Job responsibilities
Open and prioritise correspondence (which is often of a highly sensitive and confidential nature) on behalf of the consultants ensuring that urgent correspondence received prompt attention. In the consultants absence, the Medical PA is responsible for ascertaining which correspondence requires referral to an appropriate clinician for urgent attention.
3. Retrieve and act upon correspondence received by post or email.
4. Process case notes of patients discharged from hospital; follow through ongoing care plans as indicated in notes. Allocate notes to relevant clinician for dictation, or ensure that any standard letters are completed as appropriate. Where standard letters have been generated at ward level, ascertain from case notes whether any supplementary letter/action is required and deal with appropriately. Ensure that follow up appointments or referrals to other specialties are arranged where necessary. Ensure the relevant investigation results received after patient discharge are communicated to GPs where appropriate, particularly where treatment may be required.
5. Ensure that discharge summaries and other time-sensitive information are dictated and typed within the designated time limits.
6. Receive, manage and prioritise telephone and personal enquiries, complaints, messages and information from patients, General Practitioner, Consultants and other medical staff and external organisations on behalf of the Consultant and clinical team. Deal with enquiries relating to the medical and social welfare of patients and relatives in a sensitive manner, referring to medical staff or other Healthcare Professionals where appropriate. When responding to enquiries, ensure that relevant guidelines or protocols are followed.
7. Respond to enquiries from patients and healthcare personnel as appropriate. Provide empathy and reassurance to patients where necessary. May be required to convey clinical/medical information to patients, medical, nursing, pharmacy or other healthcare staff, when instructed by, or with permission of the Consultant.
8. Manage patient investigation results. Check all incoming laboratory/radiology results (including urgent radiology results received via the PACS email reporting system and subsequent follow up radiology results) ensuring that abnormal results are communicated promptly to the appropriate clinician, typing up subsequent correspondence to GPs, patients and other departments and recalling patients where necessary, under the Consultants instruction. Keeping an electronic record of all urgent radiology results and follow up radiology results including the relevant actions taken and outcomes.
9. Participate in the training and supervision of junior staff i.e. support secretaries as appropriate.
10. Undertake self supervision and effective self organisation in terms of:
a) Co-ordinating annual leave and other leave in co-operation with other secretaries, and with the approval of management;
b) Liaising with other secretaries to ensure fair distribution of work by mutual assistance.
c) Liaising with manager and other secretaries regarding any flexi-time arrangements within the office.
Establish and maintain efficient office systems, including filing systems and maintain a booking out and/or booking in system for case notes.
Co-ordinate complaints by allocating to the relevant consultant on their specified administration days by checking consultant rotas. Collating all necessary background information for the Consultant to enable them to respond within the deadline. Type up the consultant complaint responses, consultant to check responses before ED PA sends to Acute PA for formal responses.
Maintain confidentiality at all times, ensuring that information is only divulged to authorised sources and by appropriate means.
ED Doctors Departmental Inductions, December, April, August and other inductions for new doctors commencing in ED throughout the year. Exit surveys for doctors leaving ED, liaising with Post Graduate Team and medical staffing regarding new doctors. Production of Induction programmes, and other documents for the induction to take place. To ensure the ED programme is sent out to all new starters along with PowerPoint presentations and E-learning modules for doctors commencing in ED. Assisting the ED consultants with allocation of supervisors for all new starters. Production of supervisors and doctors list with contacts in the case of low staffing levels and emergencies.
Co-ordinate all department teaching sessions i.e. speakers, room bookings and production of teaching programmes.
Arranging consultant CPD sessions, which involve allocating speakers and programmes along with the consultant agenda for their monthly meeting.
Process documentation and correspondence for Senior and Junior Medical Staff (e.g. travel claims, family planning claims, references) liaising with medical staffing and bodies such as General Medical Council where necessary.
Liaise with reception staff/appointments clerks etc. regarding follow up appointments.
Liaise with diagnostic services in arranging or expediting urgent or routine investigations.
Maintain consultant diaries. Arrange regular supervision meetings and appraisals etc. with consultants for trainee doctors, substantive middle grade doctors, medical students and ANPs etc. Keep records of medical staff leave and absence. Book medical representative and other non-patient appointments as appropriate.
Type medico-legal summaries, maintain medico-legal files and liaise with legal department in respect of medico-legal cases.
Co-ordinate and allocate as appropriate police statements requested by CJ Prosecution Unit and ensure these are completed by clinicians and returned in a timely manner.
Arrange inter-departmental meetings, liaising with various departments to set dates and ensure full attendance, booking of rooms, sending out invites and agendas as appropriate. Attending meetings to take minutes, type and circulate as advised.
Make arrangements for consultants to attend clinical conferences, seminars or other relevant events, as necessary which may include booking travel and accommodation, forwarding remittance and arrangements for study leave.
Take and transcribe minutes of clinical or non-clinical meetings at the request of consultant or department manager.
Co-ordinate arrangements for relevant clinical meetings, liaising with appropriate disciplines, ensuring that case notes for discussion are available and that appropriate agendas or case summaries are prepared, produced and circulated as necessary.
Distribute and/or duplicate appropriate information using photocopier, fax or email.
Responsible for safe use of, and basic maintenance of office equipment/machinery.
May be required to arrange for repair/service of office equipment and machinery as necessary.
Maintain levels of stock/stationery for own work area.
Ensure effective communication with all work colleagues, patients and visitors.
Ensure departmental security is maintained.
Attend all mandatory training.
