Supplementary Campaign

Grade VGroup HIPE Coder

Letterkenny University Hospital

Job Specification and Terms and Conditions

Job Title and Grade / Grade V Group HIPE Coder, Letterkenny University Hospital
Grade Code: 0566
Campaign Reference / HBS06304
Closing Date / Wednesday 18th April 2018 @ 12 noon
Proposed Interview Date (s) / Mid/Late May 2018
Taking up Appointment / A start date will be indicated at job offer stage.
Organisational Area / Saolta University Health Care Group
Location of Post / There is currently one permanent whole time Grade V Group HIPE Coder vacancy available based in Letterkenny University Hospital.
The above vacancy will be filled through this supplementary campaign. A supplementary panel may be created for GV HIPE Coder and GV Group HIPE Coder within Letterkenny University Hospitalfrom which permanent and specified purpose vacancies of full or part-time duration may be filled.
Please note that there is an existing panel in place for GV Group HIPE Coder within Saolta (Campaign reference NRS04883). The existing panel will take precedence over the supplementary panel created through this campaign for any future posts that arise within Letterkenny University Hospital.
Informal Enquiries / Ms Denise Harkin, Finance Manager, Letterkenny University Hospital.
Tel No 074 9123504
Email:
Details of Service / The Government’s health reform programme, ‘Future Health’, aims to improve the population’s health, assist health service staff to improve services to the public, and demonstrate to taxpayers that value for money is being delivered.
The financial challenges facing the health system are immense. Demand is increasing on an annual basis while the amount of funding available to provide services has decreased significantly. Financial Reform is one of the 4 Pillars of Reform within ‘Future Health’ and these reforms are designed to ensure that the financing system is based on incentives aligned to fairness and efficiency, while reducing costs, improving control and also improving quality.
The Activity-Based Funding (ABF) model is being introduced in order to create incentives that encourage treatment at the lowest level of complexity that is safe, timely, efficient, and is delivered as close to home as possible. This shift will be used as an opportunity to achieve quality and safety objectives rather than simply being a means of paying for activity. Ultimately, the ABF system will be designed to integrate payment systems supporting integration between primary, community and hospital care.
The reform actions necessary to enable the Government to deliver ‘whole system’ health reform, as undertaken within the Programme for Government, are laid out in Future Health: A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012 – 2015. The establishment of Hospital Groups is an integral part of this reform, which will see public hospitals reorganised into more efficient and accountable hospital groups that will harness the benefits of increased independence and greater control at local level. The Government’s decision regarding the establishment and operation of the new Hospital Groups is informed by two reports The Establishment of Hospital Groups as a Transition to Independent Hospital Trusts and The Framework for Development – Securing the Future of Smaller Hospitals. These reports fulfil important commitments in Future Health for the reform of the health service.
The alignment of ABF with the national clinical programmes will provide Hospital Groups with the tools to provide effective and efficient services within a clear national framework.
Initially the Hospital Groups will be established on a non-statutory administrative basis with an Interim Group Board appointed by the Minister for Health overseeing the delivery of high quality, safe patient care. In the first year of operation each Hospital Group will develop a strategic plan for future service configuration. These plans will describe the provision of more efficient and effective patient services; how the services will be reorganised to provide optimal care to the respective populations; and the plans to achieve maximum integration and synergy with other Hospital Groups and all other health services, particularly primary and community care services.
Each Group will have a single consolidated management team, with responsibility for performance and outcomes, within a clearly-defined budget and employment ceiling. The management team will have autonomy to reconfigure services across the group, including the deployment and redeployment of all staff, subject to an agreed policy framework and approval process.
In addition each Hospital Group will have a primary academic partner which will ensure the capability of the Group to delivery on healthcare teaching, training and research and innovation agenda in an integrated manner.
The establishment of Hospital Groups and, subsequently, Hospital Trusts, will enable hospitals to provide care in the right way at the right location. This will be done in a manner that ensures a safe, high quality service for all, maximising and capitalising on the strengths of both larger and smaller hospitals, with better outcome for patients. Following an agreed period of time rigorous evaluation of each group will be undertaken to ensure it is fit for purpose to function as a Hospital Trust. Legislation will be put in place to enable Independent Hospital Trusts to be established taking account of any changes to Groups which may emerge from the review process.
Saolta University Health Care Group is one of seven new hospital groups announced by the then Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly TD in May, 2013, as part of a re-organisation of public hospitals into more efficient and accountable hospital groups that will deliver improved outcomes for patient. The Saolta University Health Care Group comprises of 7 hospitals:
  • Letterkenny University Hospital
  • Sligo University Hospital
  • Mayo University Hospital
  • Roscommon University Hospital
  • Portiuncula University Hospital
  • Merlin Park University Hospital Galway
  • University Hospital Galway
The Group has one overall Group Management Team, turnover of €820 million and operates with 1,781 beds and staffing of 8,454 WTE (9,737 headcount) in June 2016.
The objectives of the groups are to:
  • Achieve the highest standard of quality and uniformity in care across the group
  • Deliver cost effective hospital care in a timely and sustainable manner
  • Encourage and support clinical and managerial leaders
  • Ensure high standards of governance, both clinical and corporate and recruit and retain high quality nurses, NCHDs, consultants, allied health professionals and administrators in all our hospitals.
There is an evolving Group governance structure with 4 Clinical Directorates which manage the clinical specialities across each site:
  • Medicine
  • Perioperative
  • Diagnostics
  • Women and Children’s
Each Directorate has a set of key performance indicators to improve quality, drive performance, and ensure efficiency.
The Group provides a range of high quality services for the catchment areas it serves and GUH is a designated supra-regional cancer service provider meeting the needs of all the counties along Western seaboard and towards the midlands from Donegal to North Tipperary.
Saolta University Health Care Group aims to meet its service plan targets. Its priority is to implement the national clinical care programmes across the Group and establish a performance management culture with the development of Key Performance Indicators.
Vision
The formation of the hospitals groups, which will transition to independent hospital trusts, will change how hospitals relate to each other and integrate with the academic sector. Over time, the Group will deliver:
  • Higher quality service
  • More consistent standards of care
  • More consistent access to care
  • Stronger leadership
Greater integration between the healthcare agenda and the teaching, training, research and innovation agenda
Our Academic Partner is the National University of Ireland, Galway and we are developing further international partnerships in the UK and the USA.
Mission Statement / Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is to provide high quality and equitable services for all by delivering care based on excellence in clinical practice, teaching, and research, grounded in kindness, compassion and respect, whilst developing our staff and becoming a model employer.
OUR VISION STATEMENT
Our Vision is to build on excellent foundations already laid, further developing and integrating our Group, fulfilling our role as an exemplar, and becoming the first Trust in Ireland.
OUR GUIDING VALUES
Respect- We aim to be an organisation where privacy, dignity, and individual needs are respected, where staff are valued, supported and involved in decision-making, and where diversity is celebrated, recognising that working in a respectful environment will enable us to achieve more.
Compassion - we will treat patients and family members with dignity, sensitivity and empathy.
Kindness - whilst we develop our organisation as a business, we will remember it is a service, and treat our patients and each other with kindness and humanity.
Quality – we seek continuous quality improvement in all we do, through creativity, innovation, education and research.
Learning - we will nurture and encourage lifelong learning and continuous improvement, attracting, developing and retaining high quality staff, enabling them to fulfil their potential.
Integrity - through our governance arrangements and our value system, we will ensure all of our services are transparent, trustworthy and reliable and delivered to the highest ethical standards, taking responsibility and accountability for our actions.
Teamworking – we will engage and empower our staff, sharing best practice and strengthening relationships with our partners and patients to achieve our Mission.
Communication - we aim to communicate with patients, the public, our staff and stakeholders, empowering them to actively participate in all aspects of the service, encouraging inclusiveness, openness, and accountability.
These Values shape our strategy to create an organisational culture and ethos to deliver high quality and safe services for all we serve and that staff are rightly proud of.
Reporting Relationship / The post holder will report to the Grade VII HIPE Manager at Letterkenny University Hospital with a dotted line reporting responsibility to the Group HIPE Manager for HIPE Audit
Purpose of the Post /
  • To expertly code HIPE discharges in a timely and accurate way.
  • To assist the group in assuring flexible cover for coding across the hospitals.
  • Carry out Audit and Data quality activities as required by the hospital/group to ensure high quality HIPE data.
  • Where necessary mentor and train new coders.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities /
  • The person holding this post is required to support the principle that the care of the patient comes first at all times and will approach their work with the flexibility and enthusiasm necessary to make this principle a reality for every patient to the greatest possible degree
  • Maintain throughout the Group’s awareness of the primacy of the patient in relation to all hospital activities.
  • Performance management systems are part of role and you will be required to participate in the Group’s performance management programme
  • Working with HIPE within the hospital to deliver timely and accurate coded activity information ensuring accuracy, consistency, completeness and compliance with national and international coding standards and in line with specified deadlines.
  • Ensure the integrity and quality of coded data by working with the HIPE Manager(s) and clinicians in the hospital.
  • Carry out regular HIPE audits across the hospital and across the Group (where necessary), feeding results back to HIPE Manager(s) and Group HIPE Manager.
  • Work closely with Group HIPE Manager and HIPE Manager(s) with regard to data quality, training and audit activities to optimise HIPE data for the group.
  • Assist and support the induction, training and support of new coders.
  • Identify training needs for HIPE staff within the group and initiate steps to accomplish same.
  • Liaising with medical records and other hospital staff to ensure a good and timely flow of completed medical records to each HIPE department.
  • Working to ensure compliance for coverage and data quality guidelines.
  • Ensuring that coding queries returned to the Hospital(s) from the Hospital Pricing Office (HPO) are corrected and adequate response provided.
  • Identify opportunities for improvement of chart flow/ system/documentation quality and initial steps to accomplish these.
  • Ensuring that the confidentiality of patient data is maintained at all times.
  • Keep up to date with any new developments on the HIPE system as they arise.
  • Must be willing to participate in on-going training – both self education and at HPO and hospital level.
  • Create, promote and maintain open communications and healthy working relationships.
  • Have a working Knowledge of the health information and quality Authority (HIQA) standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, national Standards for the prevention and control of healthcare Associated infections, Hygiene Standards etc and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.
  • To support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.
  • Any other duties with regard to the office as may be assigned from time to time.
Communications
  • To understand and be able to explain the importance of HIPE data and its impact on ABF.
  • To be able to consult in a clear way with Group and hospital personnel, including clinicians, on matters regarding HIPE.
KPI’s
  • The identification and development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which are congruent with the Hospital’s service plan targets.
  • The development of Action Plans to address KPI targets.
  • Driving and promoting a Performance Management culture.
  • In conjunction with line manager assist in the development of a Performance Management system for your profession.
  • The management and delivery of KPIs as a routine and core business objective.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING GENERAL CONDITIONS:
  • Employees must attend fire lectures periodically and must observe fire orders.
  • All accidents within the Department must be reported immediately.
  • Infection Control Policies must be adhered to.
  • In line with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 all staff must comply with all safety regulations and audits.
  • In line with the Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Act 2004, smoking within the Hospital Buildings is not permitted.
  • Hospital uniform code must be adhered to.
  • Provide information that meets the need of Senior Management.
  • To support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.
Risk Management, Infection Control, Hygiene Services and Health & Safety
  • The management of Risk, Infection Control, Hygiene Services and Health & Safety is the responsibility of everyone and will be achieved within a progressive, honest and open environment.
  • The post holder must be familiar with the necessary education, training and support to enable them to meet this responsibility.
  • The post holder has a duty to familiarise themselves with the relevant Organisational Policies, Procedures & Standards and attend training as appropriate in the following areas:
  • Continuous Quality Improvement Initiatives
  • Document Control Information Management Systems
  • Risk Management Strategy and Policies
  • Hygiene Related Policies, Procedures and Standards
  • Decontamination Code of Practice
  • Infection Control Policies
  • Safety Statement, Health & Safety Policies and Fire Procedure
  • Data Protection and confidentiality Policies
  • The post holder is responsible for ensuring that they become familiar with the requirements stated within the Risk Management Strategy and that they comply with the Group’s Risk Management Incident/Near miss reporting Policies and Procedures.
  • The post holder is responsible for ensuring that they comply with hygiene services requirements in your area of responsibility. Hygiene Services incorporates environment and facilities, hand hygiene, catering, cleaning, the management of laundry, waste, sharps and equipment.
  • The post holder must foster and support a quality improvement culture through-out your area of responsibility in relation to hygiene services.
  • It is the post holders’ specific responsibility for Quality & Risk Management, Hygiene Services and Health & Safety this will be clarified to you in the induction process and by your line manager.
  • The post holder must take reasonable care for his or her own actions and the effect that these may have upon the safety of others.
  • The post holder must cooperate with management, attend Health & Safety related training and not undertake any task for which they have not been authorised and adequately trained.
  • The post holder is required to bring to the attention of a responsible person any perceived shortcoming in our safety arrangements or any defects in work equipment.
  • It is the post holder’s responsibility to be aware of and comply with the HSE Health Care Records Management/Integrated Discharge Planning (HCRM / IDP) Code of Practice.
The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.
Eligibility Criteria
Qualifications and/ or experience / Due to the specialist nature of this post an external campaign has been approved by FORSA
Candidates must have at the latest date of application:
  • Experience of clinical coding including working in a hospital setting with practical coding experience e.g. extraction of appropriate information from charts and application of clinical codes from a recognised clinical coding scheme e.g. ICD-10 AM/ACHI/ACS.
  • Evidence of attending on-going clinical coding training courses up to specialist level e.g. certification or confirmation of attendance at coding courses required.[1]
Health