NHS Admin Role - Overwhelmed

[Riddlediddle]

Not really sure why I'm writing this post -probably just to vent and try and get all of my thoughts out before bed so I can hopefully get some sleep. I'm NHS Admin and I'm just completely overwhelmed by the workload. We are literally drowning in work and everyday the backlog is getting worse and worse. Currently we are only 2 Admin staff supporting a team of 28 Clinicians and a client base of over 6000 patients. Wait times are now so long that all day we are dealing with highly abusive phonecalls from (understandably) upset and frustrated patients demanding to be seen. The inbox to our service is receiving over 300 emails per day so there are currently over 1500 unread emails that I have no hope of getting through and by the end of tomorrow that unread number will have gone up even more. I still have dictation from October to sort, five massive piles of letters as high as me to be written to GPs and other healthcare parties that date back to June, I could go on and on about the backlog of work but basically everyday at work is like hell. I'm constantly stressed and anxious and could just cry with the stress I'm under. I have no time for any kind of personal development as I haven't even got time to do the basic job requirements. We constantly tell management who sympathise and say we should have at least 4 more full time admin for a service with our demand but unfortunately we don't have funding for that and never will. I want to leave (and need to leave for my own sanity) but as this is my first NHS admin role I don't want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire - is this just typical of all NHS admin roles? Is leaving the NHS altogether the only way out of this hell? I've since found out the 2 women who worked in this team before us both had long periods of time off with severe stress and anxiety and both ended up leaving so this has been going on for years and there are absolutely no signs of hope that this will ever change for the better.

Well then that's the end of the matter. She needs to deal with it or quit.

I've worked for the Civil Service for 18 years. You can't change national policy/staffing or funding so either accept it or leave. If it's something your line manager/department manager/site manager can change, then by all means have a bash but otherwise please don't squander your own mental health and that of others around you by spending years whingeing about things that those around you have no hope in hell of changing. Just get out.

That sounds awful OP. I am just about to be recruited to do some part time admin for the NHS - I am now very wary - thanks for the warning!!!
As one earlier poster said - in situations like this with a high volume of contact (emails/phones calls) there will be people getting in touch repeatedly causing even more of a backlog. This needs managing with a blanket email being sent to all unanswered emails letting them know there is a large volume of contact at the moment and you are working hard to get back to them as soon as possible and to only reply if their issue hasn't already been dealt with. This should get rid of quite a few who may have already phoned/emailed repeatedly. I hope you manage to find another less stressful job. I certainly wouldn't want to work with arrogant people who think they are above others. Maybe this is not going to be the job for me!

@Riddlediddle that sounds awful. Do your management actually know how many FTE they need to do a days worth of work and then how many FTE to clear the backlog? Sometimes people listen but don't actually hear so maybe giving them something visual would help? Sorry if they do know and just don't have budget/ unable to recruit. I've just worked with teams (not nhs) in my organisation to understand what resourcing level they need to meet demand., helped them justify need for additional headcount in some areas

We have an automated reply on our inbox plus a pre recorded phone message that all callers have to hear when they are queuing but as we are dealing with patients who have very complex mental health needs and are largely in some kind of crisis then they will persist in getting through.no matter what

@Riddlediddle

We have an automated reply on our inbox plus a pre recorded phone message that all callers have to hear when they are queuing but as we are dealing with patients who have very complex mental health needs and are largely in some kind of crisis then they will persist in getting through.no matter what

understood OP - that is sad - the management do sound incompetent/not up to the job For what it's worth there are loads of jobs out there - I just needed 15-20 hrs a week which is why I was recruited for this one (although I now am seeing it more as a poisoned chalice and they are desperate)

Retired medical secretary here. Just as I was leaving we no longer had paper notes (everything computerised) and typing outsourced. Is this not happening now? Letters were sent back once typed for "topping and tailing". Luckily we had a couple of responsible volunteers who did this and stuffed them in the envelopes..

Feel for you op. I worked for years and loved my job but hearing from colleagues its all a bit of a nightmare now. Definitely too many managers who find it difficult to manage.

I am CS - not NHS and we are in a similar state. Our staffing levels at my grade (lowest) have gone down by more than half and we are being given more and more work with less and less staff. I ended up off sick with stress for a month recently, I had to for my own sanity. Nothing changes though. You are no doubt aware that you can currently self certify sickness for 4 weeks, I would do that, sometimes it is only when the whole thing collapses that something is done.

My local hospital is extraordinarily efficient. I was recommended for an urgent procedure recently following a phone consultation - they phoned me about the appointment within a day, and the letters confirming both the appointment and a preliminary covid swab arrived the day after that. Then I had to cancel it due to covid in the house, and they rearranged it for yesterday almost immediately, with the confirmation letters again arriving very quickly. Given that this was all over the Christmas and New Year period, it was particularly impressive.

I know that churning out the letters will have been computerised, but nevertheless it was all very efficient and helped to reduce the stress involved. If one hospital can manage it, I wonder why others can't?

It's not going to change. Put your health first, ironically. Leave ASAP.

From my own experience - this week I was waiting for an interview for an NHS admin role (recruiter had contacted me after finding my cv online) - it turns out that won't be happening now because they only want to employ full time staff - I already have a part time job so can't commit to more than 20-25 hours.

Update - this morning I have had an interview with the local CCG (ICS soon) and have just been offered the position! It is still in Admin and is obviously busy but they were shocked when I gave examples of my current workload and duties and were keen to snap me up. I'm definitely going to accept - feels like this could be a positive move for me and put all the stress of my current job behind me!

@CSJobseeker

I'm back office NHS (although not admin), and I think things have got much worse than they used to be. Teams are routinely underresourced, even the full headcount is known to be insufficient, and managememt seem happy to let staff drown.

And then they have the fucking nerve to send me links to wellness webinars I don't have time to attend, which effectively just pushes the responsibility for my stress and workload on to me. Because if I just took the time to be mindful, the huge backlog and 14hr days wouldn't stress me out!

I tried and tried to cope with it and improve things, but what is needed is change from the top. Too many high paid back office managers doing fuck all (and doing it badly!), while those lower down the food chain struggle.

So I'm leaving - I have a job offer and am just waiting for pre-employment checks to be concluded before I hand in my notice. I cannot wait to be out of there, it has trashed my mental health that much.

I work in admin for the NHS and I agree with everything quoted above. Seems to me they always have money for managers ( who don’t seem to know anything about anyones job, so can’t help you when there’s a problem) but none for the actual staff who do the work.

Hi OP, good news on the job! Just checking they have confirmed you will transfer over into the new organisation, once they become a legal body in July? I only ask as all of my local CCGs have a job freeze on as transfers into roles cannot be guaranteed. Many have already jumped ship.

@lollipopsandrainbows Yes it's a permanent position not fixed term

I'm also an Nhs admin and I'd say your main issue is your lack of support more than anything else.

I can can have mental amounts of work but I have a supportive senior admin manager and a supportive team of nurses. I think this makes all the difference.

As someone else said, you can only do what you can do. When I first started my role I felt like I was drowning. Now I prioritise and whatever is left has to wait.

I don't know which are you're in but where I live in the West Midlands there are tonnes of admin jobs going. I'd consider applying for a different department. Even roles at the same band can vary wildly depending upon n the department you're in.

Good luck

Ah just read your update.
Congratulations 🥳

@Riddlediddle that's great news! You're moving at an exciting whilst somewhat unknown time. You'll be able to put your own stamp on it as it'll be relatively new way of working for everyone.

Congratulations Op - good luck in the new job

Thank you!

Congratulations OP. Good luck in the new job.