Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Pathology support secretary

The closing date is 13 August 2025

Job summary

Enthusiastic, friendly and well-motivated individuals are needed to join the administration team within the Cellular Pathology Department.

The post holder will provide an efficient and effective secretarial and administrative service to the Pathology Department including Consultants, their medical teams and laboratory personnel.

Main duties of the job

  • Provide information and advice when dealing with enquiries either in person or by telephone from members of staff, patients, general practitioners and the general public, with subsequent referral to medical, scientific or administrative staff as appropriate.
  • Communicate with patients (Andrology) for whom English is not their first language and patients with disabilities that could make communication difficult eg following a CVA.
  • Receive and forward case notes to Health Records Department using correct Moving & Handling technique
  • Word processing/audio typing of complex laboratory reports and input onto the Pathology Computer system.
  • As part of the administration team, ensure adequate departmental stationery stock supplies and provide occasional cover for the Pathology Store Keeper.
  • Process and dispatch departmental internal and external mail
  • Devise and maintain departmental filing systems using departmental scanning system.
  • Operate the Trusts computer systems including Patient Administration System, ALS System, Winscribe, Pathosys, COSD Protocol, Case Note Tracking, RIS System, SMART, ESR, email and intranet as appropriate.
  • Operate the Pathology computer systems - LabCentre, QCLite, QPulse
  • Sort and distribute Pathology reports to Wards, Departments and General Practitioners.
  • Answer telephone within the department and for colleagues in office during their absence.

About us

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we're always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care, appreciate and inspire - to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including, a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

Details

Date posted

30 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

236-DPG-AC180-25

Job locations

The Royal Oldham

Rochdale rd.

Oldham

OL1 2JH


Job description

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Job description

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • 3 GCSE's (or equivalent) Grade C or above. One to include English Language
  • RSA II Audio/Copy Typing or equivalent demonstrable skills
  • ECDL or equivalent demonstrable skills

Knowledge

Essential

  • Practical and working knowledge of Microsoft Office

Desirable

  • Practical and working knowledge of medical terminology

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communication skills enabling tact and diplomacy when relaying sensitive information to staff, patients and relatives, some of whom may exhibit challenging behaviour
  • Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritise workload effectively
  • Ability to work quickly and accurately, using own initiative in relaying complex medical information
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively as a member of a team
  • Organisational skills in managing own workload
  • Awareness of confidentiality
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • 3 GCSE's (or equivalent) Grade C or above. One to include English Language
  • RSA II Audio/Copy Typing or equivalent demonstrable skills
  • ECDL or equivalent demonstrable skills

Knowledge

Essential

  • Practical and working knowledge of Microsoft Office

Desirable

  • Practical and working knowledge of medical terminology

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communication skills enabling tact and diplomacy when relaying sensitive information to staff, patients and relatives, some of whom may exhibit challenging behaviour
  • Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritise workload effectively
  • Ability to work quickly and accurately, using own initiative in relaying complex medical information
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively as a member of a team
  • Organisational skills in managing own workload
  • Awareness of confidentiality

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

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Royal Oldham

Rochdale rd.

Oldham

OL1 2JH


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Royal Oldham

Rochdale rd.

Oldham

OL1 2JH


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Pathology Admin Supervisor

Caroline Kavanagh

caroline.kavanagh@nca.nhs.uk

01616561010

Details

Date posted

30 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

236-DPG-AC180-25

Job locations

The Royal Oldham

Rochdale rd.

Oldham

OL1 2JH


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust 's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)