Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Medical Secretary to join the busy Trauma and Orthopaedics department.
Trauma and Orthopaedics is a dynamic and fast-paced service comprising surgical pre-assessment, outpatient clinics, and inpatient wards. Our priority is to put patients first and deliver the highest standard of care. Working closely with nursing and medical colleagues, the administrative team plays a vital role in ensuring the department runs smoothly and efficiently, acting as a reliable point of contact throughout each patient's pathway.
As a Senior Medical Secretary, you will be responsible for maintaining a comprehensive and high-quality secretarial service across the department. Key duties include booking consultants' theatre lists, managing and monitoring PTLs to support patient pathway progression and performance targets, coordinating onward referrals, completing clinic typing, and ensuring all follow-up actions are undertaken in a timely manner.
We are looking for an organised, proactive individual with excellent communication skills and a strong commitment to delivering patient-focused care as part of a large, friendly, and supportive team.
Main duties of the job
As part of the Orthopaedics team, you will provide a comprehensive and efficient administrative and medical secretarial service, ensuring continuity of support to consultants and the wider clinical team, including during periods of consultant absence.
Working within a well-established, dedicated, and supportive team, you will contribute to the smooth day-to-day running of the service. This part-time role requires you to act as a central point of contact for communications between consultants, patients and their relatives, hospital colleagues, General Practitioners, and external agencies. You will be responsible for maintaining accurate records, managing correspondence, and supporting patient pathways, ensuring clear communication and a consistently high standard of patient-focused care.
Please refer to the attached Job Description for full details of the role and responsibilities.
About us
Join us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and be part of a workforce of over 10,000 staff!
The NNUH is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, providing first-class acute care for around one million people, living in Norfolk and surrounding areas. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute. We are pleased to work closely with the University of East Anglia, providing teaching opportunities for our staff and placement opportunities for their students. We attract some of the best and leading professionals from across the country and are proud that our workforce represents 94 countries from across the world.
We are a friendly, collaborative hospital, working with local services and home to N&N Hospitals Charity.
We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:
- Flexible working hours
- Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
- Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
- Discounted gym memberships
- Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
- Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
- Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
- Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
- On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
- On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
- Support in career development
- Flexible staff bank
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Deal efficiently and effectively with direct and indirect (i.e. telephone, face to face) enquiries from patients, all levels of medical and nursing staff, GPs, Social Services and other health professionals and staff. Respond to enquiries, providing routine and non-routine information and non-clinical advice, resolving problems where possible. Communicate appropriately with patients who may be fearful, aggressive or have sensitive concerns needing reassurance and who may present difficulties in communication e.g. terminally ill patients, deaf patients, mentally ill patients and elderly confused patients.
- Attend to all communications, for example, emails, faxes, investigation results on a daily basis and prioritising and actioning as required.
- Accurately transcribe all correspondence by touch typing from audio / digital dictation or shorthand using knowledge of medical terminology. Generate routine and non-routine correspondence independently.
- Assist patients and their Carers by arranging translation/interpretation facilities.
- Demonstrate and maintain knowledge and understanding of Trust RTT policy.
- Update RTT in accordance with Trust guidelines. Assist the Administration and Clerical team with data management utilising PAS and other departmental patient databases.
- Complete the Tertiary referral proforma/template for internal/external referrals as per Trust policy
- Promptly action clinical investigations, results and outcomes. Utilise Trust reports to service and administer waiting lists, which may include outpatient, inpatient and waiting lists as required in local work area, escalating to senior staff as required.
- Adding patients to waiting lists as requested taking into account the urgency of the case and the patients preference.
- Arrange urgent admissions direct from clinic and ambulatory care areas, contacting the patient and liaising with ward/theatre/clinics as required.
Please refer to the Job Description for the full specification of responsibilities and requirements for this post.
Please note that this advertised position, which is part of occupation code 4211 does not meet the UKVI eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa. The Trust would not be able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Deal efficiently and effectively with direct and indirect (i.e. telephone, face to face) enquiries from patients, all levels of medical and nursing staff, GPs, Social Services and other health professionals and staff. Respond to enquiries, providing routine and non-routine information and non-clinical advice, resolving problems where possible. Communicate appropriately with patients who may be fearful, aggressive or have sensitive concerns needing reassurance and who may present difficulties in communication e.g. terminally ill patients, deaf patients, mentally ill patients and elderly confused patients.
- Attend to all communications, for example, emails, faxes, investigation results on a daily basis and prioritising and actioning as required.
- Accurately transcribe all correspondence by touch typing from audio / digital dictation or shorthand using knowledge of medical terminology. Generate routine and non-routine correspondence independently.
- Assist patients and their Carers by arranging translation/interpretation facilities.
- Demonstrate and maintain knowledge and understanding of Trust RTT policy.
- Update RTT in accordance with Trust guidelines. Assist the Administration and Clerical team with data management utilising PAS and other departmental patient databases.
- Complete the Tertiary referral proforma/template for internal/external referrals as per Trust policy
- Promptly action clinical investigations, results and outcomes. Utilise Trust reports to service and administer waiting lists, which may include outpatient, inpatient and waiting lists as required in local work area, escalating to senior staff as required.
- Adding patients to waiting lists as requested taking into account the urgency of the case and the patients preference.
- Arrange urgent admissions direct from clinic and ambulatory care areas, contacting the patient and liaising with ward/theatre/clinics as required.
Please refer to the Job Description for the full specification of responsibilities and requirements for this post.
Please note that this advertised position, which is part of occupation code 4211 does not meet the UKVI eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa. The Trust would not be able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RSA III or equivalent experience
- Knowledge of medical terminology/AMSPAR qualification
Experience
Essential
- Working knowledge and experience of using Microsoft Office packages, including Word, Excel, Outlook
- Previous digital / audio typing experience
Attitude, aptitude
Essential
- Ability to work to tight deadlines and maintain concentration in a complex working environment
- Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH's PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
- Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Skills
Essential
- Ability to manage own workload
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RSA III or equivalent experience
- Knowledge of medical terminology/AMSPAR qualification
Experience
Essential
- Working knowledge and experience of using Microsoft Office packages, including Word, Excel, Outlook
- Previous digital / audio typing experience
Attitude, aptitude
Essential
- Ability to work to tight deadlines and maintain concentration in a complex working environment
- Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH's PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
- Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Skills
Essential
- Ability to manage own workload
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).
