Deputy Outpatients Manager
Job Description
Job summary
Are you an experienced operational leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about delivering outstanding patient care? We are looking for a proactive and highly organised Deputy Outpatients Manager (Operations) to play a key role in the leadership and development of our growing outpatient services.
Working closely with the Outpatients Service Manager and Deputy Outpatients Manager (Services), you will provide day-to-day operational leadership across multiple teams and patient pathways, helping to ensure services are safe, efficient and patient-focused. You will support service improvement projects, manage operational challenges, lead and develop staff, and use data and insight to drive performance and continuous improvement.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys problem solving, building strong relationships and making a tangible difference to both patient experience and service delivery. You will have the opportunity to contribute to service transformation initiatives, support the development of new pathways and services, and help shape the future of our outpatient provision.
In return, you will join a supportive and forward-thinking organisation committed to high-quality patient care, innovation and continuous improvement. If you are a motivated leader with strong organisational skills, excellent attention to detail and a passion for improving healthcare services, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
As Deputy Outpatients Manager (Operations), you will play a key role in the day-to-day leadership of our outpatient services, supporting the delivery of safe, efficient and patient-centred care. You will work closely with the Outpatients Service Manager and wider leadership team to oversee multiple operational teams, manage patient pathways, resolve operational challenges and drive continuous improvement across services.
You will act as the primary escalation point for day-to-day concerns raised by patients, staff, clinicians and external partners, requiring excellent problem-solving, communication, relationship-building and people management skills. The role offers a varied workload including staff management, performance monitoring, incident and complaint management, governance activities, service development projects and the implementation of new ways of working.
Our clinics operate Monday to Saturday, and the post holder will participate in a rotational management cover arrangement on Saturdays, 1 in 3.
We screen and shortlist suitable candidates as applications are received. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early and without notice if we fill the position. Therefore, we encourage early applications to avoid disappointment.
About us
Dorking Healthcare (DHC) is a CQC-rated Good healthcare provider delivering a wide range of NHS services across Surrey and Sussex. We are passionate about improving access to care, reducing waiting times and providing excellent patient experiences. Our outpatient services continue to grow and evolve, creating opportunities for innovation, service improvement and professional development.
We embrace new ideas and give our teams the opportunity to make a real difference. You will be joining a friendly and collaborative management team that works closely together to support each other, solve problems and continually improve the services we provide.
We value individuals who take ownership, seek solutions and are motivated by making a positive difference for patients and colleagues.
In return, we offer:
- Competitive salary
- Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service
- Access to an Employee Assistance Programme
- Ongoing training, development and career progression opportunities
- Opportunities to lead and contribute to service development and transformation projects
- Free onsite parking at some locations (subject to availability)
- Annual staff satisfaction surveys and active employee engagement initiatives
DHC is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to equal opportunities for all.
Job responsibilities
WORKING PATTERN : Full Time
JOB LOCATION : Dorking Hospital & other DHC locations as required.
JOB SUMMARY
The Deputy Outpatients Manager (Operations) will work closely with the Deputy Outpatients Manager (Services) and the Outpatients Service Manager to support the safe, effective and efficient delivery of outpatient services. They will provide day-to-day operational leadership, acting as the escalation point for operational issues and ensuring that patient experience remains at the heart of service delivery and decision-making.
The post holder will provide operational leadership across outpatient services, supporting the delivery of high-quality patient pathways whilst contributing to service development, transformation initiatives, governance, workforce management and continuous quality improvement. They will work collaboratively with internal teams, clinicians and external partners to drive performance, improve processes and ensure organisational objectives, contractual requirements and patient expectations are met.
The role will support the Outpatients Service Manager in overseeing the teams within Outpatients, including Referrals In, Reception, Pathways, Medical Secretaries and Referrals Out. Responsibilities will include line management, service improvement, developing effective relationships with third-party providers, supporting new service developments, and reviewing, developing and implementing standard operating procedures.
The successful candidate will have excellent attention to detail, strong organisational and problem-solving skills, and the ability to prioritise a varied workload whilst exercising initiative and sound judgement. They will maintain a high level of professionalism, confidentiality and diplomacy, and demonstrate a commitment to delivering outstanding patient care and operational excellence.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST
General
o To be responsible for day-to-day management of operational issues, making independent decisions.
o Oversee the management of patient pathways from referrals received to patient discharge including elements undertaken by sub-contractors.
o To be responsible for the day-to-day management of teams to meet objectives set by the board, local and national targets, KPIs and SLAs.
o Prioritise and organise own workload; making decisions and initiating action where necessary, ensuring timeframes are met through shared knowledge and cover.
o Attending and conducting operational meetings, review groups for incidents, complaints and governance.
o Support service development projects from planning through to implementation, engaging stakeholders and contributing to business cases, operational readiness and service mobilisation.
o Strive for continuous improvement, making use of developing technology to drive efficiency and autonomy.
o Analyse operational and performance data to identify trends, risks and opportunities, providing recommendations and reports to support decision making.
o Support effective utilisation of resources and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and value for money.
o Promote equality, diversity and inclusion and actively contribute to creating a respectful and inclusive working environment.
o Any other reasonable duties as commensurate with the nature of this role.
Patient and public engagement
o To be the first point of contact for complaints and concerns, working with the relevant team leader to promptly address patient issues.
o Build effective working relationships with colleagues, clinicians and third parties.
o Setting up regular quality and performance reviews with third party health care providers such a trust hospitals and independent hospitals. To support establishing new referral pathways, sharing wait list management trackers and the exchange of mutually beneficial information and addressing issues.
o Conducting and supporting patient surveys, audits, inspections and reviewing patient feedback, creating action plans for any areas where improvements are identified.
Governance
o Responsible for responding to complaints within the set timeframes and guidelines.
o Investigating incidents, establishing root cause and putting corrective and preventative measures in place to prevent a reoccurrence
o Writing up new procedures and checking existing processes are fit for purpose and updating them where necessary.
o Maintaining accurate record keeping.
o Ensuring staff compliance with mandatory training.
o Support the delivery of clinical governance and quality improvement programmes, ensuring lessons learned from incidents, complaints, audits and patient feedback are ...
