Job summary
- Main area
- Ophthalmology
- Grade
- Band 3
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (FTC (12 months))
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 318-26-T0004
- Employer
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Cheltenham General Hospital
- Town
- Cheltenham
- Salary
- £24,937 - £26,598 (pa pro rata if part-time)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 20/01/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Ophthalmology Medical Secretary, Band 3
Band 3
At Gloucestershire Hospitals, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the county’s largest employer, we are proud to provide high-quality acute, elective, and specialist services to more than 650,000 people across our county. Our care is delivered across Gloucestershire Royal, Cheltenham General and Stroud Maternity Hospital.
With over 9,000 employees representing more than 95 nationalities, bringing together a mix of cultures and experiences to the care that we deliver. Whether you’re beginning your NHS journey or looking to take the next step in your career, this is an exciting time to join us. We’re investing heavily in innovation, research, and transformation, with more than 100 active clinical studies and major developments underway across our hospitals.
We take pride in working as one team, driven by a shared ambition to grow, develop, and continually improve. Every contribution is valued and by combining our collective strengths, we support not only our diverse communities but one another. You can expect a warm, supportive culture and colleagues who are passionate about teamwork, professional development and delivering exceptional care. We offer structured development programmes, mentoring and leadership opportunities to help you progress in your career.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from a comprehensive package that includes flexible working opportunities, generous annual leave, the NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, local discounts, access to on-site nurseries, reduced public transport costs, reward and recognition schemes and a wide range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
Be part of Gloucestershire Hospitals, explore your future with us today.
Job overview
We have an exciting opportunity for a Medical Secretary role within the Ophthalmology Department. We are a large specialty with clinics at Cheltenham General Hospital, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, and several community hospitals. In addition, we perform ophthalmology surgery in our Day Case Unit at Cheltenham General Hospital.
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will provide an efficient, confidential, and professional secretarial service to the specialty teams. This includes administration and secretarial support to enable the provision of patient care and specialty services.
Good communication with patients, relatives, general practitioners, and other hospital staff is essential to ensure a proficient, high-quality service for patients and clinicians. The post-holder will work as part of an Administrative Support Team and report to the Secretary Supervisor
Working for our organisation
The Ophthalmology Administration Team is a friendly and collaborative group that thrives on mutual support and open communication. They work with dedication and efficiency, maintaining excellent rapport with clinical and nursing colleagues to ensure smooth patient care pathways. Team members benefit from a positive atmosphere that values professional growth, shared learning, and a healthy work–life balance, making it a rewarding environment to be part of.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Knowledge and Experience
- Educated to GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in literacy and numeracy
- NVQ Level 3 in Administration or equivalent experience
- Appropriate experience in a hospital or office environment
- RSA Level 3 or equivalent proficiency in audio typing (minimum 60 wpm)
- IT experience with Microsoft Office packages and hospital systems
- Excellent professional telephone manner to resolve queries and maintain organisational reputation
- Proven organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with good command of English, punctuation, and grammar
- Good interpersonal skills for dealing with internal and external contacts
- Ability to work flexibly within a team, quickly and accurately
- Ability to use own judgment and initiative as appropriate
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Referrals and Booking
- Book follow-up and post-operative appointments as requested by the clinical team, including negotiating dates with patients and creating correspondence
- Ensure vacant slots are utilised and inform the Booking Office to maximise capacity
- Book investigations as requested by the clinical team, negotiating dates with patients and creating correspondence
- Ensure arrangements meet Trust targets and are updated on IT systems promptly
Outcomes and Results
- Highlight results, correspondence, or patient queries requiring action and take appropriate steps (e.g., booking investigations, transcription)
Specialty-Specific Support
- Inform the secretarial supervisor of progress and escalate urgent issues (e.g., capacity delays, complex patient queries)
- Type correspondence to patients, GPs, medical staff, and others following clinical attendance or as directed
- Type detailed medical reports for legal use when necessary
- Manage diaries, appointments, meetings, and paperwork for clinical teams
- Support consultants with administrative tasks, including references and governance responsibilities
- Provide administrative support for Out-of-Hours Eye Emergency patients and triage nurses
- Liaise with external organisations (e.g., Opticians, Social Services, other hospitals) for patient care
- File clinical records and consent forms from MediSIGHT into main hospital notes
- Provide additional administrative support as service needs change
Service Improvement
- Use specialty databases for patient information and clinic activity for audits and surveys
- Support service reviews and implementation of new processes
- Assist with complaint resolution by collating information and escalating appropriately
Team Working
- Work flexibly within the Administrative Support Team to ensure equitable workload distribution
- Cover colleagues during absences and participate in job rotation for development
- Undertake routine office duties (e.g., note tracking, photocopying, filing)
- Assist with training and induction of new staff
- Adapt to departmental demands and process changes efficiently
Communications and Working Relationships
- Medical staff (junior and senior, including consultants)
- Nursing staff
- Patients, carers, and relatives
- Other medical secretaries and ward clerks
- Outpatient staff
- Health Records, Pathology, Radiology
- GPs and GP practices
- Management teams
- Other NHS organisations and external bodies (e.g., Opticians, solicitors, DVLA, Social Services, Police)
Other
- Participate in annual appraisal and personal development planning
- Undertake training as required for role development
- Demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development
- Contribute positively to team effectiveness and efficiency
- Adhere to health and safety regulations and Trust policies
General Working Conditions
- Occasional movement of medical notes (up to 10kg; manual handling training provided)
- Exposure to occasional unpleasant conditions (e.g., office temperature extremes, ward odours)
- Daily use of VDU (workstation assessments provided)
- Handling sensitive and confidential information
- Unpredictable work patterns with frequent interruptions and changing priorities
Person specification
Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Educated to GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in literacy and numeracy
- Appropriate experience in a hospital or office environment
- IT experience with Microsoft Office packages
- Proven organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with good command of English, punctuation, and grammar
- Ability to work flexibly within a team, quickly and accurately
- Good interpersonal skills for dealing with internal and external contacts
- Ability to use own judgment and initiative as appropriate
Desirable criteria
- Experience of IT hospital systems
- NVQ Level 3 in Administration or equivalent experience
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Saheen Parveen
- Job title
- Lead Coordinator
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0300 422 3172
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