Job summary
- Main area
- Administration
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 430-SURG25-685A-A
- Employer
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- W72057 LC Ophthalmology Theatres (Dept)
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Salary
- £31,049 - £37,796 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 23/12/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Failsafe Officer
Band 5
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
Job overview
Failsafe Officer
Department: Ophthalmology
Band 5, 37.50 hours per week
In this role, you’ll ensure that every patient receives timely appointments for treatment and investigations, while monitoring and improving failsafe processes across the entire care pathway.
You’ll work closely with operational, clinical, and administrative teams, lead audits, and implement service improvements. Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to analyse data and escalate issues effectively are key.
This is an opportunity to make a real impact on patient care and support the development of efficient, high-quality ophthalmology services.
As a Failsafe Officer, you’ll ensure patient safety and pathway integrity by maintaining accurate tracking systems, monitoring compliance, and escalating risks promptly. You’ll lead quality assurance audits, support clinical teams in implementing improvements, and promote best practice through training and clear communication. The role involves analysing data, identifying trends, and presenting findings to operational and clinical teams. Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work autonomously while collaborating across multidisciplinary teams are essential. Proficiency in IT systems and confident reporting skills will help you succeed in this role.
Interview date: 31st December 2025.
We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role
Main duties of the job
We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute
“- NHS Survey, 2024'' They feel supported in their employers making reasonable adjustments to help them carry out their work, rating an 82.9%
The Ophthalmology Failsafe Officer will work closely with the Operational and Clinical teams to provide a highly effective and efficient service delivery for the Directorate.
The post holder will have an operational role for all administrative functions
with additional responsibilities, working under the direction of the Operational team.
The post holder will have a key role in aiding to deliver the operational plan and supporting the Services developing strategies, on top of ensuring that all patients requiring treatment and further investigations / interventions receives timely appointments, as well as investigating any reasons why patients have not attended and to escalate appropriately.
The post holder will work closely with the Operational and Clinical teams to continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of the services.
Working for our organisation
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a “Good” rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.
As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.
We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.
Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards – a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards – and the recently approved Women and Children’s Centre, set to open by 2030.
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For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Administration
· To be responsible for accurately maintaining the Patient Tracking List (PTL), Request Queues and Long Waiter Spreadsheet databases for new and continuing care patient pathways to ensure that every patient referred has a known position in their pathway.
· To provide appropriate information and escalations where necessary to clinicians and operational teams.
· To report immediately any potential SUI and complete Radar incident form after discussion if appropriate.
Communication
· To promote principles of failsafe and train all staff involved in the patient pathway to ensure understanding of the processes is maintained
· To develop presentation skills to promote failsafe findings and safety across all staff and patient groups.
Information Technology
· To use a number of non-interfacing clinical software systems to track patients within the whole pathway
· To maintain accurate databases – to check for completeness and accuracy of data entered
· To interrogate failsafe and patient data, recognise trends and inform the operational and clinical team in a timely manner.
To present information to the Operational Management team and clinicians were required to demonstrate areas of good practice, areas of concern and any other information that is capture.
· To develop concise and consistent reporting skills.
General
· To work autonomously planning schedule to ensure that failsafe processes and reports are met
· To know limitations and seek support from senior team as required
· To work closely with all stakeholders in the pathway from GP practices, opticians, internal departments, clinicians and administration staff involved in delivery of care.
· Responsible for maintaining stationary stock for operational teams and ordering replacements
· Placing orders and raising Purchase Orders (PO) for purchasing for financial transactions.
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Educated to HNC/Equivalent Diploma/equivalent experience
- ECDL or equivalent
- Minimum of 5 GCSE’s or equivalent experience
- Change management experience
- Ability to develop and deliver action plans to deliver the NHS and or local agendas
- Knowledge of financial processes.
• Previous NHS experience
Essential criteria
- Previous NHS experience
- RTT and CWT knowledge
- Working knowledge of office computer applications
- Proven administration experience at a senior level
- Previous experience of managing a department or group of staff
- Proven track record of engagement and influence to deliver targets
- Thorough understanding of ophthalmology pathways.
Desirable criteria
- Contribution to operational objectives
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to work to deadlines
- Ability to prioritise own workload
- Ability to adapt to fluctuating deadlines and workloads
- Ability to work in a structured methodical manner
- Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative
- Flexible approach
- Leadership and influencing skills
- Undertake light physical effort such as sitting, standing and walking
- Standard keyboard skills
- Strong analytical skills
Personal and people development
Essential criteria
- Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
Communication
Essential criteria
- Ability to communicate effectively with all staff groups
- Ability to influence and engage others effectively
Specific requirements
Essential criteria
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Jonathan Goodman
- Job title
- Head & Neck Operational Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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