Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated,
calm and methodical team player to become a medical secretary and provide
essential administration within the Department of Ophthalmology which is part
of the Surgical Directorate. We are
currently recruiting for a full-time (37.5hrs) Medical Secretary to work in Ophthalmology
for which the nominal base will be Darlington Memorial Hospital and working
days can be determined at interview; offering both agile and flexible working
following a period of training.
Working in a friendly team, our Medical secretaries are an
excellent resource, ensuring Consultants, Nurse Specialists have all the
administrative support they require.
The Department of Ophthalmology is a friendly,
supportive, busy but a welcoming Directorate.
Main duties of the job
Full Range of secretarial duties to the Ophthalmology Team
Audio Typing
First point of contact to the patients
Track & trace investigations
in order to meet 18 week pathway requirements
About us
If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager
You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks
We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented
Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents
Over reliance on
AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of
success
For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.
From April 9th 2025 - Healthcare assistants - You must have a minimum of two years
of experience working within the NHS as a HCA for the Trust to consider
sponsorship (we will only consider sponsorship if you meet this criteria and
have a current visa expiring within 3 months)
Job description
Job responsibilities
IN ADDITIONAL TO BAND 2 SECRETARIAL SUPPORT OFFICER
To
provide a full range of confidential secretarial/administrative support to
supporting clinical staff, working with minimal supervision
To
undertake typing and distribution of clinical and other patient-related and
general correspondence, dictated by
Consultants and supporting clinical staff,
to achieve Trust standards of accuracy and timeliness
To be the
point of contact for staff, patients and others within and outside the
organisation, responding to external and internal telephone enquiries, taking
appropriate and timely action required, including making appointments, giving
non-clinical advice, onward referral to relevant department etc
To
receive and respond to internal and external correspondence, taking appropriate
and timely action as required, in accordance with Trust and/or departmental
standards and processes
To book
investigations and any necessary follow-up appointments, as directed by
clinical staff, ensuring test results
are presented to medical staff on receipt, where these are not available
electronically
To
maintain accurate patient and GP details on the Trusts central and local
Patient Administration and Clinical Systems, as required
To ensure
patient information is bar-coded correctly for scanning into the electronic
clinical document management system (ECDMS)
To manage
electronic diaries, as required
To
support arrangement of on call rotas, as required
To
organise meetings, including arranging venues, preparing agendas, collating and
issuing papers and attending for taking and production of minutes, as required
To
operate efficient and up-to-date administrative systems and processes for all
office tasks
To
maintain accurate and timely data entry to databases to meet service
requirements
To
prioritise own workload to meet the needs of the patients and Consultants and
ensure all deadlines are met
To
support new and/or less experienced staff, as directed by line manager/head of
service
To
provide cover as required during absence of colleagues
Job description
Job responsibilities
IN ADDITIONAL TO BAND 2 SECRETARIAL SUPPORT OFFICER
To
provide a full range of confidential secretarial/administrative support to
supporting clinical staff, working with minimal supervision
To
undertake typing and distribution of clinical and other patient-related and
general correspondence, dictated by
Consultants and supporting clinical staff,
to achieve Trust standards of accuracy and timeliness
To be the
point of contact for staff, patients and others within and outside the
organisation, responding to external and internal telephone enquiries, taking
appropriate and timely action required, including making appointments, giving
non-clinical advice, onward referral to relevant department etc
To
receive and respond to internal and external correspondence, taking appropriate
and timely action as required, in accordance with Trust and/or departmental
standards and processes
To book
investigations and any necessary follow-up appointments, as directed by
clinical staff, ensuring test results
are presented to medical staff on receipt, where these are not available
electronically
To
maintain accurate patient and GP details on the Trusts central and local
Patient Administration and Clinical Systems, as required
To ensure
patient information is bar-coded correctly for scanning into the electronic
clinical document management system (ECDMS)
To manage
electronic diaries, as required
To
support arrangement of on call rotas, as required
To
organise meetings, including arranging venues, preparing agendas, collating and
issuing papers and attending for taking and production of minutes, as required
To
operate efficient and up-to-date administrative systems and processes for all
office tasks
To
maintain accurate and timely data entry to databases to meet service
requirements
To
prioritise own workload to meet the needs of the patients and Consultants and
ensure all deadlines are met
To
support new and/or less experienced staff, as directed by line manager/head of
service
To
provide cover as required during absence of colleagues
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of general education
- Keyboarding/typing qualification equivalent to RSA 3/OCR Advanced text/word processing or equivalent proven typing skills to a high standard (or working towards/equivalent experience)
- Educated to at least NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration (or working towards /equivalent experience)
- Understanding of medical terminology
- Experience of Bespoke/Therapeutic clinic management
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft excel spreadsheets
Experience
Essential
- Experience of a secretarial/administrative role providing general provision of secretarial/administrative duties in a challenging and constantly changing environment
- Demonstrate Experience of using Microsoft Word
- Experience in setting up and maintaining office filing systems
- Experience of maintaining and setting up databases
- Experience in planning and organising meetings and taking minutes
Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of Microsoft Publisher
- Knowledge of Data Protection and Caldicott Principles and understanding of the need to maintain strict confidentiality
- Ability to use email and maintain and update paper and electronic diaries
- Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to deal with and prepare routine written correspondence.
- Excellent verbal communication skills, with the ability to obtain information and pass on comprehensive and confidential messages.
- Ability to organise and prioritise workload in order to meet deadlines
- Ability to use own initiative and work with minimal supervision
- Good interpersonal skills
Special Requirements
Essential
- Ability to travel independently across the County to fulfil the requirements of the post.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of general education
- Keyboarding/typing qualification equivalent to RSA 3/OCR Advanced text/word processing or equivalent proven typing skills to a high standard (or working towards/equivalent experience)
- Educated to at least NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration (or working towards /equivalent experience)
- Understanding of medical terminology
- Experience of Bespoke/Therapeutic clinic management
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft excel spreadsheets
Experience
Essential
- Experience of a secretarial/administrative role providing general provision of secretarial/administrative duties in a challenging and constantly changing environment
- Demonstrate Experience of using Microsoft Word
- Experience in setting up and maintaining office filing systems
- Experience of maintaining and setting up databases
- Experience in planning and organising meetings and taking minutes
Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of Microsoft Publisher
- Knowledge of Data Protection and Caldicott Principles and understanding of the need to maintain strict confidentiality
- Ability to use email and maintain and update paper and electronic diaries
- Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to deal with and prepare routine written correspondence.
- Excellent verbal communication skills, with the ability to obtain information and pass on comprehensive and confidential messages.
- Ability to organise and prioritise workload in order to meet deadlines
- Ability to use own initiative and work with minimal supervision
- Good interpersonal skills
Special Requirements
Essential
- Ability to travel independently across the County to fulfil the requirements of the post.
Additional information
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
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust
Hollyhurst Road
Darlington
County Durham
DL3 6HX
Employer's website
https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
