Finance Analyst

Job content

An exciting opportunity has arisen at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust UHP to support the provision of costing and contracting information.

The Trust is a large and complex organisation. We are looking for an enthusiastic Finance Analyst to help support and deliver the information needs of the trust. This role would suit a candidate who is highly motivated, organised and enjoys analysing data.

For an informal discussion please contact Sarah McQuarry, Head of Finance Systems and Costing (sarahmcquarry@nhs.net) or Jenny Waycott, Associate Director of Finance - Contracts and Trustwide (jenny.waycott@nhs.net). Interviews are scheduled for 27thFebruary 2023.

• Supporting the costing team in providing service and procedure costing information.
• Maintaining the Trust’s costing model.
• Supporting the analysis of contract activity data.
• Supporting the analysis and interpretation of costing and benchmarking information.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust is a dynamic and challenging environment, which provides acute healthcare for people in Plymouth, South West Devon and South East Cornwall. We are the largest teaching hospital in the South West and have an active commitment to developing and supporting our staff.

Our services include Emergency and Acute Assessment units, General Medical and Surgical Services, Cancer Care, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Dentistry, Ear Nose and Throat, Neurosciences and Renal services. We offer a full range of general hospital services to around 450,000 people in Plymouth, North and East Cornwall and South and West Devon. These include emergency and major trauma services, maternity services, paediatrics and a full range of diagnostic, medical and surgical sub-specialties.

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. We offer hybrid and flexible working. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.

Knowledge, Training and Experience

To gain and apply knowledge of costing systems in order to maintain and update the Trust’s costing system and assist in the generation of representative National Cost Collection and Service Line Reporting in accordance with nationally and locally set deadlines.

To gain and apply knowledge of financial and activity information systems to ensure data is captured in a usable and efficient format to support the National Cost Collection and Service Line Reporting.

To gain and apply knowledge of NHS payment system guidance to the analysis and interpretation of contract activity data.

To apply knowledge and skills in spreadsheet and database systems to interpret and present the outcome of the costing process and benchmarking ensuring that statistical analyses are reported with clarity and accuracy and the content is concise and relevant.

To understand the Information Governance rules pertaining to handling Personal Confidential Data.

To take responsibility for own continuing professional development and ensure that knowledge and skills are regularly updated to take account of any changes in national guidance.

Analysis and Judgement

To analyse large volumes of data from multiple performance information and finance sources in order to maintain, update and improve the Service Line Reporting, national costing returns and contract monitoring/planning.

To analyse and interpret information from costing and other supporting information systems in order to respond to queries from Service Line Management Teams, Clinical Teams, Finance Business Partners and other Managers.

To interpret and present information to Service Line Management Teams, Clinical Teams, Finance Business Partners and other Managers, in order to explain the comparison of the National Cost Collection data and Service Line Reporting.

To interpret and present information to Service Line Management Teams, Clinical Teams, Finance Business Partners and other Managers, in order to explain the costs and profitability of Service Lines using comparative national data where available.

Planning and Organisation

To assist in the planning of the collection of information from a wide range of sources, including Finance, Performance Information, Clinical and Clinical Support Service Line staff, in order to maintain Service Line Reporting systems and to respond to ad hoc queries within the deadlines set to meet Trust and Service Line objectives.

To assist in the planning of the collection of information from a wide range of sources, including Finance, Performance Information, Clinical and Clinical Support Service staff, in order to maintain and update the Trust’s costing system to meet tight nationally imposed deadlines for National Cost Collection and associated costing returns.

To assist in information required for activity and contract planning.

To negotiate with Performance Information, Service Line Management Teams, Clinical Teams and Finance Business Partners, in order to agree content, format and timescale for the receipt of the above information, using persuasive and negotiating skills, in order to agreed deadlines.

To plan and manage own workload and priorities against rigid external deadlines and often rapidly changing departmental priorities, whilst maintaining the highest quality of information and meeting the needs of Finance Managers, and Service Line Management teams.

To maintain the team issue log ensuring that tasks are assigned to team members appropriately and completed within agreed timescales.

To monitor the team’s progress against plans and highlight issues identified to the rest of the team in order to meet the overall deadlines set.

Ensure all routines and processes are fully documented and regularly reviewed and improved to keep levels of efficiency, accuracy and consistency at a maximum.

To assist in the development and maintenance of processes to automate existing reporting and data collection processes to gain maximum levels of efficiency and minimum potential for human error.

To act on own initiative and to carry out the above duties in accordance with broad professional accounting standards and costing guidelines, without supervision by line manager.

Responsibility for Information Resources

To assist in the maintenance and operation the Trust’s costing model, in accordance with the instructions and guidance issued by the NHS England and Improvement and system technical manuals.

To analyse information entered into the Trust’s IT systems and feedback any data quality issues identified to the relevant Trust department.

To assist in the production of reports for all managerial levels in the organisation on the results of national and ad hoc costing exercises and other aspects of costing information, utilising highly developed spreadsheet, database, report writing and persuasive skills.

To review own processes and where appropriate automate the process to improve productivity and quality.

Technical

To always follow guidance about the best methods in efficiency for processing, delivering and maintaining data/information.

Advanced use of the MS Office suite, in particular expertise in Excel.

Responsibility for Human Resources

To assist in the training of all relevant staff in the use of management information in their respective roles.

Mental Effort

To concentrate for extended periods when inputting and analysing data, checking and reconciling information and making calculations.

To cope with unpredictable work patterns and respond flexibly to queries and requests from Senior Finance and Service Line and clinical Managers.

Physical Skills & Effort

To input and manipulate financial data in computer spreadsheets and databases, where speed and accuracy are essential.

To undertake light physical effort and extended periods of computer use.

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Senior members of immediate team
• Executive Directors
• Director of Operational Finance
• Costing Team
• Finance Department
• Performance Information
• Care Group & Service Line Managers and their lead clinicians
• Operational Teams
• ICB and NHSE/I Performance, Information & Commissioning teams