Job summary
- Main area
- Medical Secretary - Thoracic Medicine
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- 37.5 hours per week (Full time - 37.5 hours per week)
- Job ref
- 216-EG-M7272195
- Employer
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Derriford Hospital
- Town
- Plymouth
- Salary
- £24,937 - £26,598 £24,937 - £26,598 Per Annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 16/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Medical Secretary
NHS AfC: Band 3
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has come up in the Thoracic Medicine Department for a Medical Secretary for 37.5 hours a week. We are looking for an enthusiastic and energetic individual to support Thoracic medicine service. The post is to provide the administration for the Thoracic Medicine clinical team and to ensure patients’ pathways are monitored and kept up to date. The post is interesting and varied and requires the ability to work as a member of a team.
Applicants should have a responsible attitude and be able to demonstrate good communication skills, as close liaison is required within the Directorate, the OAC, and with patients and the general public.
Applicants should demonstrate effective communication, organisational and interpersonal skills, work methodically in a busy working environment, have the ability to work using your own initiative plus the ability to work as a member of a team. Previous NHS demonstrable experience is an advantage.
***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be responsible for making an active contribution to the management and co- ordination of the work of the secretarial team. This will include
- ensuring the delivery of a high quality service to the clinical teams
- enabling the delivery of all access standards
- compliance with administrative process, policy and guidelines
Working for our organisation
We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission.
We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Have knowledge of the latest local and national access standards and targets relevant to the specialty.
- To support the proactive management of all relevant waiting lists and target reports, ensuring that patients do not breach their target waits including 2ww patients in accordance with local and national guidelines.
- Ensure that patients are proactively managed and are ‘pulled’ though the administrative systems designed to support their care journey e.g. obtaining diagnostic results for review, DNAs, removal from waiting lists, expediting referrals etc
- Ensure that all data quality issues are minimised.
- Action data quality and other reports as directed by the Clinical Administration Manager.
- Updating databases and audit management where relevant.
- Ensure you follow the Trust’s APN guidelines and any other standard processes within the Trust.
- Ensure that all outpatient clinical sessions are booked with appropriate patients in an effective and efficient way who do not require the support of the OAC department.
- Ensure correspondence received into the department is dealt with efficiently and effectively.
- Attend specialty meetings as required.
- Ensure that standard process is followed with regard to the management of clinic cancellations.
- Ensure that inpatient and/or day case admissions and theatre bookings are managed in accordance with clinical protocol and Trust policy, where relevant.
- Ensure that patients who are on a long-term condition pathway are managed in accordance with clinical protocol and trust policy, where relevant.
- Ensure that patient case-notes are managed in accordance with Trust policy
- Ensure that telephone queries from colleagues and from patients are both answered and dealt with in a timely way.
- Be fully conversant and comply with all Trust standard processes, policies and guidelines.
- Actively contribute towards the achievement of all administrative quality and performance standards
- Take an active role in all processes designed to support the clinical pathway.
- To support the management of clinical commitments and the diaries for the relevant clinical team.
- Respond in a prompt fashion to all complaints in order to minimise the risk of them becoming more formal, seeking advice where necessary
- Communicate with all levels of Health care staff, including GPs and deal with anxious patients and their relatives/carers with tact, patience and discretion.
- Cover colleagues during annual/sick leave. Supervise new staff/students and support colleagues/other staff when required.
- Use the Trust IT systems on a daily basis to produce and extract information for patient care.
- Provide general administrative support to the clinical team and the clinical pathway as appropriate.
For further details please see the attached JD & PS
Person specification
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Proven ability to work within a clinical office scenario.
- Demonstrates good levels of computer literacy.
- Proven knowledge of waiting list management.
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- NVQ level 3 in either business administration or related subject or equivalent demonstrable experience.
Desirable criteria
- Proven OCR III keyboard skills or equivalent demonstrable experience.
- Proven AMSPAR or equivalent demonstrable experience.
Aptitude & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable ability to deal with difficult/anxious people using tact and diplomacy.
- Demonstrable ability to resolve conflicting situations.
- Demonstrable ability to use own initiative.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lauren Crick
- Job title
- Clinical Admin Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01752 437105
- Additional information
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
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