Job summary
Thank you for applying to join the Children and Young People's Unit at the Royal Marsden.
This role is working for Consultants in the Paediatric Department at RMH Sutton. This position is transferring to the Evelina Hospital, London in October 2026.
Main duties of the job
The role of the Medical P.A. is key to the efficient management of the consultant firm. Patient access to healthcare professionals and subsequent treatment planning in the specialist hospital setting relies upon well-co-ordinated organisational and administrative support. The role of the Medical P.A. has been introduced at the Trust to strengthen the secretarial service, and this job description outlines the responsibilities that the post is likely to encompass. However, a number of the posts differ in their emphasis depending upon the size of the consultant's clinical practice and administrative team, and whether he / she also has an Administrative P.A. and / or a Medical Secretary(s).
About us
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals - one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey - as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.
At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.
At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification:
- To act as the first point of contact for users of the service, and to proactively deal with telephone enquiries from patients, their Carers, GPs and colleagues in other hospitals in a professional manner.
- To type and distribute clinical and general correspondence for both NHS and private patients in line with Trust standards.
- To process new patient referrals within Trust and nationally agreed time frames, enabling compliance with quality standards for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
- To open and action your own electronic and paper mail and that of the consultant team, at least once a day.
- To input and maintain patient diagnoses and current clinical unit data on the Hospital Information System, and other patient-related information as required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification:
- To act as the first point of contact for users of the service, and to proactively deal with telephone enquiries from patients, their Carers, GPs and colleagues in other hospitals in a professional manner.
- To type and distribute clinical and general correspondence for both NHS and private patients in line with Trust standards.
- To process new patient referrals within Trust and nationally agreed time frames, enabling compliance with quality standards for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
- To open and action your own electronic and paper mail and that of the consultant team, at least once a day.
- To input and maintain patient diagnoses and current clinical unit data on the Hospital Information System, and other patient-related information as required.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Good general education, educated to GCSE level or equivalent
- Competent at Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook
Desirable
- Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers and Receptionists (AMSPAR) qualified or equivalent
- European Computer Driving License (ECDL) or Equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Substantial previous medical secretarial experience
- Experience of diary management
Desirable
- Previous experience of training other secretarial staff
- Previous experience of managing/ supervising staff
Skills Abilities/knowledge
Essential
- Audio typing skills (60 wpm min.).
- Understanding of medical terminology (especially oncology)
- The ability to communicate effectively in both written and spoken English to a wide range of people
- Willingness and demonstrable ability to work as part of a team.
- Evidence of ability and initiative to prioritise a busy workload
- Evidence of ability to work without close supervision
- Evidence of ability to handle sensitive information without compromising confidentiality
- Evidence of commitment to delivering high quality customer service
- Demonstrable awareness of the needs of the multidisciplinary team.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Good general education, educated to GCSE level or equivalent
- Competent at Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook
Desirable
- Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers and Receptionists (AMSPAR) qualified or equivalent
- European Computer Driving License (ECDL) or Equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Substantial previous medical secretarial experience
- Experience of diary management
Desirable
- Previous experience of training other secretarial staff
- Previous experience of managing/ supervising staff
Skills Abilities/knowledge
Essential
- Audio typing skills (60 wpm min.).
- Understanding of medical terminology (especially oncology)
- The ability to communicate effectively in both written and spoken English to a wide range of people
- Willingness and demonstrable ability to work as part of a team.
- Evidence of ability and initiative to prioritise a busy workload
- Evidence of ability to work without close supervision
- Evidence of ability to handle sensitive information without compromising confidentiality
- Evidence of commitment to delivering high quality customer service
- Demonstrable awareness of the needs of the multidisciplinary team.
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).
