Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Senior Trust Medical Secretary - Ophthalmology

The closing date is 21 April 2026

Job summary

The Ophthalmology Department at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital are looking for motivated, organised and dedicated individuals to join the Ophthalmic Administration team as Senior Medical Secretaries.

As part of this busy and varied role, the successful candidates will support the Ophthalmology Department by acting as a point of contact for all communications between the medical team, patients, relatives, and external health providers. You will lead a sub-specialty team, ensuring an effective administrative secretarial service, ensuring continuity of service during absence, and provide support to the admin management team.

Main duties of the job

Act as a point of contact for all communications between the Consultant, patients, relatives, all hospital staff, General Practitioners and their staff and outside agencies, maintaining a close working relationship between Consultant's and patients as appropriate. Assist in the management of the office administration of the Consultant and designated clinical team. Provide an effective administrative secretarial service, ensuring continuity of service during the Consultant absence.

To support the delivery of a high quality, safe and compassionate healthcare service,all staff are expected to act as a role model to others in all aspects of their work and consistently demonstrate NNUH's 'PRIDE' values of People focused, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence and demonstrate behaviours that support and encourage an inclusive culture.

The successful candidates will be expected to have excellent communication, organisational skills with the ability to prioritise an everchanging workload, and ability to work independently and as part of a larger team.

Previous secretarial experience is essential, preferably in the medical field.

About us

Join us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and be part of a workforce of over 10,000 staff!

The NNUH is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, providing first-class acute care for around one million people, living in Norfolk and surrounding areas. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute. We are pleased to work closely with the University of East Anglia, providing teaching opportunities for our staff and placement opportunities for their students. We attract some of the best and leading professionals from across the country and are proud that our workforce represents 94 countries from across the world.

We are a friendly, collaborative hospital, working with local services and home to N&N Hospitals Charity

We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:

  • Flexible working hours
  • Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
  • Multi Faith prayer room
  • Discounted gym memberships
  • Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
  • Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
  • Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH site
  • Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
  • On-site Nursery
  • On-site cafes offering staff discounts
  • Support in career development
  • Flexible staff bank
  • Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics

Details

Date posted

16 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£28,392 to £31,157 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

234-25-B2313

Job locations

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Colney Lane

Norwich

NR4 7UY


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Deal efficiently and effectively with direct and indirect (i.e. telephone, face to face) enquiries from patients, all levels of medical and nursing staff, GPs, Social Services and other health professionals and staff. Respond to complex enquiries, providing routine and non-routine information and non-clinical advice, resolving problems where possible. Communicate appropriately with patients who may be fearful, aggressive or have sensitive concerns, needing reassurance and who may present difficulties in communication e.g. terminally ill patients, deaf patients, mentally ill patients and elderly confused patients. To sensitively provide and receive complex information using tact and adapting communication style to meet the needs of individual levels of understanding. Recognise the importance of individual rights in accordance with legislation, policy and procedures.
  • Attend to all communications, for example, emails, faxes, investigation results on a daily basis. Use judgement to undertake a preliminary assessment of content to determine the appropriate course of action and the priority for the consultants/clinical teams attention.
  • Accurately transcribe all correspondence by touch typing from audio/digital dictation or shorthand using knowledge of medical terminology. Generate routine and non-routine correspondence independently.
  • Assist patients and their carers by arranging translation/interpretation facilities.
  • Demonstrate and maintain knowledge and understanding of Trust RTT policy.
  • Update RTT in accordance with Trust guidelines and ensure accurate patient pathways, investigating and correcting errors as required. Assist the Administration and Clerical team with data management utilising PAS and other departmental patient databases.
  • Complete the Tertiary referral proforma/template for internal/external referrals as per Trust policy.
  • Promptly action clinical investigations, results and outcomes. Utilise Trust reports to service and administer waiting lists, which may include outpatient, inpatient, diagnostic and waiting lists where relevant.
  • Book patients from waiting lists and update associated booking systems (e.g. ORSOS, ARIA etc.) in line with departmental requirements and in line with the Trust RTT Policy.

Please view the attached job description for full details of the role, and use your supporting statement to confirm how you meet the essential and desirable criteria on the job specification.

Please note that this advertised position, which is part of occupation code 4211 does not meet the UKVI eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa. The Trust would not be able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Deal efficiently and effectively with direct and indirect (i.e. telephone, face to face) enquiries from patients, all levels of medical and nursing staff, GPs, Social Services and other health professionals and staff. Respond to complex enquiries, providing routine and non-routine information and non-clinical advice, resolving problems where possible. Communicate appropriately with patients who may be fearful, aggressive or have sensitive concerns, needing reassurance and who may present difficulties in communication e.g. terminally ill patients, deaf patients, mentally ill patients and elderly confused patients. To sensitively provide and receive complex information using tact and adapting communication style to meet the needs of individual levels of understanding. Recognise the importance of individual rights in accordance with legislation, policy and procedures.
  • Attend to all communications, for example, emails, faxes, investigation results on a daily basis. Use judgement to undertake a preliminary assessment of content to determine the appropriate course of action and the priority for the consultants/clinical teams attention.
  • Accurately transcribe all correspondence by touch typing from audio/digital dictation or shorthand using knowledge of medical terminology. Generate routine and non-routine correspondence independently.
  • Assist patients and their carers by arranging translation/interpretation facilities.
  • Demonstrate and maintain knowledge and understanding of Trust RTT policy.
  • Update RTT in accordance with Trust guidelines and ensure accurate patient pathways, investigating and correcting errors as required. Assist the Administration and Clerical team with data management utilising PAS and other departmental patient databases.
  • Complete the Tertiary referral proforma/template for internal/external referrals as per Trust policy.
  • Promptly action clinical investigations, results and outcomes. Utilise Trust reports to service and administer waiting lists, which may include outpatient, inpatient, diagnostic and waiting lists where relevant.
  • Book patients from waiting lists and update associated booking systems (e.g. ORSOS, ARIA etc.) in line with departmental requirements and in line with the Trust RTT Policy.

Please view the attached job description for full details of the role, and use your supporting statement to confirm how you meet the essential and desirable criteria on the job specification.

Please note that this advertised position, which is part of occupation code 4211 does not meet the UKVI eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa. The Trust would not be able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Knowledge of medical terminology/AMSPAR qualification
  • Good general standard of literacy and numeracy

Experience

Essential

  • Significant Medical Secretarial experience
  • Previous NHS experience, knowledge of the NHS agenda and government targets, implementing and proposing changes to policy within own work area

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Attitude, aptitude

Essential

  • Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH's PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
  • Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Flexible approach to constantly changing work priorities
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Knowledge of medical terminology/AMSPAR qualification
  • Good general standard of literacy and numeracy

Experience

Essential

  • Significant Medical Secretarial experience
  • Previous NHS experience, knowledge of the NHS agenda and government targets, implementing and proposing changes to policy within own work area

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Attitude, aptitude

Essential

  • Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH's PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
  • Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Flexible approach to constantly changing work priorities

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

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Address

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Colney Lane

Norwich

NR4 7UY


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Address

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Colney Lane

Norwich

NR4 7UY


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Admin Manager

Laura McEwan

Laura.mcewan@nnuh.nhs.uk

01603641368

Details

Date posted

16 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£28,392 to £31,157 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

234-25-B2313

Job locations

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Colney Lane

Norwich

NR4 7UY


Supporting documents

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