Job summary
We are looking for a Medical Secretary to join the Clinical Haematology and Biochemistry team on a 6 month fixed term basis.
The role will be responsible for co-ordinating and delivering a comprehensive medical secretarial and personal assistant service to Consultant Haematologists and other clinical team members in an efficient and timely manner, working on own initiative. Maintain good communications between the consultant, patients, carers and other health professionals.
To contribute to the effective delivery of patient care, through knowledge of consultant practice and hospital systems as well as trust targets in relation to cancer pathways.
To aid in the supervision of trainee/junior staff, bank/agency staff and filing clerk as necessary within your area.
To maintain absolute patient confidentially in accordance with the Trust's Code of Practice for Patient Confidentiality.
Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS at Risk staff throughout Devon who is able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.
Main duties of the job
Provide and deliver a high standard of full secretarial and personal assistant service to the consultant and his/her medical team using a varied range of work procedures, many of which are non-routine, requiring a level of theoretical knowledge.
Weekly workload to incorporate, clinics:-
- Outpatient clinics
- Sub-specialty clinics
- New patient clinics
- Joint clinics
- Nurse-led clinics
About us
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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
- Prioritise own workload including the typing of clinics, booking patients, discharge summaries and medical reports. Inform GPs of patient results via letter dictated by Consultant.
- Manage RTT, Follow Up and New PTL in line with the Trusts Access Policy.
- Ensure effective communication with all members of the multi-disciplinary team.
- Sort and deal with all correspondence, keeping a satisfactory record and filing system.
- Collate results with patient casenotes, ensuring that they are seen and actioned promptly by the relevant clinician.
- Take appropriate actions with regard to telephone calls from patients, GPs and other agencies using initiative, within Trust guidelines.
- Maintain an up to date diary for the Consultants / team, inform relevant staff of cancelled and reduced outpatient sessions due to Consultant leave, junior doctors leave, on-call commitments and various meetings.
- To obtain hospital casenotes from both within the Trust and external agencies when required by the Consultant and/or team.
- To ensure that the casenotes are traced accurately using PiMS at all times and retuned to Health Records in a timely manner. To raise hospital casenotes as necessary, ensuring that accurate and full details are entered onto PiMS in line with the Trusts APN for health records.
- Required to cover for other colleagues during annual leave/sickness or peak workloads.
- Arrange patient admissions as directed by the Consultant/team, taking into account clinical priority ensuring that any relevant investigations or pre-assessment appointments are booked.
- Inform the ward of patient admissions and provide hospital notes, rebook cancelled patients/informing patients of cancellations.
- Ensure that appropriate clinic follow up is actioned as appropriate, i.e. outpatient appointments, investigations, add patients to waiting list, re-admissions and referrals to other Consultants/departments.
- Work with the junior doctors to ensure that the clinic outcomes, discharge summary/proformas are completed.
- Ensure timely dispatch of clinical letters to GPs.
- Obtain results ensuring that the Consultant /or medical team see them and action in a timely manner.
- Provide other secretarial assistance to the team as required, typing up correspondence, references for junior staff and administration and maintain filing system of this correspondence.
- Exposure to distressing/emotional circumstances i.e. typing letters of a distressing nature, dealing with distressed, anxious and angry patients and relatives in person or by telephone.
- Requirement to exert physical effort when dealing with quantities of notes and when retrieving notes from outpatients after Consultant clinics each week and filing them accordingly.
- Requirement to work with DSE for at least 75% of the working day
For further details please see the attached JD
Job description
Job responsibilities
PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
- Prioritise own workload including the typing of clinics, booking patients, discharge summaries and medical reports. Inform GPs of patient results via letter dictated by Consultant.
- Manage RTT, Follow Up and New PTL in line with the Trusts Access Policy.
- Ensure effective communication with all members of the multi-disciplinary team.
- Sort and deal with all correspondence, keeping a satisfactory record and filing system.
- Collate results with patient casenotes, ensuring that they are seen and actioned promptly by the relevant clinician.
- Take appropriate actions with regard to telephone calls from patients, GPs and other agencies using initiative, within Trust guidelines.
- Maintain an up to date diary for the Consultants / team, inform relevant staff of cancelled and reduced outpatient sessions due to Consultant leave, junior doctors leave, on-call commitments and various meetings.
- To obtain hospital casenotes from both within the Trust and external agencies when required by the Consultant and/or team.
- To ensure that the casenotes are traced accurately using PiMS at all times and retuned to Health Records in a timely manner. To raise hospital casenotes as necessary, ensuring that accurate and full details are entered onto PiMS in line with the Trusts APN for health records.
- Required to cover for other colleagues during annual leave/sickness or peak workloads.
- Arrange patient admissions as directed by the Consultant/team, taking into account clinical priority ensuring that any relevant investigations or pre-assessment appointments are booked.
- Inform the ward of patient admissions and provide hospital notes, rebook cancelled patients/informing patients of cancellations.
- Ensure that appropriate clinic follow up is actioned as appropriate, i.e. outpatient appointments, investigations, add patients to waiting list, re-admissions and referrals to other Consultants/departments.
- Work with the junior doctors to ensure that the clinic outcomes, discharge summary/proformas are completed.
- Ensure timely dispatch of clinical letters to GPs.
- Obtain results ensuring that the Consultant /or medical team see them and action in a timely manner.
- Provide other secretarial assistance to the team as required, typing up correspondence, references for junior staff and administration and maintain filing system of this correspondence.
- Exposure to distressing/emotional circumstances i.e. typing letters of a distressing nature, dealing with distressed, anxious and angry patients and relatives in person or by telephone.
- Requirement to exert physical effort when dealing with quantities of notes and when retrieving notes from outpatients after Consultant clinics each week and filing them accordingly.
- Requirement to work with DSE for at least 75% of the working day
For further details please see the attached JD
Person Specification
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Previous demonstrable experience within a similar role
- Demonstrate ability to use all main software packages.
- Demonstrate use of hospital software iPMS.
- Demonstrable experience of audio typing
Desirable
- Previous demonstrable experience of working in a Haematology Department
- Minute taking
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration
- OCR level II or equivalent demonstrable experience
Desirable
Aptitude & Abilities
Essential
- Excellent organisational skills.
- Ability to communicate at all levels.
- Excellent telephone manner.
- Ability to handle difficult/distressed patients in a sensitive and empathetic manner.
- Professional manner
- Adaptability, flexibility and ability to multi task
- Desire to achieve and sustain high standards
- Patient, calm approach
- Able to cope with sensitive nature of work
- Able to work well in a busy environment and meet deadlines
- Able to work as part of a team and independently as required.
Person Specification
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Previous demonstrable experience within a similar role
- Demonstrate ability to use all main software packages.
- Demonstrate use of hospital software iPMS.
- Demonstrable experience of audio typing
Desirable
- Previous demonstrable experience of working in a Haematology Department
- Minute taking
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration
- OCR level II or equivalent demonstrable experience
Desirable
Aptitude & Abilities
Essential
- Excellent organisational skills.
- Ability to communicate at all levels.
- Excellent telephone manner.
- Ability to handle difficult/distressed patients in a sensitive and empathetic manner.
- Professional manner
- Adaptability, flexibility and ability to multi task
- Desire to achieve and sustain high standards
- Patient, calm approach
- Able to cope with sensitive nature of work
- Able to work well in a busy environment and meet deadlines
- Able to work as part of a team and independently as required.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
