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Job summary

Main area
Pathology
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
37.5 hours per week (1 x 37.5 hours based at Whiston Hospital and 1 x 30 hours based at Southport Hospital)
Job ref
409-7084124
Employer
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Prescot, Southport
Town
Prescot, Southport
Salary
£27,485 - £30,162 per annum, pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/08/2025 23:59
Interview date
21/08/2025

Employer heading

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Medical Secretary - Histopathology

NHS AfC: Band 4

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

1 x 37.5 hours based at Whiston Hospital

1 x 30 hours based at Southport Hospital

To provide a comprehensive secretarial service to the Consultant Pathologists, their junior medical staff and the Departmental Manager in the Cellular Pathology Department assisting with the organisation of their workloads.
Manage their own workload and co-ordinate activities with other medical secretaries to ensure that an efficient service is provided.
Carry out duties in such a way as to make a direct and positive contribution to the organisation of the work. It is essential that the candidate exercises initiative commensurate with the role and it is vital that confidentiality is maintained at all times.

The JD & PS are currently under AfC review and are subject to change

Main duties of the job

Typing of histology and non-gynaecological cytology reports into the Telepath system ensuring all patient/requester/clinical details are correct.  Also ensuring correlation between the handwritten/dictated report and the diagnosis written on the request card and pointing out any discrepancies to the medical staff.

Typing hospital/Coroners post mortem reports.

Distribution of post mortem reports once signed out by pathologist in accordance with H.M. Coroner guidelines to previously agreed recipients.

 Maintain a database of all post mortem reports once typed.

Support consultants/Senior Technical staff in non-clinical activities/teaching by preparing presentation documents/production of literature/events/papers, using relevant software package

Operate effective filing and tracking system of Casualty sheets for deceased patients following post mortem.

Maintain case folder location on Careflow obtain case sheets when necessary by telephone or in person. 

Maintain calendar ensuring appropriate personnel are informed of consultant/medical staff annual/professional leave.

General office duties including dealing with incoming and outgoing mail, e-mail, smart printer.  Participate in housekeeping of the office environment.

Arrange Directorate, Departmental and Trust wide meetings, circulate agenda/supporting papers as appropriate and take and type up minutes.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

  • Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
  • Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
  • National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See attached documents in document section.

JD and PS both attached

See attached documents in document section.

JD and PS both attached

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • RSA/OCRIII typing or equivalent
  • Work processing skills
  • Audio-typing skills
  • Knowledge of medical terminology
Desirable criteria
  • AMSPAR or equivalent experience
  • Shorthand skills/speed writing

Experience

Essential criteria
  • 2 years’ experience as medical secretary
  • Excellent IT skills with knowledge of experience of Microsoft office products
Desirable criteria
  • Previous experience within the NHS

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
  • Ability to manage difficult/sensitive situations
  • Able to use own initiative and manage/prioritise own workload
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Ability to accurately maintain computerised and manual filing/documentation system
  • Ability to work as part of a team
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge of Hospital IT systems

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Nursing TimesApprenticeships logoDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardNavajo - Merseyside and CheshireCare quality commission - OutstandingDying to Work CharterStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingNHS Rainbow Badge - BronzeDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldPeople Promise

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Janine Pennington
Job title
Cellular Pathology Service Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0151 430 2372
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