Medical Secretary

Job responsibilities

To ensure post addressed to the consultant/clinical team is promptly collected, sorted, recorded and actioned as appropriate. To act on own initiative where appropriate in responding to incoming mail.

Act as a focal point for the clinical team. Provide a friendly and professional service, deal with enquiries from a multitude of sources following Trust policies and standard operating procedures. Liaise with GPs, other hospitals, patients, internal medical/non-medical staff and medical/non-medical external staff by a variety of means i.e. face to face/phone/e-mail/letter/faxes on a daily basis.

Assist clinicians with administrative tasks, e.g. utilising IT systems or ensuring paper forms are completed and sent to relevant departments in a timely manner in line with service specific standard operating procedures.

To ensure all duties are undertaken in line with standard operating procedures and to enable the achievement of Trust and Service specific Key Performance Indicators.

To request, cancel and re-arrange appointments when necessary.

Frequently receive and respond appropriately to telephone and personal enquiries from patients, relatives, GPs, other consultants and external bodies, referring enquiries to the consultants / clinical team where necessary. This will require analysis of queries/issues, making judgements about how to deal with them and escalating as appropriate. This may require the use of tact/ empathic or reassurance skills. In addition, persuasive skills are often required where agreement or co-operation is required in trying to avoid Trust complaints.

Prioritise and ensure clinical investigations are acted upon appropriately and timely, within standard operating procedures and meeting KPIs.

Accurate recording of all paper/computerised patient records, updating and amending information timely and within standard operating procedures.

Undertake routine or ad hoc data validation as directed.

Preparation of documentation for MDTs

Accurate addition of patients to the waiting list ensuring any relevant notes recorded.

To provide advice to patients with matters relating to their admission (pre and post guidance) and regarding their position on the waiting list.

To plan multiple procedure lists up to six weeks in advance, using clinic knowledge, medical terminology and information to meet the patients 18 week, diagnostic, cancer and/or 28 day rescheduling targets.

Ensure that with effective planning and organisation the procedure lists are utilised to their maximum capacity, replacing short notice cancellations, organising specific clinical staff.

Identify and escalate in a timely manner to the waiting list Team Leader any requirements for additional capacity

Prioritise own workload on a daily basis while recognising when it is appropriate to escalate to the Team Leader

Keep an up to date and accurate record of patient case notes entering and leaving the department. Sourcing and distribution of case notes to other departments and hospitals e.g. File Tracker/relevant IT system.

Undertake typing of medical correspondence using copy, audio tapes and relevant IT systems to a high and accurate standard. This may include clinic letters, medico-legal reports and other administrative work.

Keep appropriate statistical records/information as and when required for the clinical team for audit purposes. Provision of statistical returns required at regular intervals. This may involve entering statistical data onto databases.

Responsible for the receipt of referral letters with timely input onto the computerised IT Systems and ensuring that all patients demographic information is recorded accurately in order to arrange outpatient appointments for clinics in accordance with service specific requirements.

To be responsible for ensuring copies of correspondence are stored in the patients records in accordance standard operating procedures.

To attend meetings and appropriate Committees to provide secretarial support by taking minutes and arranging meetings, as and when required. This could include support to Consultants in their special interests role(s), eg Clinical Tutor, Child Protection, etc.

To be responsible for the confidential management of patient records and ensure that all documentation is returned to the appropriate department timely within standard operating procedures.

To be responsible for the preparation of patient records for admission, transfer and discharge in a timely manner as and when required.

The post holder will give relevant assistance and training as and when required to support all colleagues.

To carry out general administration duties and provide clerical assistance, as required.

To send and receive faxes in a safe haven environment as per Trust policy.

Ensure that all Hospital records are tracked and booked using the Trusts File Tracker computer system, or other relevant IT system.

Qualifications

Essential

• 4 x GCSEs grade C or 4 or above
• RSA Level 3 Typing and Word processing or equivalent qualification or experience

Desirable

• IT qualifications ECDL
• Medical secretary diploma
• short hand qualification
• Medical terminology

Experience

Essential

• Experience and knowledge of multi-disciplinary team workingSecretarial experience
• Experience of working with filing systems
• Experience of good customer or patient care
• Working with computer software programmes such as Microsoft Office, e-mail and internet
• Experience of scheduling/co-ordination activities and/or resources

Desirable

• Medical secretarial experience
• Previous NHS administrative role
• Experience of working with patients requiring health care
• Experience with NHS/healthcare software systems
• Experience of working with confidential material
• Waiting List Management

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Demonstrate good verbal and written communication skills with team/clients/relatives, using tact when required
• Ability to deal with conflict
• Good Time management skills
• Ability to engage and motivate others
• High standard of accuracy
• High level of initiative
• Flexibility and able to adapt to change
• Able to work as part of a team
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships

personal attributes

Essential

• Confident
• Calm under pressure
• Flexible approach to working arrangements
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Self-motivated
• Professional appearance

Desirable

• Evidence of ongoing personal development and willingness to further progress ( knowledge and skills framework and continuing personal development

Knowledge & Awareness

Essential

• Understanding and knowledge Caldicott/Data Protection Act.
• Awareness of own limitations.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Trust Policies

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).