashing-up process each day for a designated reception area.

· Liaise with Clinicians and Nursing staff throughout the clinic session to ensure that clinic outcome forms for every patient are received and actioned, updating their Referral to Treatment status and arranging follow-up appointments as required.

· Ensure reception areas are kept clean and tidy to provide a welcoming environment to patients and other visitors.

Please refer to the job description for further details.

Person specification

Qualifications & knowledge

Essential criteria

Good general education including English at GCSE (Grade C or above) or equivalent
Good standard of spoken English
Strong IT skills in relation to Microsoft packages including word/excel and Microsoft to NVQ level 3 or RSA III or equivalent experience
Working in a busy environment dealing with peaks of high workload
Understanding of confidentiality in the workplace

Desirable criteria

ECDL qualification or equivalent
Knowledge of Waiting list procedures
Knowledge and understanding of medical terminology
Knowledge of NHS Administration systems
Knowledge of Data protection Act 1998
Working knowledge of the local Patient Access Policy
Understanding of NHS plan and waiting targets

Experience

Essential criteria

Customer care work experience or previous clerical experience
Ability to accurately and efficiently input and retrieve information on a computerised system whilst adhering to complex local and national policies and guidelines
Experience of handling inbound and outbound telephone calls of a potentially sensitive nature whilst recording information accurately into multiple electronic data systems
Clerical experience in a healthcare environment

Desirable criteria

Experience of transcribing dictation or copy typing

Skills

Essential criteria

Excellent word processing skills / computer skills
Evidence of working under pressure to tight deadlines and dealing with difficult situations e.g. patients, public and visitors.
Good administrative skills
Strong organisational skills with ability to prioritise
Good attention to detail
Ability to make decisions using own initiative

Personal & people development

Essential criteria

Willingness to undertake training sessions to develop self and improve service provided to patients

Communication

Essential criteria

Effective verbal and written communication skills
Good telephone manner
Good all round communication skills
Good customer service skills

Specific requirements

Essential criteria

Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
Computer literacy

We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.