Data Quality Officer | The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

The postholder is expected to liaise closely with Directorate Managers, information and PAS specialists, directorate teams and a wide range of users of the PAS system. The postholder must be able to communicate with a wide range of staff, explaining data quality issues and their impact on the Trust in terms of information collection and reporting. The postholder will be responsible for the co‑ordination of internal data quality working groups to ensure data quality issues are tackled in a timely and appropriate fashion and levels of data accuracy are managed and monitored effectively.

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• Help develop and enhance understanding of the importance of accurate quality data within the Trust.
  
• Lead on establishing and producing routine and non‑routine data quality reports and summary information which require specialist knowledge of systems and frequent prolonged concentration, to be distributed to directorate management teams and Silverlink PAS end users.
  
• Participate in directorate contract review meetings and follow up on specific data quality issues involving investigating, testing, proposing and implementing solutions to complex information.
  
• Liaise with front line staff to ensure data quality issues are actioned promptly and effectively, progress chasing as required.
  
• Assist in training/educating staff to use Silverlink PAS in order to maintain high quality data standards.
  
• Develop data quality policies, procedures and protocols where necessary and assist in the training of system Silverlink PAS end users.
  
• Work with Directorate Managers, Data Quality Coordinator, directorate information and front line staff to ensure that national and contract data quality targets are effectively managed and monitored.
  
• Support internal data quality meetings by organising the venue, recording and distributing minutes and following up on actions.
  
• Work with the Silverlink PAS team and end users to identify systemic problems with data quality and advise on solutions.
  
• Maintain a data quality catalogue of policies and procedures.
  
• Possess specialist knowledge in the use of NSTS (NHS Strategic Tracing Service) or SCR (Summary Care Records) and, if required, train managers, administrative, clerical and secretarial staff to use NSTS or SCR.
  
• Represent central data quality issues at meetings within the Trust or at an appropriate level with outside organisations.
  
• Work with the Silverlink PAS training team to ensure key data quality issues are incorporated into training sessions.
  
• Work with the Data Quality Coordinator and other directorate/division staff to achieve Information Governance targets related to data quality.
  
• Support the Data Quality Coordinator in ensuring that accurate, complete and timely data pertaining to the Trust’s services is collected and added to the Silverlink PAS database.
  
• Attain a specialist working knowledge of the processes involved in the collection and processing of Silverlink PAS data across the Trust, including keeping up to date with changes in systems’ functionality (e.g. 18 Weeks RTT).
  
• Maintain the strictest confidentiality of all coded and other patient information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
  
• Monitor the accuracy, timelines and completeness of clinicians’ returns, training clinicians and data input colleagues as necessary.
  
• Provide and receive complex and contentious information with system users, clinicians and staff concerned regarding data quality problems and overcome them tactfully and persuasively, using motivational, training, empathic and reassuring skills where necessary to revise clinicians’ data input and coding processes across Sno Med and other coding systems.
  
• Respond to ad hoc enquires concerning data quality as required by the Data Quality Coordinator, Directorate Managers and directorate teams.
  
• Contribute to the overall success/support of the Health Information Service.
  
• Work within agreed Service Level Agreements, receiving training in Silverlink PAS (Connecting for Health Systems) and other functionality as required to deliver a professional/expert service.
  
• Carry out any other duties consistent with the grade of the post, as required by the Data Quality Coordinator.
  
• Cover in the absence of colleagues as required.
  

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands, providing primary, acute and community services. We are proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve. We are building a workforce that can help us fulfil our values, improve the quality of care for patients and solve the healthcare problems of tomorrow. We’re passionate about the value that diversity of thinking and lived experience brings, enabling us to become a learning organisation and leader in delivering compassionate care for our patients.

We are delighted that we have been rated as “Good” by CQC. We have achieved numerous awards; the Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020.

The Trust is a supportive working environment committed to creating flexible working arrangements that suit your needs, and as such will consider all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.