Subject Access Clerk

To support
· Telephone and email liaison with internal and external contacts to the department who are making enquiries, regarding obtaining medical information
· Liaising with all grades of staff internally and externally, other hospitals, patient's/relatives, police, local authority and solicitors
· Have a basic understanding of the General Data Protection Regulation and Access to Health Records Act 1990 in terms of the safe of legal handing of access to records requests
· To have sound knowledge of Trust's Medical Records Department and retrieve medical records and x-rays for access
· Support the verification and processing of requests received and responding back to public enquiries via telephone, email or post
· Undertake data entry of information onto relevant Trust databases, compiling and sending out of letters
· To undertake accurate photocopying/scanning and/or extraction of computerised records where appropriate to support SAR applications
· Support the review of requests prior to sending to the requestor to ensure they meet statutory standards
· Sorting and distributing mail
· To support the department and Trusts digital transformation
· Support colleagues wherever necessary in demonstrating own activities to new or less experienced employees
· Any other duties in the Subject Access team as required, · Telephone and email liaison with internal and external contacts to the department who are making enquiries, regarding obtaining medical information;
· Liaising with all grades of staff internally and externally, other hospitals, patient's/relatives, police, local authority and solicitors;
· Have a basic understanding of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and Access to Health Records Act 1990 in terms of the safe of legal handing of access to records requests;
· To have sound knowledge of Trust's Medical Records Department and retrieve medical records and x-rays for access;
· Support the verification and processing of requests received and responding back to public enquiries via telephone, email or post;
· Undertake data entry of information onto relevant Trust databases and compiling and sending out of letters;
· To undertake accurate photocopying/scanning and/or extraction of computerised records where appropriate to support SAR applications;
· Supporting the retrieval of medical records for requests;
· Support the review of the requests prior to sending to the requestor to ensure they meet statutory standards;
· To carry out postal duties by collecting, sorting and distributing mail on a daily basis to prepare the outgoing post;
· To support the department and Trusts digital transformation;
· Support colleagues wherever necessary in demonstrating own activities to new or less experienced employees;
· Any other duties in the Subject Access team as required., The postholder is expected to converse with patients, solicitors, and a wide range of disciplines of staff providing and/or receiving information concerning records and/or information. The postholder will be expected to demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of the Trust's policies and application of these policies in all dealings with patients, visitors, enquirers, and Trust personnel. The postholder will be expected to signpost to relevant departments/ switchboard should the query be directed to Legal Services incorrectly.
Analytical & Judgement Skills
The postholder is expected to review available source of information and establish if this information will satisfy Subject Access Requests & to also aid with locating notes booked into the Trust. Such research will include interrogation of the Trust's computer systems, however where information is unavailable, out of date or conflicts with available information, the postholder is expected to re-assess and exercise judgement as to alternative sources of information or verification that could be researched. The post holder will be expected to review responses prior to them being sent to applicants to ensure that there is no erroneous information included, such as that related to a third party.
Planning & Organisational Tasks
The postholder is required to organise planned daily workload in order of priority and re-organise planned activities in light of unplanned events, e.g. upon receipt of urgent requests for copies of records e.g., police requests, court order, litigation. The postholder is expected to understand the impact of re-adjusting planned daily tasks upon service standards and also exercise own judgement when planning and prioritising multiple tasks. The postholder is expected to refer to line manager where there is a risk of deadlines not being achieved.
Patient / Client Tasks
The postholder is required to receive and provide clinical information directly to patients and clients in accordance with the GDPR and Trust policies.
Key Messages
· Please let us know if you require an adjustment to our recruitment process.
+ We are a flexible working employer, so please talk to us about any flexible working requirements.
· All correspondence will be sent to the email address you have registered as your TRAC account.
· Selection is based on the Trust's values, and the criteria outlined in the Job Description for the role.
· Secondments will be considered for fixed term positions when both parties agree. Candidates should seek approval from their current line manager before application.
· Appointments are subject to a 6-month probationary period. LED Doctors are subject to a 3-month probationary period.
· Please provide a contact email address for referees. We will not request references until after you have been made a formal job offer.
· You will be required to pay for your DBS disclosure (where the post requires one). This will be done via 3 monthly instalments from your pay. We encourage applicants to join and remain registered with the DBS update service.
· We do not reimburse travel to interview expenses.
· Some posts may have implications on existing NHS Pension Scheme arrangements. For further information please visit the NHS Pensions Agency website: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-pensions
· Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure that their employees have a "right to work" in the UK. If you intend to seek permission to work in the UK via a Skilled Worker visa, please be aware that the UK Government set eligibility requirements e.g. minimum salary requirement and skill levels. Not all NHS roles are eligible for sponsorship. We recommend that you use the information on the Home Office website to check if this role will be eligible.

To have good organisational, and interpersonal skills, to be able to communicate verbally and in writing, numeracy and literacy. To have an eye for detail and to maintain a high level of accuracy, have good telephone skills, be able to work under pressure and to be able to prioritise workload and meet tight deadlines. To have good computer skills in terms of word processing, emails, system use and scanning/photocopying.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a full range of hospital and community services for people across East Cheshire (population 399K) and West Cheshire and Chester (population 357K).
The Trust provides high quality planned and emergency care, cardiac, critical care, child health, maternity services and intermediate care at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford.
The Trust provides over 500 beds and employs over 5,100 members of staff. A comprehensive range of community services is provided across 26 medical centres and schools through our Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership.
We have played, and continue to play, a proactive role in the development of Integrated Care plans across Cheshire & Merseyside and our local Cheshire East and Cheshire West Place-based systems. We believe, and it is the cornerstone of our five-year Trust Strategy, there is the opportunity to progress innovative, responsive and effective care in the best setting for the patient, be it in the hospital or out in the community.
At Mid Cheshire, our mission is to inspire hope and provide unparalleled care for the people and communities of Cheshire, helping them to enjoy life to the fullest.