Senior Medical Secretary

Job description

Job responsibilities

Senior Medical Secretary role

In managing diaries for the clinical team the post holder will be expected to co-ordinate the cancellation or alternative provision of outpatient activity ensuring the communication meets Trust targets where appropriate and escalating to the PSC/Business Manager in cases where the cancellation of clinical activity may prevent national targets from being met.

Supervise a small team of medical secretaries, and related clerical support staff, including the allocation of work and the organisation of daily departmental cover.

Managing and prioritising departmental workload on a day-to-day basis.

On a regular basis to review relevant waiting time reports (e.g.18-week reports) for the Consultants responsible for ensuring in all cases that the next steps for the patient are identified and booked. Where this is not possible to liaise with the Business Manager/PSC for appropriate action to be undertaken.

To support the clinical teams in the delivery of excellent patient care by actively working with colleagues and other Departments to ensure that all patients registered within the service are proactively supported through their patient journey (This would include but is not limited to: liaising with the relevant MDT teams about fast track patients and escalating clinically urgent patients to the relevant staff groups for action where required).

Ensuring all phone calls are answered within the department during core office hours

Opening and dealing with departmental post and allocating resulting work to appropriate staff.

Monitoring turnaround times for clinical correspondence and taking corrective action as required, in conjunction with the assistant PSC/PSC, in order to meet 5-day turnaround standard.

Participate in yearly appraisals for the team medical secretaries together with the PSC/Business Manager to support on-going staff development

Providing PSC/Business Manager and Consultant staff with relevant information relating to administrative service.

Take minutes at secretarial staff meetings and attending other administrative meetings as required.

Undertake duties required as the administrator and super user for the digital dictation/speech recognition system including identifying new workflows, updating workflows as required, and providing general advice on the system to team secretaries.

Responsible for ensuring office equipment is in working order and office supplies are maintained and replenished.

PA/Administrative Support (non clinical) to Consultant/Clinical Team

Provide a comprehensive PA service to the Clinical Director/Lead Clinician and other medical colleagues.

Provide administrative support to Clinical Nurse Specialists where appropriate.

Support clinicians with their teaching and research portfolios by organising regular meetings with trainees, supporting in the writing of research materials and organising meetings and conferences as and when required. This includes but isnt limited to providing support to academic, educational, research and supervisory roles.

Taking phone calls and covering departmental phones when required.

Deal directly with patient enquiries on behalf of consultant/clinical team.

Co-ordination of annual leave for consultants, liaising with the Business Manager for approval and then completing the necessary documentation to organise the cancellation of outpatient activity as required.

Administration duties to support departmental clinical audit and clinical governance where required, such as the collation of information for reports.

Diary management for consultant staff including organising meetings, preparing meeting paperwork and taking minutes as required.

Organising travel arrangements for consultant staff.

Other general administrative duties that may be required to fulfil the role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE Grade C or above (or equivalent e.g. AMSPAR Level 2 qualification) English and Maths
• Audio typing/word processing skills (RSA III) or equivalent experience

Desirable

• ECDL

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Knowledge and application of the Data Protection Act in relation to patient confidentiality and the appropriate care of patient information.
• Understanding of relevant Trust standards and National Waiting Time Standards e.g. 5-day turnaround of clinical correspondence, 18-week wait for patients
• Using different IT systems to make an assessment of where a patient is in their pathway and the resulting steps required to progress that patient through their journey
• An understanding of medical careers and junior doctor rotation

Skills & behaviours

Essential

• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Organisational and time management skills
• Understanding of patient/customer focus.
• A detailed understanding of relevant Trust policies and procedures in particular the Complaints/PALS procedures.
• Supervisory skills
• Team working
• Customer care skills - verbal and oral to support dealing with patient queries
• Tact and diplomacy in handling sensitive and confidential information

Desirable

• An understanding of medical careers and junior doctor rotation

Experience

Essential

• Experience in a healthcare environment in a PA or similar role e.g. as a Team Medical Secretary
• Co-ordinating and managing a team workload
• A good understanding of the principles of data quality
• Using a variety of Microsoft office packages including word, excel and PowerPoint and e mail
• Using Trust based information systems such as PAS
• Diary management
• Organising and administrating meetings
• Prioritising and managing workload to meet deadlines

Desirable

• Direct contact with patients either face to face or by telephone
• Previous healthcare experience
• Using other Trust based information systems such as PPM for a variety of purposes e.g. reporting or patient pathway management
• Interpreting simple reports
• Organising travel
• Using Trust based information systems such as PPM

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

Leeds General Infirmary

Great George Street

Leeds

LS1 3EX

Employer's website

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