Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated,
calm and methodical team player to become a medical secretary and provide an
essential administration and secretarial service within the Acute Medical Unit
which is part of the Urgent and Emergency Care Directorate.
We are currently recruiting for a Medical Secretary for which the nominal base
will be the University Hospital of North Durham, offering flexible working
following a period of training.
Working in a friendly team, our Medical secretaries are an
excellent resource, ensuring Consultants and the department have all the
administrative support they require.
The Acute Medical Unit is a friendly, supportive, busy but
welcoming directorate.
This post is 22.5 hours per week
Main duties of the job
Full Range of secretarial and Administration duties to the
Acute Medical Unit and Consultants
Audio Typing
First point of contact for department enquiries
Minute taking
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 been employed for a minimum of two years
of as a HCA Band 3 within the NHS 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
To provide a
full range of confidential secretarial/administrative support to all clinical
staff, working with minimal supervision
To undertake
typing and distribution of clinical and other patient-related 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 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
To provide a
full range of confidential secretarial/administrative support to all clinical
staff, working with minimal supervision
To undertake
typing and distribution of clinical and other patient-related 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 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
Desirable
- Experience of Bespoke/Therapeutic clinic management
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
Desirable
Special Requirements
Essential
- Able to travel across Trust sites to meet the requirements of the post
- Driving posts musty have valid Full UK driving licence
Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- 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
Desirable
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
Desirable
- Experience of Bespoke/Therapeutic clinic management
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
Desirable
Special Requirements
Essential
- Able to travel across Trust sites to meet the requirements of the post
- Driving posts musty have valid Full UK driving licence
Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- 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
Desirable
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.
