Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Admin Support/Support Secretary

The closing date is 30 June 2025

Job summary

1. The post holder will be responsible for providing support to the Service, ensuring provision of an efficient and effective administrative service. This is a busy area with high throughput of work and staff are required to work efficiently as part of a team whilst maintaining courtesy, tact and diplomacy at all times. It will be necessary to work to deadlines and be adaptable to last minute changes.

Main duties of the job

  • Provide support to the secretarial service including topping and tailing of letters
  • Liaise with the Outpatient Department and Nursing team ensuring that outcomes from clinic letters are arranged and actioned as necessary.
  • Be responsible for the filing of patient results/documentation in patient records in line with the medical records policy.
  • To implement secretarial procedures and use medical terminology.
  • Be responsible for the distribution of internal and external post.
  • Tracking in on receipt and out on despatch of medical records brought to the office.
  • Be responsible for the filing of patient results/documentation in patient records in line with the medical records policy.
  • To provide audio typing support to the Orthopaedics service

To provide administrative support to the consultants, registrars, Specialist Nurse and other members of the team

  • To cover for other members of the admin & clerical team in their absence
  • Liaise and maintain close working relationships with other secretaries, clinicians and management to ensure a smooth and efficient service.
  • Develop office and secretarial practices to continually improve service delivery.
  • Adhere to Trust policies and procedures. To participate in reviewing policies for own work area.
  • Update and maintain databases as required.
  • To assist as directed in the maintenance of the departmental waiting list (RTT).

To deal appropriately with telephone calls into the Department

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.

Our Values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Details

Date posted

24 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,071 to £25,674 a year pa

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

418-T&O8064-VR

Job locations

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Provide support to the secretarial service including topping and tailing of letters
  • Liaise with the Outpatient Department and Nursing team ensuring that outcomes from clinic letters are arranged and actioned as necessary.
  • Be responsible for the filing of patient results/documentation in patient records in line with the medical records policy.
  • To implement secretarial procedures and use medical terminology.
  • Be responsible for the distribution of internal and external post.
  • Tracking in on receipt and out on despatch of medical records brought to the office.
  • Be responsible for the filing of patient results/documentation in patient records in line with the medical records policy.
  • To provide audio typing support to the Orthopaedics service

To provide administrative support to the consultants, registrars, Specialist Nurse and other members of the team

  • To cover for other members of the admin & clerical team in their absence
  • Liaise and maintain close working relationships with other secretaries, clinicians and management to ensure a smooth and efficient service.
  • Develop office and secretarial practices to continually improve service delivery.
  • Adhere to Trust policies and procedures. To participate in reviewing policies for own work area.
  • Update and maintain databases as required.
  • To assist as directed in the maintenance of the departmental waiting list (RTT).

To deal appropriately with telephone calls into the Department

Prioritizing and actioning of incoming and outgoing mail, including e-mail, faxes, internal and external correspondence with the timely distribution of mail to the relevant place.

Managing telephone calls, many of which will be of a sensitive nature from patients, relatives, members of the public, GPs, healthcare professionals, and hospital departments all of which require a high level of patient confidentiality

To assist in setting/cancelling clinics as well as checking systems to ensure clinics are running correctly

Any other reasonable requests by the manager

To provide admin assistance to service manager from time to time

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Provide support to the secretarial service including topping and tailing of letters
  • Liaise with the Outpatient Department and Nursing team ensuring that outcomes from clinic letters are arranged and actioned as necessary.
  • Be responsible for the filing of patient results/documentation in patient records in line with the medical records policy.
  • To implement secretarial procedures and use medical terminology.
  • Be responsible for the distribution of internal and external post.
  • Tracking in on receipt and out on despatch of medical records brought to the office.
  • Be responsible for the filing of patient results/documentation in patient records in line with the medical records policy.
  • To provide audio typing support to the Orthopaedics service

To provide administrative support to the consultants, registrars, Specialist Nurse and other members of the team

  • To cover for other members of the admin & clerical team in their absence
  • Liaise and maintain close working relationships with other secretaries, clinicians and management to ensure a smooth and efficient service.
  • Develop office and secretarial practices to continually improve service delivery.
  • Adhere to Trust policies and procedures. To participate in reviewing policies for own work area.
  • Update and maintain databases as required.
  • To assist as directed in the maintenance of the departmental waiting list (RTT).

To deal appropriately with telephone calls into the Department

Prioritizing and actioning of incoming and outgoing mail, including e-mail, faxes, internal and external correspondence with the timely distribution of mail to the relevant place.

Managing telephone calls, many of which will be of a sensitive nature from patients, relatives, members of the public, GPs, healthcare professionals, and hospital departments all of which require a high level of patient confidentiality

To assist in setting/cancelling clinics as well as checking systems to ensure clinics are running correctly

Any other reasonable requests by the manager

To provide admin assistance to service manager from time to time

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good standard of English, both written and spoken.
  • Numerate
  • Good knowledge of IT applications

Desirable

  • 5 GCSEs (A-C) including English, Maths and Science

Knowledge

Essential

  • Previous experience as an audio typist or administration experience
  • Knowledge of the Data Protection Act, patient confidentiality

Desirable

  • Comprehensive understanding of data management and managing complex datasets
  • Previous experience within the NHS

communication

Essential

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Creative and flexible

Desirable

  • Able to interact with tact and diplomacy
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good standard of English, both written and spoken.
  • Numerate
  • Good knowledge of IT applications

Desirable

  • 5 GCSEs (A-C) including English, Maths and Science

Knowledge

Essential

  • Previous experience as an audio typist or administration experience
  • Knowledge of the Data Protection Act, patient confidentiality

Desirable

  • Comprehensive understanding of data management and managing complex datasets
  • Previous experience within the NHS

communication

Essential

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Creative and flexible

Desirable

  • Able to interact with tact and diplomacy

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

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ


Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ


Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Assistant Service Manager

Jabber Haq

jabber.haq@ldh.nhs.uk

07484093258

Details

Date posted

24 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,071 to £25,674 a year pa

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

418-T&O8064-VR

Job locations

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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