Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Medical Secretary

The closing date is 20 October 2025

Job summary

Are you passionate about making a difference and enjoy working as part of a larger team?

Are you eager to use your skills to provide excellent care and progress your career?

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full-time Medical Secretary in our Psychiatry Department within Community Mental Health Services West based at Prospect Park Hospital.

The benefits of joining our team include excellent learning and development opportunities, competitive pay and leave arrangements, flexible working opportunities, advanced IT enablement and support, childcare vouchers and so much more.

Reading is a vibrant and diverse town situated to the West of London. It has all the bustle one would want from a large urban conurbation and the tranquility afforded by the Thames and the surrounding countryside.

Main duties of the job

  • Organise their workload with the consultants and CMHS and co-ordinate their activities with other business support staff to ensure that an efficient service is provided.

  • Applicants will need to be enthusiastic and able to work flexibly and reliably to provide professional secretarial support for the medical teams in order to contribute to the delivery of outstanding care to our patients.

  • Applicants should have the ability to think calmly and logically under pressure and have a positive attitude to maintaining high standards of work at all times, and able to demonstrate excellent communication skills as you will be the first point of contact for the medical team. You will be quick to learn, be able to work as part of a team but also possess the ability to work unsupervised, using your own initiative.

  • Accuracy and attention to detail is essential for this post with a good level of competency in using all Microsoft application, RiO, TPRO, Docman and ENVOY. Ability to audio type is essential.

  • Strong organisation skills are essential as you will be responsible for arranging clinic appointments for Consultants, psychiatrists Resident Dr's and Pharmacists within the team. This will involve collating and organising multiple diaries, booking appointments on RiO, communicating with patients, carers and other organisations and booking rooms.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

  • Caring for and about you is our top priority
  • Committed to providing good quality, safe services
  • Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

  • Flexible working options to support work-life balance
  • 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
  • Generous NHS pension scheme
  • Excellent learning and career development opportunities
  • 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
  • Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
  • Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
  • Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
  • Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
  • Free parking across Trust sites

FOR SECONDMENT ROLES ONLY - If the secondment role becomes permanent, the successful candidate may be offered the permanent position.

Details

Date posted

13 October 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

371-MHS872-A

Job locations

Prospect Park Hospital

Honey End Lane

Reading

RG30 4EJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

  • RSA II or equivalent.
  • Good standard to education including GCSE at grade 4 (C) or above in English and Mathematics.
  • Minimum two years secretarial experience.
  • Competent using Microsoft Office

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Maryann Dance on 01189 605612 or email: maryann.dance@berkshire.nhs.uk, wholl be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

  • RSA II or equivalent.
  • Good standard to education including GCSE at grade 4 (C) or above in English and Mathematics.
  • Minimum two years secretarial experience.
  • Competent using Microsoft Office

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Maryann Dance on 01189 605612 or email: maryann.dance@berkshire.nhs.uk, wholl be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

  • RSA II or equivalent
  • Good standard of education including GCSE or equivalent C grade in English and Mathematics

Desirable

  • Shorthand 80wpm

Continuous Professional Development

Desirable

  • Evidence of continuous professional development

Previous Experience

Essential

  • Minimum two year's secretarial experience
  • Competent using Microsoft packages including Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoin

Desirable

  • NHS or Medical Background
  • Minute Taking
Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

  • RSA II or equivalent
  • Good standard of education including GCSE or equivalent C grade in English and Mathematics

Desirable

  • Shorthand 80wpm

Continuous Professional Development

Desirable

  • Evidence of continuous professional development

Previous Experience

Essential

  • Minimum two year's secretarial experience
  • Competent using Microsoft packages including Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoin

Desirable

  • NHS or Medical Background
  • Minute Taking

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

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Prospect Park Hospital

Honey End Lane

Reading

RG30 4EJ


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Prospect Park Hospital

Honey End Lane

Reading

RG30 4EJ


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Business Development Manager

Maryann Dance

maryann.dance@berkshire.nhs.uk

01189605612

Details

Date posted

13 October 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

371-MHS872-A

Job locations

Prospect Park Hospital

Honey End Lane

Reading

RG30 4EJ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)