Go back
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Academic PA

The closing date is 06 April 2026

Apply for this job

Job summary

The role of the Academic P.A. is key to the efficient management of the consultant firm. Patient access to healthcare professionals and subsequent treatment planning in the specialist hospital setting relies upon well-co-ordinated organisational and administrative support. The role of the Academic P.A. has been introduced at the Trust to strengthen the secretarial service, and this job description outlines the responsibilities that the post is likely to encompass. However, a number of the posts differ in their emphasis depending upon the size of the consultant's clinical practice and administrative team, and whether they also have an Administrative P.A. and / or a Medical Secretary(s).

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for the provision of a comprehensive Academic P.A. service. The postholder will liaise with all colleagues within the multidisciplinary team, and with internal departments and external agencies to ensure the continuity of patient treatment. This is a general job description, which may be developed over time to meet the specific needs of the Clinical Unit, in conjunction with the post holder.

About us

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals - one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey - as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.

At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.

At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.

Details

Date posted

25 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£35,763 to £43,466 a year pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

282-C1343

Job locations

Royal Marsden Hospital Sutton

Sutton

SM2 5PT


Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information please refer to the job description and personal specification

  • To act as the first point of contact for users of the service, and to proactively deal with telephone enquiries from patients, their Carers, GPs and colleagues in other hospitals in a professional manner.
  • To open and action their own electronic and paper mail and that of the consultant team, at least once a day.
  • To input and maintain patient diagnoses and current clinical unit data on the Hospital Information System, and other patient-related information as required.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information please refer to the job description and personal specification

  • To act as the first point of contact for users of the service, and to proactively deal with telephone enquiries from patients, their Carers, GPs and colleagues in other hospitals in a professional manner.
  • To open and action their own electronic and paper mail and that of the consultant team, at least once a day.
  • To input and maintain patient diagnoses and current clinical unit data on the Hospital Information System, and other patient-related information as required.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general education, educated to GCSE level or equivalent
  • Competent at Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook

Desirable

  • Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers and Receptionists (AMSPAR) qualified or equivalent
  • European Computer Driving License (ECDL) or Equivalent

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial previous medical secretarial experience
  • Experience of diary management

Desirable

  • Previous experience of training other secretarial staff
  • Previous experience of managing/ supervising staff

Skills Abilities/knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of medical terminology (especially oncology)
  • The ability to communicate effectively in both written and spoken English to a wide range of people
  • Willingness and demonstrable ability to work as part of a team
  • Evidence of ability and initiative to prioritise a busy workload
  • Evidence of commitment to delivering high quality customer service
  • Evidence of ability to handle sensitive information without compromising confidentiality
  • Evidence of ability to remain calm when under pressure and cope with unanticipated demands
Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general education, educated to GCSE level or equivalent
  • Competent at Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook

Desirable

  • Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers and Receptionists (AMSPAR) qualified or equivalent
  • European Computer Driving License (ECDL) or Equivalent

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial previous medical secretarial experience
  • Experience of diary management

Desirable

  • Previous experience of training other secretarial staff
  • Previous experience of managing/ supervising staff

Skills Abilities/knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of medical terminology (especially oncology)
  • The ability to communicate effectively in both written and spoken English to a wide range of people
  • Willingness and demonstrable ability to work as part of a team
  • Evidence of ability and initiative to prioritise a busy workload
  • Evidence of commitment to delivering high quality customer service
  • Evidence of ability to handle sensitive information without compromising confidentiality
  • Evidence of ability to remain calm when under pressure and cope with unanticipated demands

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.

Employer details

Employer name

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal Marsden Hospital Sutton

Sutton

SM2 5PT


Employer's website

https://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/working-royal-marsden (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal Marsden Hospital Sutton

Sutton

SM2 5PT


Employer's website

https://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/working-royal-marsden (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Administrative Business Manager

Dani Ivanova

dani.ivanova@rmh.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

25 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£35,763 to £43,466 a year pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

282-C1343

Job locations

Royal Marsden Hospital Sutton

Sutton

SM2 5PT


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)