Job summary
We are excited to be advertising for an Assistant Service Manager role within the Cardiac Surgery Department. The post will be 37.5 hours a week based at the St Thomas' hospital site and offices nearby.
Cardiac Surgery provides adult cardiac surgery to around 1200 patients per year from London and the South East of varying casemix and complexity, with the exception of transplantation. There are eleven cardiac surgeons who operate and the department is recognised for surgical specialist training. The role is based at St Thomas Hospital, where the service is administered and where the consultants, nurses and wards are based.
Main duties of the job
The successful applicant will play a pivotal role in the operational leadership of our Cardiac Surgery Service. With line management responsibility for a team of A&C staff they will work closely with the clinical teams to ensure the delivery of key national targets in relation to the efficient delivery of high quality services. As well as having overall responsibility for the Cardiac Surgery MDT's. They will also be given the opportunity to take the lead on specific initiatives to modernise and transform services. We are looking for an individual with excellent organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to work autonomously.
About us
Guy's and St Thomas' is among the UK's busiest and most successful NHS Foundation Trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield, including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory, and cardiovascular services.
Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England, including cardiac, renal, and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally, where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing, and support for families of children with long-term conditions.
In February 2021, the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals joined Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities listed below are representative of the Assistant Service Manager role and its purpose within the service; they are not exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake additional or alternative administrative or managerial duties and responsibilities commensurate with the level of the post, to support the smooth running of the service.
Operational Management
- Support the Service Manager in managing various sections of service, e.g., out-patients or bookings. This will require working autonomously to understand and drive operating targets, budget controls, and relevant HR management.
- Ensure effective processes and procedures are in place to monitor and track performance against agreed targets within the service that may be performance related.
- Problem-solve all day-to-day management issues organising and reallocating work where situations change due to variations to the work load and staffing availability.
- Exercise delegated authority on behalf of the consultants and clinical leads to resolve day-to-day management issues within the service.
- Manage the analysis of data so consultants and registrars have access to timely and accurate information on all key performance indicators.
- Plan and organise the medical secretary service within the department, setting the goals of the secretarial service in order to fit in with the demands of the consultants timetables.
Policy Development and System Management
- Develop and write policies and procedures within own work area.
- Manage the implementation and overall management of office systems, control processes and risk management arrangements to ensure effective delivery of service.
- Responsible for the design and implementation of audits in collaboration with Heads of Service.
- To investigate complaints, as delegated by the Service Delivery Manager, in line with Trust Policy. This may involve handling sensitive interpersonal situation.
- To contribute to the modernisation of patient services delivered by the medical secretaries service
- Sit on departmental working groups to contribute to future strategies and development
Financial Management
- Authorised signatory.
- Manage and monitor performance of the medical secretarial support to ensure that the service meets its financial and operating targets.
- Manage a delegated no-pay budget within the service ensuring that expenditure is within agreed limits and that the Clinical Lead/consultants remains informed of related issues. This would include signatory responsibility for requisition and authorising signature for ordering, up to the amount of £500.
Staff Management
- Day-to-day managerial responsibility for all administration and secretarial staff within the medical secretarial service and others where agreed.
- Set objectives and review performance of service staff, identifying individual training and development needs and promote continued personal and professional development.
- Manage annual leave, sickness, disciplinary and performance issues in line with Trust policies and the effective delivery of service.
- Ensure all staff comply with relevant Trust policies and standing financial instructions.
- Recruit and induct A&C staff in line with Trust policies and procedures.
- Anticipate staff shortages and problem areas and take action to minimise the impact of these on service delivery.
- Support conflict resolution from patients, staff, suppliers, other internal and external service providers and partner organisations in the service.
- Ensure that all staff adhere to the appropriate legislation when dealing with patient material and that suitable filing & booking systems are effectively managed.
- Support the monitoring of compliance with internal and external governance and best practice requirements with the medical secretarial services.
PA/ Secretarial Responsibilities
- Monitor clinical secretarial correspondence to set and maintain appropriate quality standards.
- Arrange, plan and take comprehensive and accurate minutes at meetings.
- Support consultants by preparing PowerPoint presentations and preparation of research articles.
- Produce high quality medical secretary support of consultants and clinical teams when required.
- When appropriate, type clinical letters which may include those of a distressing or emotional nature as well or other relevant correspondence and documents required.
Communication
- Effectively communicate with a multi-disciplinary group of people, demonstrating interpersonal skills when dealing with all levels of staff across the Trust, using persuasion, tact and reassurance where necessary.
- Liaise with other departments and members of the Trust to ensure the smooth running of the office and to assisting the functioning of the team.
- Influence, motivate and involve individuals and teams within the service to achieve necessary performance targets.
- Deal with telephone calls related to the service, ensuring that customers are communicated with in a sensitive and effective manner and problems are dealt with promptly and efficiently.
- Handle confidential patient information and material in a sensitive and discrete fashion, in compliance with Trust policy and procedure.
MDT Management
- The postholder will have responsibility for providing efficient, high quality secretarial support to consultants and clinical teams involved in the MDT meetings.
- This will include ensuring that all daily MDT secretarial tasks are undertaken.
- Assistance with the organisation of the MDT meetings and clinics workload
- Communicating appointment and admission related information to patients/carers in a friendly and reassuring way.
- Good organisational skills the successful applicant will also need to demonstrate they are proficient in using Trust applications
The post holder is required to follow Trust policies and procedures which are regularly updated including:
Job description
Job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities listed below are representative of the Assistant Service Manager role and its purpose within the service; they are not exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake additional or alternative administrative or managerial duties and responsibilities commensurate with the level of the post, to support the smooth running of the service.
Operational Management
- Support the Service Manager in managing various sections of service, e.g., out-patients or bookings. This will require working autonomously to understand and drive operating targets, budget controls, and relevant HR management.
- Ensure effective processes and procedures are in place to monitor and track performance against agreed targets within the service that may be performance related.
- Problem-solve all day-to-day management issues organising and reallocating work where situations change due to variations to the work load and staffing availability.
- Exercise delegated authority on behalf of the consultants and clinical leads to resolve day-to-day management issues within the service.
- Manage the analysis of data so consultants and registrars have access to timely and accurate information on all key performance indicators.
- Plan and organise the medical secretary service within the department, setting the goals of the secretarial service in order to fit in with the demands of the consultants timetables.
Policy Development and System Management
- Develop and write policies and procedures within own work area.
- Manage the implementation and overall management of office systems, control processes and risk management arrangements to ensure effective delivery of service.
- Responsible for the design and implementation of audits in collaboration with Heads of Service.
- To investigate complaints, as delegated by the Service Delivery Manager, in line with Trust Policy. This may involve handling sensitive interpersonal situation.
- To contribute to the modernisation of patient services delivered by the medical secretaries service
- Sit on departmental working groups to contribute to future strategies and development
Financial Management
- Authorised signatory.
- Manage and monitor performance of the medical secretarial support to ensure that the service meets its financial and operating targets.
- Manage a delegated no-pay budget within the service ensuring that expenditure is within agreed limits and that the Clinical Lead/consultants remains informed of related issues. This would include signatory responsibility for requisition and authorising signature for ordering, up to the amount of £500.
Staff Management
- Day-to-day managerial responsibility for all administration and secretarial staff within the medical secretarial service and others where agreed.
- Set objectives and review performance of service staff, identifying individual training and development needs and promote continued personal and professional development.
- Manage annual leave, sickness, disciplinary and performance issues in line with Trust policies and the effective delivery of service.
- Ensure all staff comply with relevant Trust policies and standing financial instructions.
- Recruit and induct A&C staff in line with Trust policies and procedures.
- Anticipate staff shortages and problem areas and take action to minimise the impact of these on service delivery.
- Support conflict resolution from patients, staff, suppliers, other internal and external service providers and partner organisations in the service.
- Ensure that all staff adhere to the appropriate legislation when dealing with patient material and that suitable filing & booking systems are effectively managed.
- Support the monitoring of compliance with internal and external governance and best practice requirements with the medical secretarial services.
PA/ Secretarial Responsibilities
- Monitor clinical secretarial correspondence to set and maintain appropriate quality standards.
- Arrange, plan and take comprehensive and accurate minutes at meetings.
- Support consultants by preparing PowerPoint presentations and preparation of research articles.
- Produce high quality medical secretary support of consultants and clinical teams when required.
- When appropriate, type clinical letters which may include those of a distressing or emotional nature as well or other relevant correspondence and documents required.
Communication
- Effectively communicate with a multi-disciplinary group of people, demonstrating interpersonal skills when dealing with all levels of staff across the Trust, using persuasion, tact and reassurance where necessary.
- Liaise with other departments and members of the Trust to ensure the smooth running of the office and to assisting the functioning of the team.
- Influence, motivate and involve individuals and teams within the service to achieve necessary performance targets.
- Deal with telephone calls related to the service, ensuring that customers are communicated with in a sensitive and effective manner and problems are dealt with promptly and efficiently.
- Handle confidential patient information and material in a sensitive and discrete fashion, in compliance with Trust policy and procedure.
MDT Management
- The postholder will have responsibility for providing efficient, high quality secretarial support to consultants and clinical teams involved in the MDT meetings.
- This will include ensuring that all daily MDT secretarial tasks are undertaken.
- Assistance with the organisation of the MDT meetings and clinics workload
- Communicating appointment and admission related information to patients/carers in a friendly and reassuring way.
- Good organisational skills the successful applicant will also need to demonstrate they are proficient in using Trust applications
The post holder is required to follow Trust policies and procedures which are regularly updated including:
Person Specification
Qualifications/Eduction
Essential
- Educated to HNC/Equivalent Diploma/equivalent experience
- GCSE Maths & English
- Track record of significant continuous professional and management development
Previous Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of staff supervision/ staff management including recruitment/ retention /appraisal /first line disciplinary and knowledge of budget management issues
- Have significantly contributed to meeting operational objectives
- Experience of delivering Administrative and Clerical Outpatient Services
- Evidence of establishing, maintaining and consolidating effective working relationships with clinicians and multi-disciplinary teams
Desirable
- Have significantly contributed to meeting strategic objectives
Skills/Knowledge/ Ability
Essential
- Leadership and influencing skills
- Excellent interpersonal, presentation and written communication skills
- Ability to respond to changing demands
- Highly motivated and ability to work independently
Person Specification
Qualifications/Eduction
Essential
- Educated to HNC/Equivalent Diploma/equivalent experience
- GCSE Maths & English
- Track record of significant continuous professional and management development
Previous Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of staff supervision/ staff management including recruitment/ retention /appraisal /first line disciplinary and knowledge of budget management issues
- Have significantly contributed to meeting operational objectives
- Experience of delivering Administrative and Clerical Outpatient Services
- Evidence of establishing, maintaining and consolidating effective working relationships with clinicians and multi-disciplinary teams
Desirable
- Have significantly contributed to meeting strategic objectives
Skills/Knowledge/ Ability
Essential
- Leadership and influencing skills
- Excellent interpersonal, presentation and written communication skills
- Ability to respond to changing demands
- Highly motivated and ability to work independently
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
