Skip to main content
Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Emergency Medicine
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (37.5 hours per week)
Job ref
216-EG-M7563566
Employer
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
University Hospitals Plymouth
Town
Plymouth
Salary
£24,625 - £25,674 £24,625 - £25,674 Per Annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
01/12/2025 23:59

Employer heading

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust logo

Medical Secretary - Emergency Medicine

NHS AfC: Band 3

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our secretarial team within the Emergency Department.

The postholder will be responsible for providing comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to the senior medical and management teams within the Emergency Medicine Department in an efficient and timely manner.  Contribute to the effective delivery of patient care through knowledge of consultant practice and hospital systems.

Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS at Risk staff throughout Devon who is able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will be educated to NVQ L3 in Business & Administration.  Previous demonstrable experience working as a medical secretary or support secretary role is essential.  Candidates must be computer literate with excellent typing skills, ability to work within a pressurised environment and able to deal with telephone and email enquiries.

The post is interesting and varied, and requires an ability to work as a member of a team.  Applicants should have a mature and responsible attitude, be organised and be able to demonstrate good written and verbal communication skills.   

Main duties of the role are to provide and deliver a high standard of full secretarial and personal assistant support to the senior medical and management teams, using a varied range of work procedures, many of which are non-routine, requiring a level of theoretical knowledge.

Contribute to a high level of patient care by ensuring that the planning and evaluation of individual patients needs are possible through effective and efficient administrative resource management.

Working on own initiative to deal with all mail and telephone queries regarding patients, ensuring all relevant information is brought to the attention of the Consultant and medical/management teams and taking the appropriate action.

Working for our organisation

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY.
If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. 
We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. 
It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • Take appropriate action with regard to telephone calls from patients, GP’s and other agencies using initiative, tact and diplomacy and to make judgements involving facts or situations, some of which require analysis
  • Arrange referrals and appointments for clinics/admissions in an efficient and timely manner. To provide non-clinical advice to patients and relatives regarding admission and appointment details including the enclosure of relevant leaflets and arrangements. To liaise as appropriate with ward staff, bed managers or other relevant parties
  • Work in conjunction with other medical secretaries across the Cluster Group to ensure that workload is managed appropriately.
  • Support the ED Systems administrators as and when required
  • Responsible for producing and organising clinical and other information to allow the continued timely support to the senior clinical and management team within the Cluster Group
  • Maintain an up-to-date diary for the consultant/team, liaising with external and internal contacts and organisations as necessary. Ensuring that the organisation of consultant workload is managed
  • Sorting and dealing with all correspondence i.e. internal/external post including faxes and e-mails and keeping a satisfactory record and filing system to ensure swift retrieval of information i.e. requesting case notes and to provide consultants with up to date background information, such as outstanding investigations/appointments using the iPM system in order that he/she can respond accordingly
  • Provide personal assistant support to consultants in respect of work relating to teaching, research, NHS medical reports, police statements, coroner reports, charities and publications
  • Provide a range of personal assistant support to the senior clinical team to ensure that their daily and future workload is organised as effectively as possible
  • Ensure effective communication with all members of the multi-disciplinary team and outside agencies
  • To be responsible for identifying the needs for stationery and other office equipment to ensure a continuous flow of necessary tools and to relay the information to the appropriate personnel
  • To provide support in respect of consultants clinical audit responsibilities
  • Responsible for the supervision and training of junior, newly appointed, temporary, locum, agency and other medical secretaries and supporting them during their assimilation. Ensuring that members of the consultant team are informed of the working arrangements of the office
  • Required to cover for other medical secretaries in the Cluster Group during annual leave/sickness or peak workloads
  • Responsible for tracking consultants and medical teams annual and study leave, to ensure appropriate personnel are able to plan inpatient or outpatient care and instruct absences to relevant parties
  • To maintain confidentiality at all times and adhere to other Trust policies and procedures and to implement policies for own department
  • Proactively support and enhance the continual quality initiative ensuring a ‘quality first’ approach to all aspects of work
  • Frequent requirement for concentration where the work pattern is not predictable
  • Provide support to the senior medical teams and use of the digital dictation system
  • Potential exposure to distressing and/or difficult situations with patients who may be in a highly emotional state, using tact and emotional intelligence to deal with such scenarios
  • To obtain hospital case notes from both within the Trust and outside Trusts when required by the consultant and/or medical team. To ensure that all are appropriately traced at all times and returned to Health records in a timely manner.  To arrange for copies of scans to forward to other Trusts and hospitals
  • To organise and facilitate meetings putting together the agenda and organising travel and catering
  • The taking of minutes, disseminating results and ensuring resulting actions are taken
  • Attend and take actions at regular meetings within the Cluster Group
  • Responsible for the daily checking of x-ray, CT’s and MRI results including blood and microbiology results via Nervcentre and iPM
  • Support management team in auctioning data quality reports.
  • Help facilitate the organisation of complaint responses from senior clinicians, and, when necessary, arrange resolution meetings between medical professionals and other stakeholders including patients and relatives
  • Implement Trust and departmental policies and procedures and initiate any changes within daily routine
  • To maintain an orderly office in conjunction with Trust local records policy
  • To provide personal assistant and secretarial support to the managerial team within the Cluster Group when necessary

For further details please see the attached JD&PS

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrable experience within a similar role
  • Excellent IT skills, including spreadsheets and databases
Desirable criteria
  • Proven knowledge of Patient Management System, Nervcentre and Bighand software

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • NVQ level 3 in Business & Administration or equivalent qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience
Desirable criteria
  • ECDL Qualified

APTITUDE & ABILITIES

Essential criteria
  • Excellent organisational skills
  • Excellent communication both verbally and in writing

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Disability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Emma Edwards
Job title
Emergency Services Support Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01752439456
Additional information

Should you wish to discuss this post or arrange an informal visit please contact Emma Edwards  Emergency Services Support Manager on 01752 439456

Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies