Overseas Visitors Officer

The Oxford University Hospital Overseas Team is in charge of identifying and charging overseas visitors who do not qualify for free NHS care under Department of Health regulations.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Overseas Patient Officer to join team that provides comprehensive, effective, and confidential support to the OVS team.
To oversee all correspondence, processing, and income capture for OVS patient casework, as well as ensuring accurate data recording to ensure the correct charging of all overseas patient activity in this varied and interesting role.
The ideal candidate will have excellent keyboarding skills as well as working knowledge of Microsoft applications - Word, Excel, and Outlook. Be able demonstrate a methodical approach to work and excellent attention to detail in busy working environment. You will be able to communicate effectively in situations where there are significant barriers to understanding.
The successful candidates will be expected to work on a rotational basis at the four other major hospital sites and work closely with our patients, their relatives, and advocates to establish eligibility to free NHS treatment, charging for care where appropriate and maximising cash recovery. Provide advice to all staff, you will work collaboratively with both clinical and frontline colleagues across the Trust to raise awareness of the Trust's legal obligations, assisting with training and guidance regarding OVS's policy., Implement NHS Charging Regulations which cover management of overseas visitors treated at OUH relating to overseas visitors' care with current and new legislation.
Provide patients/staff with knowledge/guidance regarding overseas visitors' regulations.
Ensure all overseas visitors attending the Trust are identified, as well as identifying who are not eligible for free NHS treatment.
Provide direct contact with patients and families while visiting patients in Trust clinics and wards.
Be attentive and sympathetic, as well as capable of investigating and resolving complex issues for patients. Be able to communicate complex and highly sensitive information to patients and families across all Sites
Demonstrate a high degree of personal initiative and to work with minimal supervision and direction, within a team-based environment and show flexibility to perform ad hoc duties.
Interview patients and deployed to the other hospital sites as needed. You will be required to communicate complex and highly sensitive information to patients and families.
Be accountable for accurately recording, costing, and billing all overseas patient activity. This includes producing invoices on time for all overseas visitors' patients and being aware of various charging tariffs to maximise the Trust's income from overseas patients. Implement a robust credit control process, actively seek payments, and follow up on outstanding debts to facilitate credit control collection recovery from overseas patients, To implement the NHS Charging Regulations which cover the management of overseas visitors treated at this Trust as well as procedures relating to overseas visitors' income. You will ensure developments are in line with current and new legislation.
+ To provide patients and staff with knowledge and guidance regarding overseas visitors' regulations.
+ The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that all overseas visitors attending the hospital are identified, as well as identifying overseas visitors who are not eligible for free NHS treatment.
+ The post holder will be accountable for accurately recording, costing, and billing all overseas patient activity. This includes producing invoices on time for all overseas visitors' patients and being aware of various charging tariffs to maximise the Trust's income from overseas patients.
+ The post holder will implement a robust credit control process, actively seek payments, and follow up on outstanding debts in order to facilitate credit control collection recovery from overseas patients.
+ To be responsible for maintaining records for timely submission of overseas patient activity to the DWP Overseas Patient Portal for reciprocal agreement patients and Overseas EU patients with EHIC, PRC & Form S2.
+ The role will require a high degree of empathy in dealing with sensitive issues, particularly explaining why funding for non-emergency procedures is not available.
+ The post holder will be expected to interview patients and deployed to the other hospital sites as needed. You will be required to communicate complex and highly sensitive information to patients and families where English is not their first language and use interpreters where necessary.
+ To liaise with outside agencies, such as Border Control, Third Party Debt Collection agencies and other NHS trusts as appropriate, including completing overseas patients form and collecting data.
+ Participate in training staff members throughout the Trust in Awareness training. Ensure that awareness training is available to all departments and review training and record attendance as required.
+ The post holder will have direct contact with patients and their families while visiting patients in outpatient clinics and wards. He or she must be attentive and sympathetic, as well as capable of investigating and resolving complex issues involving the patients.
+ The post holder is expected to demonstrate a high degree of personal initiative and to work with minimal supervision and direction, but within a team-based environment.
+ To demonstrate the ability to prioritise and the flexibility to perform ad hoc duties as needed to ensure the efficient operation of the Overseas Visitors department.
TEAM SUPPORT
+ Planning and delivering awareness training on overseas visitor patient issues to all levels of staff, from consultants and other medical staff to nurses and frontline administrative staff.
+ To train administrative frontline staff in conducting the first stage of the interview process, which aids in identifying any patients who require in-depth interviews by Overseas Visitors Officers.
+ Ongoing production of leaflets for staff and patients to provide information on overseas patients, ensuring that information is regularly distributed around the Trust.
+ To support the Overseas Visitors Manager and team in delivering the overseas visitor regulations and processes through effective data input and monitoring spreadsheets.
COMMUNICATION AND KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
+ Possess excellent communication skills, in order to liaise and work effectively with others. Ensuring there is a clear, timely and accurate exchange of information within the boundaries of confidentiality.
+ Communicate clearly and concisely in both written and verbal forms while maintaining the ethical, professional, and legal aspects of documentation.
+ To ensure that the details of all new referrals for eligibility checks and identified overseas visitors are correctly recorded.
+ To ensure that all potential overseas patients receive a letter by post or email and/or phone call establishing their eligibility for free NHS care prior to attending the hospital.
+ Responsible for giving appropriate advice to staff and patients concerning the interpretation and implementation of the Overseas Visitors Regulation and Trust Policy as well as best practice.
+ Liaise with administrative staff ranging from the clerical staff, and secretaries to Service Delivery Managers and Directorate Management so that the relevant department are kept informed regarding overseas patients.
+ To visit and form a good working relationship with each ward in the Trust, on a regular basis, to ensure that all documentation is up to date, and that staff are aware of the importance of identifying overseas visitors.
+ Support in the implementation of projects, with minimal supervision to agreed goals and agreed timescales.
+ Implements departmental policies within own work area, proposes changes to working practice as a result of new guidelines or legislation e.g. ensures Data Protection legislation is adhered to.
+ Work in conjunction with key internal contacts including but not limited to - Administration staff, Managers, Ward clerks, Consultants and clinical teams, Secretaries, PALS officers and the Trust counter fraud specialist.
+ Work in conjunction with key external contacts including but not limited to - Patients, Insurance companies both at home and abroad, Patient's relatives, other NHS trust hospitals, the NHS England, and the Home Office.

+ Knowledge and understanding of the complexity DH Overseas Visitors guidance and to implement the Trust policy and procedure for overseas visitors' patients.
+ Experience in handling cheques, card payments, invoices and depositions to cashiers.
+ Knowledge in maximising overseas visitor revenue for the Trust while adhering to the Overseas Visitors Charging Regulations.
+ Due to some of the information dealt with being often complex and sensitive, advice may be contentious, so good communication and negotiating skills are essential.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. For more information on OUH please view OUH At a Glance by OUHospitals - Issuu
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