University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Medical Secretary

The closing date is 16 March 2026

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen within the Oncology Department for an experienced hard working, efficient and self-motivated person to join our team as Medical Secretary working 37.5hrs per week.This is a busy and interesting post in which you will be expected to communicate effectively with members of the Oncology team, other teams, Oncology patients and other service users. With excellent communication and interpersonal skills, you will need to be able to work well both independently and as a member of this dynamic team to deliver a high quality efficient service. Thorough working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages is essential. An RSA II qualification is desirable and understanding of medical terminology would also be an advantage. Reliability, punctuality, integrity and the ability to work calmly under pressure are key qualities and excellent organisational skills are required.

***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

Main Duties

  • To provide administration support for 2 Consultants and other clinical staff.
  • Liaise and book patient appointments
  • Monitoring and validating primary target lists
  • Clinic Dictations to be Audio Typed
  • Action Data Quality Reports
  • Liaise with other Trusts and Multi Disciplinary teams

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.

Details

Date posted

02 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year £24,937 - £26,598 Per Annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

216-AM-DB7825340

Job locations

Derriford Hospital

Brest Road

PLYMOUTH

PL6 8DH


Job description

Job responsibilities

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 theatre and outpatient sessions due to Consultant leave, junior doctors leave, oncall commitments, CME, Audit and Directorate meeting.

To obtain hospital casenotes and x-rays 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 discharge summary/proformas are completed.

For further details please see attached JD&PS.

Job description

Job responsibilities

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 theatre and outpatient sessions due to Consultant leave, junior doctors leave, oncall commitments, CME, Audit and Directorate meeting.

To obtain hospital casenotes and x-rays 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 discharge summary/proformas are completed.

For further details please see attached JD&PS.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • oPrevious demonstrable experience as a medical secretary.
  • oDemonstrate ability to use all main software packages

Desirable

  • oPrevious demonstrable experience of working in acute care setting.
  • oDemonstrable experience in Minute taking.

Qualifications

Essential

  • oNVQ 3 in Business and Administration or equivalent demonstrable experience
  • Audio typing qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience.

Desirable

  • To have gained or to be working towards ECDL qualification or equivalent

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential

  • Able to work well within busy environment and meet deadlines
  • Professional manner
  • Ability to communicate at all levels
Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • oPrevious demonstrable experience as a medical secretary.
  • oDemonstrate ability to use all main software packages

Desirable

  • oPrevious demonstrable experience of working in acute care setting.
  • oDemonstrable experience in Minute taking.

Qualifications

Essential

  • oNVQ 3 in Business and Administration or equivalent demonstrable experience
  • Audio typing qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience.

Desirable

  • To have gained or to be working towards ECDL qualification or equivalent

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential

  • Able to work well within busy environment and meet deadlines
  • Professional manner
  • Ability to communicate at all levels

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Address

Derriford Hospital

Brest Road

PLYMOUTH

PL6 8DH


Employer's website

https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Address

Derriford Hospital

Brest Road

PLYMOUTH

PL6 8DH


Employer's website

https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Oncology Support Manager

Samantha Norrish

samantha.norrish1@nhs.net

01752433655

Details

Date posted

02 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year £24,937 - £26,598 Per Annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

216-AM-DB7825340

Job locations

Derriford Hospital

Brest Road

PLYMOUTH

PL6 8DH


Supporting documents

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