Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To undertake a full range of secretarial duties for consultants and their team.                                                                                                                                                    To produce and forward all patient letters, and other correspondence in line with current standards using audio typing and/or dedicated software. 
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.
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. 
Make appointments as required                                                                              Prepare relevant notes, results and scans for clinics.  Use initiative to obtain missing details, results and x-rays.
To understand the full patient pathway, and the impact of local decisions on this pathway  by having thorough knowledge of working practices, medical treatments,  associated speciality(ies), and  departments.
Understand and work to achieve the national and local standards and guidelines for patient care (e.g. two week wait rule, inpatient and outpatient waiting targets, targets for investigations, turnaround times for correspondence, 62/31 day cancer targets, etc); 
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 the Patient 
Take responsibility for amending a patient’s pathways wherever possible and escalate as necessary. 
Understand the implications of Patient Choice and electronic booking and proactively manage changes that will need to be incurred in the speciality.
To be aware of funding arrangements and ensure funding is confirmed for patients out of area / out of contract, in close liaison with general/speciality manager and PCT Liaison offices. 
To make arrangements relating to patient admissions in liaison with admission staff, diagnostic departments and transport desk as required.
To take all telephone calls from patients, relatives, members of the public and other professional organisations in an efficient, tactful and compassionate manner.
Listen to and manage patient concerns.   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.
Provide information to patients as agreed with the consultant, and in close collaboration with the team. 
Understand of the complaints procedure and use initiative to resolve complaints from patients and any other individuals as far as possible. Escalate outstanding concerns as required. 
Manage the implications of annual leave, organise the amendment of clinics, other fixed commitments and arrange cover for consultants during their absence.
Provide a comprehensive personal assistant service to consultants. This may involve diary management, arranging meetings, travel and conference details as required.
Regulate out-patient clinics as required.
To maintain efficient filing and information tracking systems to ensure continuity of care, including electronic case note tracking. 
Send out information leaflets where appropriate and provide telephone information/advice to patients as agreed within the team and in accordance with guidelines. 
To utilise the Trust’s Patient Administration System (OASIS) and other information systems (e.g. WinPath) as required.  Ensure patient information has been entered correctly and amend as necessary.
To provide cross cover for other secretarial staff as required.
Supervise and train agency and bank temporary staff and provide appropriate checks to ensure that standards are maintained. 
Day to day supervision and training of medical secretarial staff and/other clerical staff. 
Support the induction of junior doctors
Collect and capture audit data as required. 
Assist General / Site / Office Manager or Consultant with statistics and information requirements on spreadsheets and power point presentations.
To liaise with other departments within the RSCH, liaise and co-ordinate with GP practice staff and staff in other hospitals as necessary.
Be willing to adjust own working practices and support speciality wide and trust wide changes that will occur e.g. as a consequence of implementation of Connecting for Health (CfH), the national programme for IT.  (this may require further training).
Ensure that the supply of stationery and office equipment is well maintained with particular emphasis on waste. Take responsibility for ordering stationary.