Medical Secretary

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

The successful candidate will ideally have a medical secretarial background with strong computer skills including fast and accurate audio typing. Key skills required are excellent verbal and written communication skills, enabling communication at all levels, a keen eye for detail, good time management, and the ability to work to tight deadlines prioritising workload. The candidate will work as part of a large efficient and effective busy and friendly team, to ensure patients receive the best possible care in a timely manner.

Knowledge of the use of a variety of digital systems is desirable but not essential as full training will be provided.

The main duties of the role include; secretarial and administrative support within the Plastic Surgery department, to receive confidential and sensitive information, engaging with patients, relatives, staff or external stakeholders and to support the department in a variety of administration tasks.

The Queen Victoria Hospital offers a wide range of training opportunities and apprenticeships which the successful candidate will be supported and encouraged to access if desired.

Main duties of the job

To provide full secretarial and administrative support to the Plastics Department.

To work flexibly and sensitively with other disciplines both on and off the QVH site.

To provide and receive confidential and sensitive information written, aural or verbal, to be exchanged with patients/clients, relatives, staff or external parties.

To review and manage the patient pathway to ensure all RTT targets are met, escalating concerns when they arise.

To communicate sensitively and appropriately with patients suffering from serious illness.

About us

Rated GOOD overall with outstanding care by the CQC. A specialist NHS hospital providing life-changing reconstructive surgery, burns care and rehabilitation services across the South of England and beyond.

A centre of excellence, with an international reputation for pioneering advanced techniques and treatments. Everything we do is informed by our passion for providing the highest quality care and the best clinical outcomes.

At QVH we are proud of our achievements and our specialist services continue to record excellent clinical outcomes for patients. We regularly receive excellent results from patient satisfaction surveys and on average 98% of inpatients say they would recommend the hospital to their family or friends.

Our success is underpinned by the skills and enthusiasm of our staff and a strong culture of partnership. We are fully committed to training and development of the workforce with support for continuing education and learning.

Date posted

15 September 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£23,949 to £26,282 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

276-5222136-KVa-A

Job locations

Queen Victoria Hospital

East Grinstead

RH19 3DZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

  • To provide full secretarial and administrative support to the Plastics Department.
  • To work flexibly and sensitively with other disciplines both on and off the QVH site.
  • To provide and receive confidential and sensitive information written, aural or verbal, to be exchanged with patients/clients, relatives, staff or external parties.
  • To review and manage the patient pathway to ensure all RTT targets are met, escalating concerns when they arise.
  • To Manage and validate Consultant(s) waiting list.
  • To communicate sensitively and appropriately with patients suffering from serious illness.

Budget Responsibilities:

Assistance in maintaining stationary stock only, by notifying Service Co-ordinators when stocks are low.

Key result areas

  • Liaison with Nursing and Diagnostic Imaging support services to MMH and QVH.
  • Maintain close and collaborative working relationships with the Service Co-ordinator.
  • Work independently and manage own workload.
  • Maintain effective manual and computerised systems to ensure accurate and timely delivery of information to clients and professionals.
  • Deal with correspondence making use of IT, i.e. e mail, internet and intranet, using initiative and discretion to prioritise.
  • Deal with all telephone calls promptly and courteously with an empathetic approach.
  • Respond sympathetically to individual needs within resources available.
  • To ensure appropriate risk ratification/priority coding for patients and manage the administration of adding to the wait list and upload to Patient Centre accurately.
  • To identify patients who have breached on their pathways and require consultant clinical harm review.
  • Type clinic letters from digital dictation to meet clearly defined occupational policies in line with Trust guidelines on response timeframes.
  • Work independently to defined policies and procedures.
  • Ensure clinic letters are sent out to GP within 7 days of the clinic date.
  • Prioritise results needing urgent attention and chase for results where needed.
  • Co-ordinate and monitor patients that require follow up tests to ensure the tests and results are obtained wherever possible.
  • Manage accurate audit trail in the patients notes for patients who do not want to follow up with results liaising with the clinician if needed.
  • Co-ordinate matters arising from clinical appointments and arrange further referrals/ investigations as directed. This includes liaison with external trusts conducting interventional/diagnostic procedures and the tracking of these patients through their pathway ensuring that interventional/ diagnostic reports are available for Clinicians review prior to or for patient follow-up appointments.
  • Responding to the requests of the Service Co-ordinator and RTT Tracker regarding RTT18 queries and/ or input clinical outcomes for clinics.
  • Advise all relevant persons, in writing, of cancellations and alterations to clinics as necessary.
  • Schedule Plastic surgery patients to meet the needs of the service as and when required.
  • Book appointments for patients for the services as required onto Patient Care.
  • Manage patients expectations when booking appointments and advising them of updates.
  • Monitor clinics to ensure that they are fully utilized and ensure full clinics wherever possible.
  • Monitor and manage patient pathways for all patients in the services make every effort to ensure all patients are offered an appointment within 8 weeks of referral.
  • Schedule all diagnostics that are required for each clinic type in a time effective order to ensure the patients receive an excellent service from QVH at MMH.
  • Ensure there are regular reviews of all the outstanding patients in the service to ensure patients are seen in the timescales allowed.
  • Support the Service Co-ordinator with gathering monitoring data for the service as required.
  • Create and maintain patient case notes in preparation for outpatient consultation clinics, working closely with medical records departments where necessary.
  • Ensure patient case notes are stored, tracked and archived according to Trust guidelines.
  • Develop and maintain a sound knowledge of medical terminology, tests, symptoms and procedures.
  • Arrange for notes/ referrals/ equipment for triage, dictation equipment and clinical supplies to be transported to/ from off-site clinics.
  • Actively participate in Departmental meetings as required.
  • Where required maintain stationery/ equipment stock control for the department.
  • Attend statutory Trust training courses as necessary and access training ensuring continued professional development within the service.
  • Assist with the supervision of temporary or new secretaries when covering for holidays and sickness.
  • Manage a predictable pattern of work alongside responding to unpredictable interruptions from patients, medical staff, and external stakeholders at all times.
  • Maintain high levels of concentration and attention to detail
  • Follow the QVH Trusts guidelines on confidentiality.
  • Ensure a professional image of QVH and the service is maintained at all times.
  • Participate in transformation programmes of work/improvement of processes.
  • Report all incidents and near misses that you are aware of as per policy.
  • Be proactive in identifying opportunities for improvement within processes of service delivery.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

  • To provide full secretarial and administrative support to the Plastics Department.
  • To work flexibly and sensitively with other disciplines both on and off the QVH site.
  • To provide and receive confidential and sensitive information written, aural or verbal, to be exchanged with patients/clients, relatives, staff or external parties.
  • To review and manage the patient pathway to ensure all RTT targets are met, escalating concerns when they arise.
  • To Manage and validate Consultant(s) waiting list.
  • To communicate sensitively and appropriately with patients suffering from serious illness.

Budget Responsibilities:

Assistance in maintaining stationary stock only, by notifying Service Co-ordinators when stocks are low.

Key result areas

  • Liaison with Nursing and Diagnostic Imaging support services to MMH and QVH.
  • Maintain close and collaborative working relationships with the Service Co-ordinator.
  • Work independently and manage own workload.
  • Maintain effective manual and computerised systems to ensure accurate and timely delivery of information to clients and professionals.
  • Deal with correspondence making use of IT, i.e. e mail, internet and intranet, using initiative and discretion to prioritise.
  • Deal with all telephone calls promptly and courteously with an empathetic approach.
  • Respond sympathetically to individual needs within resources available.
  • To ensure appropriate risk ratification/priority coding for patients and manage the administration of adding to the wait list and upload to Patient Centre accurately.
  • To identify patients who have breached on their pathways and require consultant clinical harm review.
  • Type clinic letters from digital dictation to meet clearly defined occupational policies in line with Trust guidelines on response timeframes.
  • Work independently to defined policies and procedures.
  • Ensure clinic letters are sent out to GP within 7 days of the clinic date.
  • Prioritise results needing urgent attention and chase for results where needed.
  • Co-ordinate and monitor patients that require follow up tests to ensure the tests and results are obtained wherever possible.
  • Manage accurate audit trail in the patients notes for patients who do not want to follow up with results liaising with the clinician if needed.
  • Co-ordinate matters arising from clinical appointments and arrange further referrals/ investigations as directed. This includes liaison with external trusts conducting interventional/diagnostic procedures and the tracking of these patients through their pathway ensuring that interventional/ diagnostic reports are available for Clinicians review prior to or for patient follow-up appointments.
  • Responding to the requests of the Service Co-ordinator and RTT Tracker regarding RTT18 queries and/ or input clinical outcomes for clinics.
  • Advise all relevant persons, in writing, of cancellations and alterations to clinics as necessary.
  • Schedule Plastic surgery patients to meet the needs of the service as and when required.
  • Book appointments for patients for the services as required onto Patient Care.
  • Manage patients expectations when booking appointments and advising them of updates.
  • Monitor clinics to ensure that they are fully utilized and ensure full clinics wherever possible.
  • Monitor and manage patient pathways for all patients in the services make every effort to ensure all patients are offered an appointment within 8 weeks of referral.
  • Schedule all diagnostics that are required for each clinic type in a time effective order to ensure the patients receive an excellent service from QVH at MMH.
  • Ensure there are regular reviews of all the outstanding patients in the service to ensure patients are seen in the timescales allowed.
  • Support the Service Co-ordinator with gathering monitoring data for the service as required.
  • Create and maintain patient case notes in preparation for outpatient consultation clinics, working closely with medical records departments where necessary.
  • Ensure patient case notes are stored, tracked and archived according to Trust guidelines.
  • Develop and maintain a sound knowledge of medical terminology, tests, symptoms and procedures.
  • Arrange for notes/ referrals/ equipment for triage, dictation equipment and clinical supplies to be transported to/ from off-site clinics.
  • Actively participate in Departmental meetings as required.
  • Where required maintain stationery/ equipment stock control for the department.
  • Attend statutory Trust training courses as necessary and access training ensuring continued professional development within the service.
  • Assist with the supervision of temporary or new secretaries when covering for holidays and sickness.
  • Manage a predictable pattern of work alongside responding to unpredictable interruptions from patients, medical staff, and external stakeholders at all times.
  • Maintain high levels of concentration and attention to detail
  • Follow the QVH Trusts guidelines on confidentiality.
  • Ensure a professional image of QVH and the service is maintained at all times.
  • Participate in transformation programmes of work/improvement of processes.
  • Report all incidents and near misses that you are aware of as per policy.
  • Be proactive in identifying opportunities for improvement within processes of service delivery.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Secondary education to GCSE level including English and Maths
  • NVQ level 3 in administration or equivalent experience or RSA level III or able to demonstrate knowledge within this field through practical experience

Desirable

  • AMSPAR Level 3 Certificate in Medical Administration

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience in secretarial/administration, preferably in a medical setting
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Secondary education to GCSE level including English and Maths
  • NVQ level 3 in administration or equivalent experience or RSA level III or able to demonstrate knowledge within this field through practical experience

Desirable

  • AMSPAR Level 3 Certificate in Medical Administration

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience in secretarial/administration, preferably in a medical setting

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Victoria Hospital

East Grinstead

RH19 3DZ


Employer's website

https://www.qvh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Victoria Hospital

East Grinstead

RH19 3DZ


Employer's website

https://www.qvh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Service Co Ordinator

Tamara Brockwell

tamara.brockwell@nhs.net

01324414328

Date posted

15 September 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£23,949 to £26,282 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

276-5222136-KVa-A

Job locations

Queen Victoria Hospital

East Grinstead

RH19 3DZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)