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Job summary

Main area
Histopathology
Grade
Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
259-8022892ESEL
Employer
Barts Health NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
80 Newark Street
Town
London
Salary
£34,186 - £37,389 per annum inc
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
14/06/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Barts Health NHS Trust logo

Medical Secretary

Band 4

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. 

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

Barts Health supports the Pregnancy Loss Pledge and commits to supporting their staff through the distress of miscarriage.

We are dedicated to being an outstanding place to work and will work with you to get the best experience. We know flexible working is not a one size fits all and will mean something different to everyone. We are inclusive, so if you are interested in flexible working, please speak to the recruiting manager.

Job overview

The Cellular Pathology department is looking to recruit a Senior Medical Secretary to carry out data entry and general secretarial work under the direction of the Office Manager. The successful candidate will be joining our office team supporting scientists and doctors in a modern laboratory. Our facilities are close to underground and DLR services.  The laboratory is UKAS and HCPC accredited. Our commitment to supporting continuing professional development is evidenced by an excellent training record. 

For an informal discussion please contact Ruhena Choudhury-Office manager on 0203 2460172

 

Main duties of the job

The main purpose of this role is to participate in ensuring the comprehensive delivery of administrative services within Cellular Pathology.  This involves being an active and supportive member of the departments administrative and clerical team, ensuring a smooth and effective service. 

In summary, the post holder will ensure:

·         Efficient Multidisciplinary Team meeting preparation

·         Accurate and timely transcriptions of reports

·         Support the coordination of workflows and deputise in the absence of the office manager

·         Support the maintenance and development of SOPs for the department

·         Support the training and development of new staff members

·         Provide general office support to staff within the service 

·         Ensure all databases are updated for audits and learning

·         Deal with telephone and email queries

Working for our organisation

Between 2021 and 2024 the Partnership undertook a complex transformation programme to establish a single network of laboratories, underpinned by a single Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and single Quality Management System (QMS). 

The Partnership has a main hub laboratory at the Royal London Hospital and Essential Service Laboratories (ESL) as a minimum at the six other hospital sites served by the Partnership. The Partnership has three operational divisions: 

  • Blood Sciences including Haematology, Blood Transfusion and Biochemistry 

  • Microbiology and Virology 

  • Cellular Pathology and Cancer Diagnostics 

The 2024/25 total operating costs across the Partnership were c. £121m per annum with a workforce establishment of circa. 860 WTE. 

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are underrepresented within the Pathology Partnership and Barts Health at this band 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • GCSE Passes in English and Maths at C grade or equivalent
  • Typing Qualification.
  • Medical terminology or equivalent experience
Desirable criteria
  • GCSE standard attained in other science subjects or equivalent.
  • AMSPAR Qualification.
  • Leadership Qualification i.e. ILM3.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Previous experience of working in an NHS environment.
  • Worked in an office environment typing medical content.
  • Dealing with telephone enquiries.
Desirable criteria
  • Previous computing experience or VDU work.
  • Good working knowledge of cellular pathology processes.

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and histopathology terminology.
  • Ability to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel spreadsheets and Access databases, including the extraction of data by queries and the preparation of reports.
Desirable criteria
  • Previous pathology-based administrative work experience.

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Typing speed of over 55 WPM
  • Good IT skills including Microsoft Word and Office..
  • Good interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
  • Ability to communicate with staff at different levels of the organisation.
  • Ability to prioritise workload, innovate & work as part of a large team to meet.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience with databases
  • Touch typing skills.

Other

Essential criteria
  • Able to undertake housekeeping duties.
  • Able to perform required duties with any appropriate aids or adaptations.
  • Ability to work on own initiative and take routine decisions.
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to share knowledge and engage others in project.t
  • Flexible approach to service needs.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Green@Barts HealthNHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveInvestors in People: GoldImproving working livesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Pregnancy Loss PledgeDisability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Happy to Talk Flexible Working

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Ruhena Choudhury
Job title
Office manager
Email address
[email protected]
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