A visit to a large public hospital is often accompanied by questions and orientation difficulties. Which department should one visit? How can one make or modify an appointment? Which department should be contacted for the necessary documents? This is your need answered by the Field Officers, the 1566 specialists who offer on-site support and guidance inside hospitals. These are officers who are on the premises of health facilities on a daily basis, providing immediate information, guidance and practical assistance to facilitate the citizen experience.
The Field Officers are an extension of 1566’s multichannel service within hospitals. As part of the services provided by 1566, they enhance more direct and easier access to the NHS for all, essentially acting as a point of guidance within the hospital environment. They can be found at reception points or in key areas of hospital units, where their role is to provide information, guidance and support to anyone who needs it. Through this function, they make it easier for people to move around in a more organised way, to locate the appropriate departments and to understand the basic administrative procedures that concern them.
Their daily activities include greeting citizens, providing general information about hospital operations and services, and directing patients and escorts to the appropriate medical or administrative offices.
In addition, they provide information and support of an informative nature on issues related to referrals, appointments and documents, helping citizens to understand the steps involved and where to go, without being involved in the execution of administrative acts or the management of procedures.
Their presence also greatly helps the day-to-day operations of the hospitals themselves. By answering many of the frequently asked questions of citizens, they reduce the number of service points and facilitate communication between patients and services. In this way, medical and administrative staff can concentrate more on their work.
Today, Field Officers are located in dozens of public hospitals (40) across the country, in major hospitals in Athens, as well as in university and specialized units in the region. Their presence is another step towards improving the daily service of citizens in the public health system.
The implementation of this action is financed by the resources of the Recovery and Resilience Fund “Greece 2.0”
