Job summary
- Main area
- Admin
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Fixed term: 9 months (Maternity Cover. May become permanent. Secondment opportunity can be considered.)
- Hours
- Part time - 26 hours per week
- Job ref
- 419-7246349-MS-FH
- Employer
- York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- York Hospital
- Town
- York
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 24/07/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Paediatric Medical Secretary
Band 4
Please note that contact with applicants will usually be by email, and so please check all of your mail folders regularly (unfortunately some providers filter our messages into junk mail folders).
Our Values
- We are KIND
- We are OPEN
- We pursue EXCELLENCE
We are looking for applications from people who share our values to help make us a valued and trusted partner within our care system, that delivers safe effective care to our local population.
People for Patients. Our People, our Patients, our Priority
Job overview
An opportunity has arisen for a 9-month fixed term/secondment maternity cover to work in our friendly Paediatric Secretarial team. We are a team of 12 secretaries who support 21 consultants with their administration needs. The successful applicant would have their own consultant(s) to support which will include typing patient letters, minuting meetings, organising diaries, general administration and being their ‘go to’ person.
This role is busy, varied and requires a logical, methodical way of working.
The post holder, where applicable, will provide day-to-day work supervision of Assistant Medical Secretaries, Relief Medical Secretaries, and administrative staff within their designated team.
The Trust operates a flexible working policy, and this role would suit someone who wants to work around school hours or is looking for a good work/life balance.
We look forward to hearing from you!
The working pattern for this role is Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 08:00 - 15:00.
This vacancy will be considered for a secondment opportunity. Please note - if you would like your application to be considered for secondment, you must secure agreement from your line manager beforehand that you can be released to undertake the role.
Please note: This role may become Permanent at the end of Fixed Term/Secondment.
Main duties of the job
- Provide a full and comprehensive Personal Assistant/Secretarial service to consultants and other clinical team members.
- Accurately transcribe complicated dictation with complex medical terminology, requiring concentration and attention to detail.
- Take, write, and distribute both formal and informal minutes associated with departmental/directorate meetings.
- Receive and process incoming mail.
- Triage calls and respond proactively and sympathetically with patients and families who may be distressed or bereaved.
- Managing consultant diaries, arranging meetings, events, travel, accommodation etc.
- Oversight of consultant leave and subsequent clinic changes.
- Demonstrate excellent organisational skills with the ability to work independently as well as part of a team. Prioritising workload under pressure to meet deadlines.
- Be aware of patient situations/pathways in relation to admissions/treatments and ensure these comply with current Trust and Government referral to treatment waiting time targets.
- Have a clear overview of and monitor worklists, waiting lists and RTT pathways.
- Use own initiative and judgement to prioritise and escalate patient care where necessary.
- Ensure efficient secretarial service is maintained in the absence of colleagues.
- Provide day to day work supervision of Assistant/Relief Medical Secretaries and administration staff.
- Assist management in the recruitment, selection and induction of Assistant Medical Secretaries/administrative staff
Working for our organisation
Our benefits
We offer a range of benefits to support our staff including:
- Access to the NHS Pension Scheme, providing generous benefits upon retirement, as well as a lump sum and pension for dependants
- 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service)
- A variety of different types of paid and unpaid leave covering emergency and planned leave
- Confidential advice and support on personal, work, family and relationship issues, 24/7, from our Employee Assistance Programme
- NHS Car Lease scheme and Cycle to Work scheme
- An extensive range of learning and development opportunities
- Discounts on restaurants, getaways, shopping, motoring, cinema and finance from a range of providers
For further information on the fantastic range of benefits we offer please visit the Trust's dedicated Staff Benefits pages.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
A full description of the role is available in the attachment: job description.
Please note that if a high number of applications are received this advert may close early. You are advised to submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
Working for the Trust
Across our organisation, people are guided by values that were co-developed with staff: we are kind; we are open; and we pursue excellence.
Our values play into our ambition to develop a more diverse workforce, truly representative of our communities. We welcome applications from everyone, while working with our Staff Networks - including our Race Equality, LGBTQ+, Disability and Carers Networks - to increase the number of applications we receive from different backgrounds. If there is anything we can do to make our application process more accessible to you, please contact: yhs-tr.[email protected].
As part of seeking to become more inclusive, we will consider requests for flexible working from the start of your employment. It may not be suitable for every role, but we will try and be supportive where we can. We would encourage you to speak to the recruiting manager named within this advert to discuss any requirements you may have.
Armed Forces Friendly Employer
We are holders of the Gold Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers. This means that we have made a statement of intent to support all Defence personnel, including with applications for employment.
Person specification
Education, Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
- • GCSE English Language, Grade C or above (or equivalent)
- • Word processing skills – OCR II (or equivalent experience), Typing skills OCR II (or equivalent experience)
- • Evidence of continued professional development
Desirable criteria
- • ECDL
- • Qualification or appropriate training in Customer Service
- • AMSPAR
Experience and Knowledge Required
Essential criteria
- • Thorough knowledge of medical terminology
- • Minimum 2 years secretarial/administrative experience
- • Experience of using a variety of IT applications, including Microsoft Office
Desirable criteria
- • Experience of staff supervision
- • NHS Experience
Skills and Attributes
Essential criteria
- • Ability to communicate and explain with all levels and disciplines of staff, patients, carers and external agencies
- • Ability to manage and prioritise conflicting deadlines and pressures
- • Proficient audio typist with the ability to accurately transcribe complex audio tapes and type complicated medical information whilst subject to frequent interruption
Aptitude and Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- • Ability to cope with distressing and emotional situations with patients, relatives and staff
- • High level of interpersonal skills, including sensitivity, diplomacy and empathy
- • Ability to be flexible and to adapt to new demands
- • Ability to get on well with members of a team
- • Ability to work on own initiative
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Cleo Glendinning
- Job title
- Administration Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01904 721898
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