Admin Professionals Day took place on Wednesday 23 April, an opportunity to celebrate and raise the profile of admin professionals across the NHS.

This month we sat down with Gemma Beer, Admin Service Manager in Trauma and Orthopaedics at Exeter Spinal Unit, to find out more about administration teams and their important role in supporting patients and staff.

What does the team do?

We have a large admin team divided up into the following areas:

• Fracture Clinic
• Pain Management
• Orthopaedic Ward Clerks
• Spinal Unit
• Booking Office
• Hands & Wrist, Shoulders & Elbows, Hips, Knees, Foot & Ankle, Orthopaedic Paediatrics
• Hip Research Team
• Knee Revision Team

We cover all administrative aspects of a patient’s journey from arranging the first appointment, to post-surgery follow-up. To achieve this, the team track each patient to ensure everything is ready for the next stage of their journey and that they are seen and treated in the best possible way.

The teams all have significant input to the care of patients, they are often the first port of call for queries from both patients and clinical staff, and are fundamental to the success of the overall department.  

How does the team support patients and staff?

The team are very passionate about the support they offer to both patients and staff.

Our admin teams build strong relationships with their clinical teams, which means they are best placed to support with patient queries.

We have a lot of patients that have been with us for several years, particularly in our pain management team, and our admin teams understand the importance of taking the time to listen to patients and build trust with them.

What does an average day look like for the team?

Every day is different in a trauma service. Due to the nature of the service, our admin teams need to be flexible and adapt to support patients and staff, often re-prioritising their daily tasks.

Some key tasks include:

• Ensuring all our outpatient clinics are booked for the next six weeks
• Making sure all our Theatre lists are fully utilised for the next six weeks
• All our patient communication is reviewed and sent to the patient/GP
• Ensuring all patients referrals are actioned

Why is the team so important?

Our admin teams are extremely important and their support enables the clinical teams to focus on patient care. The admin teams are specialist in their individual roles and as a manager I rely on their knowledge to support new service developments.

Is there anything else you’d like people to know about the team?

We celebrated World Admin Day on Wednesday 23 April, a great opportunity to raise the profile of admin professionals across the NHS. To me, They are often unsung heroes who go above and beyond on a daily basis and the work they undertake to support patients and clinical staff makes a huge difference.