Job summary
- Main area
- Administration
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 4 / Band 3 developmental
- Contract
- Fixed term: 6 months (until 31st December 2025)
- Hours
- Part time - 21 hours per week (flexibility in how these hours are to be worked, including school hours)
- Job ref
- 432-HR219-25
- Employer
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Ipswich Hospital
- Town
- Ipswich
- Salary
- £24,625 - £29,114 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 27/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Senior Medical Secretary - Haematology
NHS AfC: Band 4 / Band 3 developmental
We are one of the largest NHS organisation in England. Our scale provides exciting opportunities for development, innovation, research, education and training.
Talk to us about our range of flexible working opportunities, apprenticeships and staff benefits
Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is at the heart of all we do; and it forms part of the ESNEFT’s core activities. The Trust operates and relies on everyone treating each other with dignity and respect, to receive equitable and fair treatment in the implementation of Policies, Procedures and in its Practices, to foster positive work relationships, and finally to act with integrity as a professional within ESNEFT as well as a representative of the NHS as a whole. The EDI Agenda reflects the Trust values such as Optimistic, Appreciative and Kind. In line with the NHS Long Term Plan, People Plan, People Promise and a Model Employer intrinsic in the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Agenda, we consistently strive to improve, to take the learning into Action for a better ESNEFT.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge then we are keen to hear from you.
Job overview
The Haematology department are looking to recruit an experienced Senior Medical Secretary to join our Haematology department at Ipswich part time - 21 hours per week. There is flexibility in how these hours are to be worked, including school hours. This post is fixed term until 31st December 2025 to cover maternity leave.
You will join a busy department that provide a comprehensive administration support to our clinical teams, including consultants, doctors, nurse specialists and other healthcare professionals. You must be sympathetic and compassionate as well as being aware of the need for discretion and confidentiality at all times. In this role you will be required to provide a lead role in the smooth organisation and an advanced secretarial/administration service to the consultants and medical teams.
We are looking for you to have secretarial/personal assistant experience, ideally with an Haematology/medical background. You should have audio typing experience and excellent word processing skills. You will be required to take part in a Typing test as part of the interview process.
You should also have excellent organisational skills, be able to manage diaries and work to deadlines, with an ability to prioritise within an extremely busy working environment.
If you do not meet the full requirements for a Band 4, we will consider a Band 3 developmental post.
Internal applicants currently employed by ESNEFT will be offered on a secondment basis only.
Main duties of the job
Your main responsibilities in this post will be to act as the central point of contact for Consultants, patients and the wider multi-disciplinary team. Other duties include:
- Audio typing of variety of clinical documentation the digital dictation system (BigHand) and reports using Microsoft Word within agreed timescale.
- Opening and processing incoming mail, ensuring that all results are passed to the Consultant or Nurse Specialist.
- Undertaking all necessary administration following receipt of results and following procedure for booking follow up appointments in conjunction with reception team
- Dealing with incoming telephone calls from patients/relatives/GP surgeries/other departments within the Hospital/outside organisations, independently dealing with or passing on queries/messages to the Consultant and other staff.
- Review the various validation reports ensuring that patients are progressed through their pathways.
- Manage patients on the Access plans undertake administration of patients on the waiting list as and when required adhering to cancer wait time standards. Validate Patient Access Policy in relation to 18 weeks RTT, patient’s stages of treatment and cancer pathways.
Working for our organisation
We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes
We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff
We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options
Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services
Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients
We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you
Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Good command of English language
- Knowledge of Medical Terminology and Medical Secretarial practices
- GCSE’s A to C or equivalent in Maths and English
- Word processing to RSA III or equivalent.
Desirable criteria
- AMSPAR Diploma or equivalent
- Shorthand/speedwriting
- Audio Typing qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Proven experience working in a hospital with medical administrative experience.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Ellen Coldwell
- Job title
- Service Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07825 197329
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
-
Colchester General Hospital
- Telephone
- 07789651269
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