Job summary
- Main area
- Secretarial
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent: Hours rostered Monday-Friday with no weekend working expected.
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 279-7324421-SEP25
- Employer
- 279 University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- RSCH
- Town
- Brighton
- Salary
- £29,970 - £36,483 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 12/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Theatre Personal Assistant / Secretary
Band 5
About our Trust
At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute Trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.
Our hard-working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal – to always put our Patient First . In fact our mission is summed up by our ‘where better never stops’ motto and you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex.
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
As part of our commitment to access for all, please see the different ways you can access the application form:
https://apps.trac.jobs/accessibility?_ts=1
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Job overview
The Theatre Personal Assistant / Secretary supports the effective and efficient management of the Main Theatres at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Main duties of the job
To provide high quality administrative and secretarial support the Theatre Manager and Team Leaders in order to support the overall management of the Level 5 Operating Theatres. Demonstrate highly developed administrative and communication skills in relation to diary management, information management, use of IT software to develop reports and presentations, minute taking, action tracking and delivering project work as required.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Candidate Information Pack: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication
· To build a good relationship with all staff within and external to the department, to enable you to help with any issues that arise.
· To attend Teams meeting weekly with other departments to update theatre schedules.
· To act as the central communication and information co-ordinator to the Directorate promoting efficient and accurate information throughout on a Directorate, Departmental and Trust-wide basis.
· To act as the first point of contact between the Directorate and the Trust and other internal and external agencies at both local and national level. Dealing with enquiries and assessing calls for urgency and priority, forwarding calls where appropriate.
· To support and facilitate the Management Team in maintain good communications with other Directorates and Senior Management.
· The post holder is required to always communicate in a polite and confident manner to all calls received in the office.
· To be responsible for the arrangement, coordination of attendance and communication of meetings. Take minutes of meetings as required, producing draft minutes for the relevant Chair’s approval, including preparation of agendas and collation of papers for future meetings. Liaising with relevant personnel to chase any action points where necessary.
· To partake in the Clinical Governance meeting preparation for Theatre Services. This includes producing the agenda with the Clinical Governance Lead, independently producing a PowerPoint presentation outlining: Complaints, PALS, Datix, Plaudits received. Work with the Directorate Lead Nurse & Matrons on producing a presentation for nursing staffing updates. Sending out meeting invites and taking minutes and circulating these once approved by the Chair.
· To maintain Theatre Datix/Complaints/Plaudits database. Co-ordinate the response to all Datix/complaints received ensuring they are responded to within the Trusts policy and time scale. This will require occasional contact with patients advising them of non-clinical advice.
Service Delivery and Improvement
· Responsible for providing a responsive and efficient PA support service, including administrative and secretarial support to the Perioperative Theatres Team whilst always maintaining confidentiality, being the central point of contact for the Perioperative Theatre Team.
· The post holder is responsible for updating, maintaining and developing electronic confidential filing systems, to co-ordinate and input electronic diaries for all regular and ad hoc meetings.
· Responsible for the management of incoming mail and outgoing correspondence, ensuing appropriate distribution and follow up action as required.
· Autonomous judgement and experience to decide which documents require immediate attention and drafting non-standard responses.
· The post holder will be required to organise their own work tasks and be able to prioritise their workload, deal with any queries that arise during the working day in an efficient and polite manner.
· To prepare and develop business plans, briefing notes, summaries and reports as required.
· Plans and organises meetings, events and conferences on behalf of the Perioperative Theatre Team.
· The post holder is required to use their own initiative when dealing with problems and to make any reasonable and necessary decisions on events as they occur.
· Uses skills to investigate Theatre issues and proposes solutions, enabling and dealing with complex enquiries.
· Using judgement and experience in helping to determine the relevant urgency of requests and information received from patients and other external organisations.
· To manage the many conflicting priorities that the post requires.
· Ensuring clear protocols for the prioritisation of work.
· In the absence of the Rota Coordinator, to provide cover to ensure the theatre service continuity.
Please refer to JD for any further information.
Person specification
Essential
Essential criteria
- Ability to prioritise workload without supervision.
- Minute taking skills.
- Diary management.
- Experience of organising events, seminars, meetings, courses and conferences
- Evidence of an advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office Products.
Desirable criteria
- Project management experience
- NVQ or equivalent in secretarial studies.
- Evidence of a working knowledge of Bluespier and Healthroster.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in tight timescales
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
- Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office Products: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Chris Webb
- Job title
- Theatre Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01273696955
- Additional information
To have an informal discussion about this role please arrange a meeting. To do so please contact Chris Webb via [email protected]
List jobs with 279 University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust in Administrative Services or all sectors