The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Personal Secretary

The closing date is 21 September 2025

Job summary

The Cellular Pathology Laboratory, part of the Integrated Laboratory Medicine (ILM) Directorate, seek an enthusiastic and suitably qualified Personal Secretary within the admin team, in addition to providing PA support to the Laboratory and Directorate management.

This role involves working closely within the Cellular Pathology administration team, contributing to workflows supporting the patient diagnostic pathways alongside clinicians, Pathologists and laboratory staff. Post holders will be required to provide an efficient PA support to the laboratory and directorate manager as the major element of the role, including diary management, coordinating meeting agendas and transcribing minutes for internal and external meetings as required. The ability to work independently, following policies and procedures for the department is essential. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills, flexibility, reliability and must have an organised approach to work.

This role is varied, with ad-hoc demands therefore post holders must possess excellent time management and planning skills. These positions provide the opportunity to work within a very supportive and welcoming team and to further develop existing knowledge and skills. Previous administration/secretarial experience is required for this post.

Main duties of the job

Interview Date 7 October 2025
37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

The successful applicant will be share some duties as part of a busy administration team carrying out tasks such as typing, referral handling, multi-disciplinary team meeting support, but primarily offering personal secretarial/PA support to management. This includes network wide communications, human resources paperwork preparation, meeting support for those often chaired by the managers and ad hoc requests as required.

About us

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Our staff oversee over 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:

o Freeman Hospital

o Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)

o Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)

o Newcastle Dental Hospital

o Newcastle Fertility Centre

o Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria

o Northern Genetics Service

o Cramlington Manor Walks

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Date posted

16 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

317-2025-38-04-DR

Job locations

Royal Victoria Infirmary

317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary

NE1 4LP

Job description

Job responsibilities

To work as part of a team providing an efficient and effective administrative service within Cellular Pathology
To act as primary point of contact for all genetic pathway referrals dealt with by the office
To audio type histology reports onto the laboratory computer system.
Organise and provide support for clinico-pathological meetings and multidisciplinary team meetings
To provide an efficient and cost effective secretarial service for the department maintaining QA standards

Job description

Job responsibilities

To work as part of a team providing an efficient and effective administrative service within Cellular Pathology
To act as primary point of contact for all genetic pathway referrals dealt with by the office
To audio type histology reports onto the laboratory computer system.
Organise and provide support for clinico-pathological meetings and multidisciplinary team meetings
To provide an efficient and cost effective secretarial service for the department maintaining QA standards

Person Specification

Qualifications & Education

Essential

Must have RSA 3 or equivalent which will includes: o Knowledge of secretarial procedures o IT Skills including the use of Office software packages o Good audiotyping skills
Previous experience at personal secretary level
Relevant experience working as a secretary in an office, including time in an Histology Office

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Must have knowledge and experience of using Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
Must have knowledge of all office procedures
Must have extensive knowledge of medical terminology
Must have a basic knowledge and understanding of the role of Cellular Pathology in the diagnosis and treatment of disease

Desirable

Experience of using LIMS
Knowledge of minute taking

Skills & Abilities

Essential

To be able to use audio digital dictation

Desirable

Ability to organise conferences, meetings and events

Person Specification

Qualifications & Education

Essential

Must have RSA 3 or equivalent which will includes: o Knowledge of secretarial procedures o IT Skills including the use of Office software packages o Good audiotyping skills
Previous experience at personal secretary level
Relevant experience working as a secretary in an office, including time in an Histology Office

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Must have knowledge and experience of using Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
Must have knowledge of all office procedures
Must have extensive knowledge of medical terminology
Must have a basic knowledge and understanding of the role of Cellular Pathology in the diagnosis and treatment of disease

Desirable

Experience of using LIMS
Knowledge of minute taking

Skills & Abilities

Essential

To be able to use audio digital dictation

Desirable

Ability to organise conferences, meetings and events

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