Interviews will take place week commencing 21 September 2026

About The East Sussex Community MSK Persistent Pain Service

The East Sussex Community MSK Persistent Pain Service provides specialist, community-based support for people aged 16 years and over living with persistent musculoskeletal pain.

The service aims to help people:

• understand persistent pain;

• reduce fear and uncertainty whilst improving confidence, function and quality of life;

• participate in family, social, educational and working life;

• develop skills for managing pain and flare-ups;

• make informed choices about treatment and medication; and

• live in accordance with the goals and values that matter to them.

Job summary

Patient Care Advisors are often the first point of contact for people using the East Sussex Community MSK Persistent Pain Service. They play an important role in helping patients feel listened to, supported and directed to the right part of the service.

This is a predominantly phone-based role, requiring excellent communication skills, empathy, attention to detail and a calm, solutions-focused approach. Patient Care Advisors respond to patient queries, help people understand the next steps in their care, support appointment and referral processes, and resolve issues in a timely and professional way.

Patient Care Advisors work with patient information every day, so accuracy, confidentiality and good data quality are central to the role. They use clinical, referral and administrative systems to record information, manage appointments, support clinic preparation and help ensure patients move through their pathway smoothly.

The role also involves working as part of a wider team, supporting colleagues, clinicians, GP practices, hospital and community teams. Patient Care Advisors contribute to the day-to-day running of the service by being flexible, organised and willing to support changing service needs.

This role sits within the East Sussex Community MSK Persistent Pain Service and is employed by Here.

Main duties and responsibilities

Patient contact and referral support

• Act as a first point of contact for patients, responding to incoming and outgoing telephone calls in a calm, professional and helpful way.

• Support patients to understand the next steps in their care, providing clear information, signposting and non-clinical guidance where appropriate.

• Manage daily referrals from GP practices, patients and other NHS providers, ensuring queries and issues are followed up in a timely way.

• Assess and resolve patient queries relating to referrals, appointments and diagnostic tests, escalating concerns where appropriate.

• Offer choice to patients where appropriate, helping them consider their non-clinical preferences and make informed decisions about provider options.

Appointments, clinics and pathway coordination

• Book, amend and manage patient appointments using relevant clinical and administrative systems, including SystmOne and e-Referral Service.

• Support patients through their care pathway, ensuring appointments, follow-ups and related administration are completed accurately and on time.

• Prepare information for clinics, including ensuring clinicians have the relevant notes and supporting documentation available.

• Action clinic outcomes, including booking follow-up appointments, preparing clinic outcome letters and managing DNAs in line with service processes.

• Arrange appointments for bloods and diagnostic tests (e.g. x-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds), and liaise with diagnostic departments to obtain results.

• Support the proactive scheduling and maintenance of MSK clinics, including first appointments, follow-ups and telephone appointments.

• Support the Operations and Governance Coordinator with clinic capacity planning, helping to ensure available capacity is used effectively and delays are avoided.

Data, systems and information governance

• Record and maintain accurate patient information across clinical, referral, administrative and paper-based systems.

• Ensure information is handled safely and confidentially, following Here processes, protocols and information governance requirements.

• Check the accuracy and quality of data using available reporting tools, correcting or escalating issues where needed.

• Support patient safety by carrying out agreed administrative cross-checks, helping to identify missing, incomplete or inconsistent information and escalating any concerns in line with service processes.

• Maintain good data quality to support safe patient care, service monitoring and effective pathway management.

• Support governance-related administration where required, including Subject Access Requests and other tasks linked to patient records or service processes.

Working with partners and practices

• Liaise professionally with GP practices, hospital teams, community services, diagnostic departments, clinicians and other colleagues involved in patient care.

• Communicate clearly with external providers and internal teams to resolve queries, support referrals and enable the smooth running of the service.

• Support GP practices where appropriate with Here processes, helping to build effective working relationships and clear communication.

Team working and service support

• Plan and prioritise own workload, working independently within agreed processes and seeking advice when needed.

• Work flexibly as part of the wider Patient Care Advisor team, supporting colleagues and responding to changing service needs.

• Contribute to a positive team culture by being willing to learn, share knowledge, support improvements and adapt to change.

• Attend team meetings, briefings, one-to-ones and training sessions as required.

• Support the training of colleagues on core Here and MSK service processes where appropriate.

• Provide site cover and support for community appointment days.

• Postholder will be required to travel across community and clinical sites to provide reception cover as required.

Working arrangements

• Work flexibly across clinical and community locations within East Sussex where required.

• Hybrid working may be available after successful completion of training, subject to agreement with the postholder's line manager and service needs.

• Occasional weekend working may be available, subject to service needs.

Person Specification

E - Essential, D - Desirable

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3, Certificate of Higher Education and/or equivalent experience (E)

Person Qualities

• Proven record of good timekeeping and attendance. (E)

• Able to show an understanding of issues relating to equal opportunities (E)

• Skillful handling of situations with consideration for others (E)

• Able to participate in a flexible working pattern, including late rota shifts, to meet the needs of the service. (E)

Experience & Job-Related Knowledge

• Previous experience in an administrative role (E)

• Able to work with a professional team (E)

• Experience of customer care or similar service industry practices (E)

• Previous experience of using Word, Excel and Outlook (E)

• Able to comply with patient confidentiality and Data Protection requirements (D)

• Experience of patient administration systems and/or appointment booking systems (D)

• Experience of dealing with difficult conversations by telephone (D)

• Knowledge of principles of care e.g. First do no harm, and patient confidentiality (D)

Skills

• Effective communication, both face to face and on the telephone with a range of
  people in various situations. (E)

• Excellent telephone manner, managing calls in a professional way (E)

• Good listening skills, with the ability to remain attentive to relevant information and respond appropriately within a busy working environment (E)

• Thorough approach to recording accurate information and data entry (E)

• Positive and solution focused approach (E)

About Us and Our Culture

Here is a not-for-profit, social enterprise working in the health sector. We do many things, including:

• designing and delivering health care services in partnership with the NHS and third sector organisations

• developing and implementing products that support primary care to thrive What unites our efforts is a recognition of the ‘way’ we do things:

• We are a group of people who believe we can make a difference in the world

• We think business can be a force for good, and that profits should benefit our society

We know that our society is not fair and equitable, and many people cannot thrive in the conditions in which they live. We believe changes in health and care could enable a better future for us all.

Positive about disability

We’re committed to developing the careers of individuals with a disability. We will give full and fair consideration to all applicants. Applicants who confirm a disability that meet the essential criteria and evidence this within their application, will be interviewed.

Positive about diversity

Here value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential. We actively welcome applicants who identify as LGBTQ+, disabled, and people of the *Global Majority.

*People who identify as Black Caribbean, Black African, South Asian, East Asian, Middle Eastern or Latin.