Support Manager

Job Overview

The Medicine Division management team at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) is recruiting a Support Manager on a full‑time, 12‑month fixed term. The successful candidate will be assigned to Cluster 2 within the Medicine Division and be responsible for delivering services across Geriatric Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, and Medical Virology.

Key Responsibilities

• Outpatient service management
• Performance management
• Complaint coordination
• Line management of administrative colleagues

Staff Management – Secretarial, Administrative and Clerical

• Manage attendance and absence, including return‑to‑work meetings, sickness absence and occupational health referrals.
• Assist in staff retention, training, appraisal and development.
• Maintain electronic and paper staff files.
• Oversee annual leave processes and ensure adequate administrative cover.
• Recruit for vacant or new posts, including creating or reviewing job descriptions, organising interviews, testing and appointing, and completing necessary paperwork.
• Ensure IT and other systems (e.g. eRS, EDMS, Winscribe) are supported.
• Authorise e‑roster time‑sheets, checking hours and approvals.
• Update or improve administrative processes to enhance working practices.

Outpatients and Performance

• Collaborate with the Central Outpatients Department to optimise clinic booking and utilisation for all specialties.
• Oversee outpatient and elective waiting lists; ensure active pathway management and raise capacity issues when waits are exceeded.
• Authorise and implement changes to clinic templates.
• Monitor Advice & Guidance turnaround times and collaborate with administrators.
• Contribute to demand and capacity modelling for the specialties.
• Provide regular performance reporting, including a weekly report on typing turnaround and outliers.

Complaints Coordination

• Serve as the primary contact for complaints relating to the specialties, coordinating progress against defined timescales.
• Collaborate with managers and clinicians during investigation and response drafting.
• Draft responses to patient complaints in the agreed Trust format and within stipulated timescales.

Other Responsibilities

• Address operational issues together with fellow Support Managers, the Specialty Manager, Assistant General Manager and General Manager.
• Attend monthly consultant/management team meetings, produce agendas and record outcomes in an action log.
• Authorise invoices for the specialties and notify relevant managers.
• Process Freedom of Information requests.
• Participate in service development to improve or streamline current services, ensuring stakeholder input.
• Deputise for the Specialty Manager to maintain services across the Medicine Division.
• Take part in the Divisional SPOC (inpatient flow) daytime rota.
• Collaborate with the Acute Provider Collaborative team on the development of Single Managed Services between NBT and UHBW.

Person Specification – Education, Training and Qualifications

• GCSE Level with a Grade C or above in English and Maths.

Work Experience

• Experience working in the NHS, particularly in an outpatients service.
• Experience working in a multi‑disciplinary, busy team environment.
• Experience managing under pressure and meeting deadlines.
• Experience following fixed protocols and procedures.
• Experience interacting with patients/service users in a customer‑focused setting.
• Experience using spreadsheets to record and track information.
• Experience managing waiting lists and patient pathways (RTT and other national pathways).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Computer literate with proficient keyboard skills.
• Ability to manage conflicting priorities according to service demand.
• Knowledge of the Lorenzo patient administration system, including access plans, building clinics and updating Directory of Services.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; good telephone manner.
• Good organisational and time‑management skills, capable of prioritising and planning daily workload flexibly.
• Attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines.

Desirable Criteria

• Understanding of patient confidentiality, data protection and freedom of information policies as they relate to waiting times.

Personal Qualities

• Positive attitude embodying the NBT Cares Value.

Equal Opportunities

We are an anti‑discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a diverse team that represents a range of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. We especially encourage applications from underrepresented groups, including people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Pre‑Employment Checks

Stringent pre‑employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.

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