Patient Pathway Coordinator Medical Secretary

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 08 May 2025

Job summary

Patient Pathway Co-ordinator/Medical Secretary, Oesophago-Gastric Surgery - (Band 4) - 22.5 hours per week

We are looking for a first class secretary who has excellent interpersonal skills and a calm and methodical approach to provide essential secretarial/administration duties to Consultants in the Oesophago-gastric specialty within our General Surgery department. We are looking for someone for 3 days a week.

Principle duties include audio typing, report typing, taking and transcribing minutes, diary management, arranging meetings, pulling notes, filing, distribution of post, using hospital patient system and other databases and liaison with other healthcare professionals. You will be expected to have an excellent telephone manner, be courteous and efficient and have an excellent working knowledge of Word, Excel spreadsheets, emails, use of an electronic diary etc.

Main duties of the job

To provide a full range of medical secretarial assistance to consultants and their team. Manage own workload, demonstrate efficient organisation and oversee the smooth effective operation of the office. To work autonomously within a team, providing full organisational support to the consultant's practice and their team. To ensure procedures and working practices are in place so that the specialty and Trust can deliver a service that meets the standards and targets that have been set. To provide a considerate, patient focussed service in all dealings with patients and with staff around the hospital and throughout the whole system.

To provide a full range of administrative assistance to specialist Consultants and nurses within the Oesphago-Gastric (Upper GI) department. The patient pathway coordinator will be required to manage their own workload, demonstrate efficient organisation and oversee the smooth effective coordination of the office. To work collaboratively within the team to deliver a service, that meets Trust standards and outstanding patient care.

About us

Royal Surrey is a compassionate and collaborative acute and community Trust. Recognising that our 5000 colleagues are our greatest strength, we offer a comprehensive health and wellbeing program along with a commitment to developing and advancing your career. Our diverse and welcoming Royal Surrey family will ensure you that you feel valued from your initial interview through your entire tenure.

We are clinically led and provide joined up care by bridging the gap between hospital and community services alongside regional specialist cancer care. Our main acute hospital site is in Guildford with community hospital sites at Milford, Haslemere and Cranleigh. We provide adult community health services in homes across Guildford and Waverley.

We have received an overall Good rating from the CQC with Medical care (including older peoples care), End of Life Care and Maternity services being deemed Outstanding by the CQC.

Royal Surrey has a strong reputation and history to build on. We are proud of our achievements and we are investing in our colleagues through our commitment to supporting professional development as well as investing more than £45 million in our physical environment and new equipment in the next few years. There has never been a better time to join us.

Although it isn't the Trusts normal practice, adverts may close early, so you are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.

A video about the Royal Surrey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HsiGn9joTQ

Date posted

24 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,857 to £30,570 a year per annum including ( HCAS ) High Cost Area Supplement

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

384-AR-EMF18201

Job locations

The Royal Surrey Hospital

Egerton Road

Guildford

GU2 7XX


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the full job decription & person spec for further details.

1. To undertake a full range of secretarial duties for consultants and their team.

2. To produce and forward all patient letters, and other correspondence in line with current standards using audio typing and/or dedicated software. Ensuring patient letters on Dictate IT are reviewed and authorised in line with the Trusts guidelines

3. To deal with all post, faxes, e-mails, results etc on a daily basis and prioritise as necessary to ensure consultants and their team are aware of urgent results and information. To ensure all correspondence is managed and prioritised as necessary on a daily basis

4. Take responsibility for all new referrals; liaise with the appointment centre staff and other coordinators such as specialist nurses and cancer MDT coordinators, other nursing and medical staff to ensure new referrals are promptly seen/treated in line with the current guidelines. To help maintain the departments joint referral inbox to ensure they are being reviewed and actioned accordingly

5. Make appointments as required. To liaise with outpatients and other specialties to ensure patients appointments are being actioned/requested in a timely manner and liaise with the Assistant Specialty Manager to raise any capacity concerns.

6. To play a key role in establishing and implementing local policies and procedures that ensure working practices meet the above standards/targets and is centred around

7. Listen to and feel confident with managing patient concerns on the phone and in person in an empathetic and caring manner. This may involve difficult conversations with patients or relatives who may be upset, angry or concerned. This involves listening to and as far as possible resolving situations that can be highly distressing to patients/relatives who may be upset, angry or concerned.

8. Understanding of the Trusts PALS & complaints structure and/or escalating if needed. use initiative to resolve complaints from patients and any other individuals as far as possible. Escalate outstanding concerns as required.

9. Manage the implications of annual leave, organise the amendment of clinics, other fixed commitments and arrange cover for consultants during their absence. Liaising with the Assistant Specialty Manager & Outpatients regarding implications of Consultants leave and management of their clinics in the event of annual leave.

10. To effectively manage last minute clinic changes and requirements

11. To maintain efficient filing and information tracking systems to ensure continuity of care, including electronic case note tracking. To maintain an efficient use of the various patient information tracking systems (E.G, Cerner, ICE etc.)

12. Send out information leaflets where appropriate and provide telephone information/advice to patients as agreed within the team and in accordance with guidelines.

13. To provide short-term cover for annual leave and emergency cover for other Patient Pathway Coordinator/Medical Secretary staff as required.

14. Be willing to adjust own working practices and support speciality wide and trust wide changes that will occur.

15. Any other duties appropriate to the grade and nature of the post.

16. Agree individual Personal Development Plan with line manager.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the full job decription & person spec for further details.

1. To undertake a full range of secretarial duties for consultants and their team.

2. To produce and forward all patient letters, and other correspondence in line with current standards using audio typing and/or dedicated software. Ensuring patient letters on Dictate IT are reviewed and authorised in line with the Trusts guidelines

3. To deal with all post, faxes, e-mails, results etc on a daily basis and prioritise as necessary to ensure consultants and their team are aware of urgent results and information. To ensure all correspondence is managed and prioritised as necessary on a daily basis

4. Take responsibility for all new referrals; liaise with the appointment centre staff and other coordinators such as specialist nurses and cancer MDT coordinators, other nursing and medical staff to ensure new referrals are promptly seen/treated in line with the current guidelines. To help maintain the departments joint referral inbox to ensure they are being reviewed and actioned accordingly

5. Make appointments as required. To liaise with outpatients and other specialties to ensure patients appointments are being actioned/requested in a timely manner and liaise with the Assistant Specialty Manager to raise any capacity concerns.

6. To play a key role in establishing and implementing local policies and procedures that ensure working practices meet the above standards/targets and is centred around

7. Listen to and feel confident with managing patient concerns on the phone and in person in an empathetic and caring manner. This may involve difficult conversations with patients or relatives who may be upset, angry or concerned. This involves listening to and as far as possible resolving situations that can be highly distressing to patients/relatives who may be upset, angry or concerned.

8. Understanding of the Trusts PALS & complaints structure and/or escalating if needed. use initiative to resolve complaints from patients and any other individuals as far as possible. Escalate outstanding concerns as required.

9. Manage the implications of annual leave, organise the amendment of clinics, other fixed commitments and arrange cover for consultants during their absence. Liaising with the Assistant Specialty Manager & Outpatients regarding implications of Consultants leave and management of their clinics in the event of annual leave.

10. To effectively manage last minute clinic changes and requirements

11. To maintain efficient filing and information tracking systems to ensure continuity of care, including electronic case note tracking. To maintain an efficient use of the various patient information tracking systems (E.G, Cerner, ICE etc.)

12. Send out information leaflets where appropriate and provide telephone information/advice to patients as agreed within the team and in accordance with guidelines.

13. To provide short-term cover for annual leave and emergency cover for other Patient Pathway Coordinator/Medical Secretary staff as required.

14. Be willing to adjust own working practices and support speciality wide and trust wide changes that will occur.

15. Any other duties appropriate to the grade and nature of the post.

16. Agree individual Personal Development Plan with line manager.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general standard of education to GCSE level or equivalent including English
  • RSA II or equivalent in word processing/audio typing RSA III. Medical secretarial qualification (BSMS certificate) or equivalent

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • oExcellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills
  • oExcellent telephone manner
  • oKnowledge of NHS priorities and understanding of the guidelines and targets in own area of work (*)
  • oTo have an understanding or be willing to learn the departments patient pathway
  • ooAwareness and understanding of NHS pressures
  • oExperience of working in a large complex organisation and a multidisciplinary environment
  • Experience in using patient administration systems

Desirable

  • oWorking knowledge of a range of software packages e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint, and locally used data bases
  • Experience of working in busy environment
  • oExperience in using patient administration systems (I.E. Cerner, Dictate IT, ICE etc.)
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general standard of education to GCSE level or equivalent including English
  • RSA II or equivalent in word processing/audio typing RSA III. Medical secretarial qualification (BSMS certificate) or equivalent

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • oExcellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills
  • oExcellent telephone manner
  • oKnowledge of NHS priorities and understanding of the guidelines and targets in own area of work (*)
  • oTo have an understanding or be willing to learn the departments patient pathway
  • ooAwareness and understanding of NHS pressures
  • oExperience of working in a large complex organisation and a multidisciplinary environment
  • Experience in using patient administration systems

Desirable

  • oWorking knowledge of a range of software packages e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint, and locally used data bases
  • Experience of working in busy environment
  • oExperience in using patient administration systems (I.E. Cerner, Dictate IT, ICE etc.)

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

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Royal Surrey Hospital

Egerton Road

Guildford

GU2 7XX


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Royal Surrey Hospital

Egerton Road

Guildford

GU2 7XX


Employer's website

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


For questions about the job, contact:

Assistant Specialty Manager GI

Jo O'Kane

jokane2@nhs.net

01483571122

Date posted

24 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,857 to £30,570 a year per annum including ( HCAS ) High Cost Area Supplement

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

384-AR-EMF18201

Job locations

The Royal Surrey Hospital

Egerton Road

Guildford

GU2 7XX


Supporting documents

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