Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust

Assistant medical secretary

The closing date is 02 December 2025

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Job summary

We are looking to recruit a highly motivated and enthusiastic person with administration experience to join our Team within the Paediatric Department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.

Main duties of the job

  • Provide a high quality clinical typing service as delegated by the Senior Medical Secretary, including; clinic instructions/outcomes and populating information into report templates etc.
  • Action tasks arising from typing; including updating systems, outcome codes, completing required documentation such as internal re-referrals, escalating to the Senior Medical Secretary for resolution if required.
  • To contribute as delegated by the Senior Medical Secretary to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of the clinical administration function.
  • Providing cover to medical secretary role during absence, including responsibility for comprehensive efficient secretarial administrative support service to clinicians to meet internal and external standards / performance indicators.

About us

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronymICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.

Details

Date posted

18 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year pa

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

297-7587052

Job locations

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust

Queen Elizabeth Avenue

Gateshead

NE9 6SX


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Dealing with telephone queries, checking patient information with clerical staff/patients. Communicating information verbally and in writing, routine information with patients and staff on, for example discharge, admission, transfer. May be barriers to understanding for example anxious patients, cultural differences, language or communication difficulties.
  • Resolves problems, eg locating notes, appointment issues, follow up actions when responding to queries, escalating issues when necessary.

  • Organises own workload/patient referral outcome actions to ensure services are delivered to meet internal and external quality/performance requirements.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Dealing with telephone queries, checking patient information with clerical staff/patients. Communicating information verbally and in writing, routine information with patients and staff on, for example discharge, admission, transfer. May be barriers to understanding for example anxious patients, cultural differences, language or communication difficulties.
  • Resolves problems, eg locating notes, appointment issues, follow up actions when responding to queries, escalating issues when necessary.

  • Organises own workload/patient referral outcome actions to ensure services are delivered to meet internal and external quality/performance requirements.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working in NHS or healthcare environment
  • Experience of working in secretarial or office environment
  • Experienced in using Microsoft Office packages

Desirable

  • Audio Typing

Skills

Essential

  • Effective written and oral communication skills.
  • Ability to demonstrate good organisational planning skills
  • Ability to work autonomously and also as part of a team, developing good working relationships with colleagues

Desirable

  • Knowledge of Careflow system
  • Knowledge of medical terminology

Qualifications

Essential

  • NVQ 3 Certificate in Business Administration or equivalent experience
  • RSA 3 in Typing or Word Processing or equivalent experience
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working in NHS or healthcare environment
  • Experience of working in secretarial or office environment
  • Experienced in using Microsoft Office packages

Desirable

  • Audio Typing

Skills

Essential

  • Effective written and oral communication skills.
  • Ability to demonstrate good organisational planning skills
  • Ability to work autonomously and also as part of a team, developing good working relationships with colleagues

Desirable

  • Knowledge of Careflow system
  • Knowledge of medical terminology

Qualifications

Essential

  • NVQ 3 Certificate in Business Administration or equivalent experience
  • RSA 3 in Typing or Word Processing or equivalent experience

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

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust

Queen Elizabeth Avenue

Gateshead

NE9 6SX


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust

Queen Elizabeth Avenue

Gateshead

NE9 6SX


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Admin Manager

Leona Parkinson

leona.parkinson@nhs.net

01914453428

Details

Date posted

18 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year pa

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

297-7587052

Job locations

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust

Queen Elizabeth Avenue

Gateshead

NE9 6SX


Supporting documents

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