Medical Secretary - Ophthalmology
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
This job is now closed
Job summary
An opportunity has arisen to join the Ophthalmology Department as a Medical Secretary.
If you are an enthusiastic, experienced and motivated person we welcome your application to join a secretarial team embedded within a proud and hardworking Unit. Amongst your duties will be coordinating outpatient clinics, processing admin, completing validation, typing of clinics and ensuring a proactive approach to patient care.
PLEASE NOTE: If a high number of applications are received the post may close earlier than advertised.
Main duties of the job
Clinic Co-ordination & Template review.
Maintain RTT pathways using the hospital HISS system.
Audio Typing & composing as required, non-routine letters.
Receive, manage and prioritize telephone and personal enquiries, complaints, messages.
Check all outgoing correspondence ensuring any instructions in the correspondence are carried out.
Maintain an up-to-date diary and timetable for Consultant's.
Arrange patients' clinic appointments as instructed.
About us
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is ideally situated just a forty five minute drive from Manchester. The Trust provides services to the 440,000 residents of Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre and North Lancashire, as well as specialist tertiary care for Cardiac and Haematology patients.
As one of the United Kingdom's largest coastal resort, Blackpool has plenty to offer its residents -it's not just a good place to work; it's a great place to live. In addition to its bustling centre and historic seafront, the town is world famous for its many attractions, including the famous Blackpool Tower. Blackpool also offers a number of scenic cycling routes round our local parks and across the surrounding countryside, as well as boasting panoramic views of the coast on its picturesque Promenade. Further afield, Blackpool also benefits from less than three-hour connections via rail to Edinburgh in the north and London in the south.
Date posted
01 March 2024
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 4
Salary
£25,147 to £27,596 a year per annum (pro rata for part time)
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
382-SACT44-24
Job locations
Blackpool Teaching Hospital
Whinney Heys Road
Blackpool
FY3 8NR
Job description
Job responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Clinical
1 Audio type written reports and correspondence, using word processing packages, for the Consultants and their teams. These may include outpatient reports, discharge summaries, operation notes and other relevant clinical and non-clinical correspondence.
2 Compose, as required, non-routine letters requiring tact, sympathy and understanding, on behalf of the Consultant or medical staff.
3 Where appropriate, ensure operation note templates are set up on the word processing system for the Consultant in preparation for his/her completion at the time of the patients surgical procedures.
4 Following authorisation by the clinician, ensure that clinic and discharge correspondence to GPs and/or other Consultants are dispatched promptly and efficiently.
5 Following authorisation by the clinician, ensure correspondence to patients is dispatched promptly and efficiently.
6 Check all outgoing correspondence ensuring any instructions in the correspondence are carried out. These may include arranging outpatient clinic appointments, further investigations or surgical procedures. Dispatch the relevant investigation/operation request forms to the appropriate departments once completed by the Consultant or a member of the medical staff.
7 Take the necessary action as instructed by the Consultant with regards to patients who fail to attend clinic appointments, investigations or inpatient procedures.
8 Open and prioritise incoming correspondence (which is often of a highly sensitive and confidential nature) on behalf of the Consultant, ensuring that urgent correspondence receives prompt attention. In the Consultants absence, the Medical Secretary is responsible for ascertaining which correspondence requires referral to an appropriate clinician for urgent attention.
9 Manage patients investigation results. Check all incoming laboratory/radiology results, ensuring that abnormal results are communicated promptly to the appropriate clinician. Ensure all reports are seen and signed by the clinician prior to filing in case notes. Retrieve investigation results and reports from the Pathology, Radiology (PACS) and ADAMS systems, where applicable. Be responsible for chasing up any missing results.
10 Receive, manage and prioritise telephone and personal enquiries, complaints, messages and information from patients, relatives, GPs, Consultants and other medical staff and external organisations on behalf of the Consultant and medical team. Deal with enquiries relating to the medical and social welfare of patients and relatives in a sensitive manner, referring to medical staff or other healthcare professionals where appropriate. When responding to enquiries, ensure that relevant guidelines or protocols are followed.
11 Communicate appropriately with anxious patients and bereaved relatives.
12 Communicate appropriately with patients, relatives and healthcare workers who may be aggressive or irate.
13 Respond to enquiries from patients and healthcare personnel as appropriate. Provide empathy and reassurance to patients where necessary. If appropriate, with permission of and instructed by the Consultant, convey clinical/medical information to patients, medical, nursing, pharmacy or other healthcare staff.
14 Ensure GP and Consultant referral letters are made available to the Consultant for prioritising at the earliest possible opportunity.
15 Check referral letters, following prioritisation, for any instructions by the Consultant. Dispatch referral letters to the Appointments Department as soon as possible. Referrals which are inappropriate, sent to the incorrect Consultant or department or require processing by the Waiting List Department, to be recorded on the hospital information system and dispatched accordingly.
16 Liaise with GPs as appropriate.
17 ArrAnge patients clinic appointments as instructed by the Consultant or medical team.
18 Liaise with other Consultants and their medical teams.
19 Liaise with nursing staff and other health care professionals.
20 Liaise with the Multidisciplinary team members, including medical and nursing staff, therapy staff and support staff.
21 Liaise with the Waiting List Department in respect of patients requiring hospital admission, ensuring that all relevant information or instructions are available prior to admission and in particular that any problem with the potential to delay admission/surgery is brought to the urgent attention of the relevant clinician. Where appropriate, liase with Pre-Assessment staff ie Surgical Nurse Practitioners or Anaesthetists to co-ordinate arrangements prior to admission.
22 Maintain RTT pathways using the hospital HISS system.
23 Liaise with patients in regard to admission into hospital for investigations and procedures, if required.
24 Liaise with medical and administration staff from peripheral hospitals with regard to clinics, theatre sessions, patients appointments, investigations, admission into hospital and general exchange of information where appropriate.
25 Liaise with diagnostic services in arranging or expediting urgent or routine investigations.
26 Liaise with Medical Records/Appointments Clerks/Reception Staff etc regarding the organisation of outpatient clinics and arranging appointments.
Administrative
27 Cancel and reduce clinics as requested by the Consultant, ensuring that the 6-week Rule is adhered to whenever possible. Where clinics are cancelled within the 6-week rule, ensure the appropriate forms are completed and dispatched to the appropriate persons.
28 Arrange ad hoc clinics and waiting list initiative clinics.
29 Monitor clinics on a regular basis to ensure efficiency.
30 Maintain an up-to-date diary and timetable of Consultants whereabouts (manual and/or electronically based).
31 Ensure duty rota is correct with regards to Consultants availability for clinical sessions due to annual/study leave and inform appropriate persons regarding discrepancies.
32 Assist a member of the Consultant staff in ensuring the adequate coverage of duty rotas by members of the junior medical staff.
33 Assist Consultant with related administrative duties such as arrangement of meetings, co- ordination of agenda items, collation of case notes for specialist review meetings.
34 Taking and transcribing minutes of meetings when required.
35 Assist in the training of relief medical secretarial staff.
36 Act as a point of contact with new junior doctors and ensure they are provided with the timetables and any appropriate information regarding the Consultants team.
37 Co-operate fully in the collection and input of clinical information into the Resource Management System in use within the Trust.
38 Arrange repair/replacement of office equipment, as necessary.
39 Order stationery and ad hoc items of equipment and supplies for the department.
40 Have up-to-date knowledge of Microsoft Word packages and be efficient in the use of e-mail and Internet.
41 To Cover work of absent secretarial colleagues and be prepared to work flexibly.
42 Be responsible where appropriate for the co-ordination of travel arrangements for the Consultant.
43 Take part in internal audits, if required.
44 Where appropriate carry out administrative duties for the Clinical Director or Clinical/Surgical Tutor.
45 Liaise with outside bodies/agencies ie. Police and Drug Representatives.
General
46 Carry out duties and/or undertake responsibilities relating to health and safety in accordance with Trust and Departmental Safety Policies.
47 Receive and understand fire instructions, precautions and evacuation techniques, attending appropriate lectures once per year.
48 Receive and understand initial moving and handling training.
49 Carry out any requirement within duties applicable to the Data Protection Act 1984.
Job description
Job responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Clinical
1 Audio type written reports and correspondence, using word processing packages, for the Consultants and their teams. These may include outpatient reports, discharge summaries, operation notes and other relevant clinical and non-clinical correspondence.
2 Compose, as required, non-routine letters requiring tact, sympathy and understanding, on behalf of the Consultant or medical staff.
3 Where appropriate, ensure operation note templates are set up on the word processing system for the Consultant in preparation for his/her completion at the time of the patients surgical procedures.
4 Following authorisation by the clinician, ensure that clinic and discharge correspondence to GPs and/or other Consultants are dispatched promptly and efficiently.
5 Following authorisation by the clinician, ensure correspondence to patients is dispatched promptly and efficiently.
6 Check all outgoing correspondence ensuring any instructions in the correspondence are carried out. These may include arranging outpatient clinic appointments, further investigations or surgical procedures. Dispatch the relevant investigation/operation request forms to the appropriate departments once completed by the Consultant or a member of the medical staff.
7 Take the necessary action as instructed by the Consultant with regards to patients who fail to attend clinic appointments, investigations or inpatient procedures.
8 Open and prioritise incoming correspondence (which is often of a highly sensitive and confidential nature) on behalf of the Consultant, ensuring that urgent correspondence receives prompt attention. In the Consultants absence, the Medical Secretary is responsible for ascertaining which correspondence requires referral to an appropriate clinician for urgent attention.
9 Manage patients investigation results. Check all incoming laboratory/radiology results, ensuring that abnormal results are communicated promptly to the appropriate clinician. Ensure all reports are seen and signed by the clinician prior to filing in case notes. Retrieve investigation results and reports from the Pathology, Radiology (PACS) and ADAMS systems, where applicable. Be responsible for chasing up any missing results.
10 Receive, manage and prioritise telephone and personal enquiries, complaints, messages and information from patients, relatives, GPs, Consultants and other medical staff and external organisations on behalf of the Consultant and medical team. Deal with enquiries relating to the medical and social welfare of patients and relatives in a sensitive manner, referring to medical staff or other healthcare professionals where appropriate. When responding to enquiries, ensure that relevant guidelines or protocols are followed.
11 Communicate appropriately with anxious patients and bereaved relatives.
12 Communicate appropriately with patients, relatives and healthcare workers who may be aggressive or irate.
13 Respond to enquiries from patients and healthcare personnel as appropriate. Provide empathy and reassurance to patients where necessary. If appropriate, with permission of and instructed by the Consultant, convey clinical/medical information to patients, medical, nursing, pharmacy or other healthcare staff.
14 Ensure GP and Consultant referral letters are made available to the Consultant for prioritising at the earliest possible opportunity.
15 Check referral letters, following prioritisation, for any instructions by the Consultant. Dispatch referral letters to the Appointments Department as soon as possible. Referrals which are inappropriate, sent to the incorrect Consultant or department or require processing by the Waiting List Department, to be recorded on the hospital information system and dispatched accordingly.
16 Liaise with GPs as appropriate.
17 ArrAnge patients clinic appointments as instructed by the Consultant or medical team.
18 Liaise with other Consultants and their medical teams.
19 Liaise with nursing staff and other health care professionals.
20 Liaise with the Multidisciplinary team members, including medical and nursing staff, therapy staff and support staff.
21 Liaise with the Waiting List Department in respect of patients requiring hospital admission, ensuring that all relevant information or instructions are available prior to admission and in particular that any problem with the potential to delay admission/surgery is brought to the urgent attention of the relevant clinician. Where appropriate, liase with Pre-Assessment staff ie Surgical Nurse Practitioners or Anaesthetists to co-ordinate arrangements prior to admission.
22 Maintain RTT pathways using the hospital HISS system.
23 Liaise with patients in regard to admission into hospital for investigations and procedures, if required.
24 Liaise with medical and administration staff from peripheral hospitals with regard to clinics, theatre sessions, patients appointments, investigations, admission into hospital and general exchange of information where appropriate.
25 Liaise with diagnostic services in arranging or expediting urgent or routine investigations.
26 Liaise with Medical Records/Appointments Clerks/Reception Staff etc regarding the organisation of outpatient clinics and arranging appointments.
Administrative
27 Cancel and reduce clinics as requested by the Consultant, ensuring that the 6-week Rule is adhered to whenever possible. Where clinics are cancelled within the 6-week rule, ensure the appropriate forms are completed and dispatched to the appropriate persons.
28 Arrange ad hoc clinics and waiting list initiative clinics.
29 Monitor clinics on a regular basis to ensure efficiency.
30 Maintain an up-to-date diary and timetable of Consultants whereabouts (manual and/or electronically based).
31 Ensure duty rota is correct with regards to Consultants availability for clinical sessions due to annual/study leave and inform appropriate persons regarding discrepancies.
32 Assist a member of the Consultant staff in ensuring the adequate coverage of duty rotas by members of the junior medical staff.
33 Assist Consultant with related administrative duties such as arrangement of meetings, co- ordination of agenda items, collation of case notes for specialist review meetings.
34 Taking and transcribing minutes of meetings when required.
35 Assist in the training of relief medical secretarial staff.
36 Act as a point of contact with new junior doctors and ensure they are provided with the timetables and any appropriate information regarding the Consultants team.
37 Co-operate fully in the collection and input of clinical information into the Resource Management System in use within the Trust.
38 Arrange repair/replacement of office equipment, as necessary.
39 Order stationery and ad hoc items of equipment and supplies for the department.
40 Have up-to-date knowledge of Microsoft Word packages and be efficient in the use of e-mail and Internet.
41 To Cover work of absent secretarial colleagues and be prepared to work flexibly.
42 Be responsible where appropriate for the co-ordination of travel arrangements for the Consultant.
43 Take part in internal audits, if required.
44 Where appropriate carry out administrative duties for the Clinical Director or Clinical/Surgical Tutor.
45 Liaise with outside bodies/agencies ie. Police and Drug Representatives.
General
46 Carry out duties and/or undertake responsibilities relating to health and safety in accordance with Trust and Departmental Safety Policies.
47 Receive and understand fire instructions, precautions and evacuation techniques, attending appropriate lectures once per year.
48 Receive and understand initial moving and handling training.
49 Carry out any requirement within duties applicable to the Data Protection Act 1984.
Person Specification
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- ECDL or equivalent demonstrable skills, knowledge, experience
- 5 GCSE's grade C or above
- Typing qualification RSA 3 or higher equivalent experience
- Audio-typing qualification RSA 2
Desirable
- NVQ level 3 business administration or AMSPAR Diploma
EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- Previous experience working as a secretary for at least 2 years
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office Programmes
Desirable
- Understanding of specialist medical terminology
- Knowledge of Hospital Information System (HISS) / ORMIS / MAXIMS
- Previous experience working within a hospital setting
- Previous experience of working within the NHS
- Previous experience of updating RTT pathways via HISS
SKILLS/ATTRIBUTES
Essential
- Excellent organisational and communication skills
- Ability to communicate effectively in English
- Advanced keyboard skills
- Excellent organisational and communication skills
- Effective team leader
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to communicate at all levels
- Problem solving ability
- Ability to learn new tasks, procedures and terminology
Person Specification
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- ECDL or equivalent demonstrable skills, knowledge, experience
- 5 GCSE's grade C or above
- Typing qualification RSA 3 or higher equivalent experience
- Audio-typing qualification RSA 2
Desirable
- NVQ level 3 business administration or AMSPAR Diploma
EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- Previous experience working as a secretary for at least 2 years
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office Programmes
Desirable
- Understanding of specialist medical terminology
- Knowledge of Hospital Information System (HISS) / ORMIS / MAXIMS
- Previous experience working within a hospital setting
- Previous experience of working within the NHS
- Previous experience of updating RTT pathways via HISS
SKILLS/ATTRIBUTES
Essential
- Excellent organisational and communication skills
- Ability to communicate effectively in English
- Advanced keyboard skills
- Excellent organisational and communication skills
- Effective team leader
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to communicate at all levels
- Problem solving ability
- Ability to learn new tasks, procedures and terminology
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
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Blackpool Teaching Hospital
Whinney Heys Road
Blackpool
FY3 8NR
Employer's website
Employer details
Employer name
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Blackpool Teaching Hospital
Whinney Heys Road
Blackpool
FY3 8NR
Employer's website
For questions about the job, contact:
Date posted
01 March 2024
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 4
Salary
£25,147 to £27,596 a year per annum (pro rata for part time)
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
382-SACT44-24
Job locations
Blackpool Teaching Hospital
Whinney Heys Road
Blackpool
FY3 8NR
Supporting documents
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