Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provision of full secretarial service to Consultant and his/her supporting medical team which includes typing letters, psychiatric reports, non-clinical typing and recording minutes of meetings.
 To carry out general administrative duties for the Consultant and his/her supporting medical team to include information gathering and circulating correspondence. Dealing with internal and external mail (paper and electronic), managing this communication by responding to routine matters not requiring the urgent attention of the Consultant and ensuring timely dissemination. Filing, faxing, scanning and photocopying documents.
 To deal with telephone enquiries (often from patients who are distressed) and give advice wherever possible, in a diplomatic and sensitive way, following these through with the appropriate member of staff, in a responsible and tactful manner.
 Responsible for recording referrals, appointments and related information in a timely manner in accordance with the Data Quality Policy and supporting Data Quality Guidelines. To directly collate and input data on PARIS in relation to outpatient activity.
 To take additional referral information or clarify the nature of referrals by telephone and signpost to appropriate agencies, as required.
 Medical Secretary Mental Health Band 4
 Arrange urgent clinic appointments, ensuring all relevant departments are notified accordingly including Community Mental Health Teams and the Outpatient Department.
 Able to work unsupervised and manage own workload, exercising the highest standard of confidentiality using independent judgement and initiative, based on acquired knowledge and experience, demonstrating influence and composure when working under pressure and to strict deadlines.
 Ensure effective liaison between a range of staff, patients and relatives. To arrange community visits by Consultant, communicating with patient’s relatives to arrange personal interviews with Consultant and giving appropriate advice wherever possible.
 Ensure the prompt typing of discharge summaries, subsequent follow up appointment letters, reports and general correspondence within agreed standards.
 Maintain Consultant’s electronic diary, incorporating a “bring forward” system, ensuring that documentation is available prior to scheduled meetings.
 Timely filing to ensure that accurate copies of correspondence and investigative reports are filed in health records, which will include sorting investigation results and retrieving relevant health records. Chase results in cases of urgency.
 In conjunction with the Ward Administrators, to adhere to the clinical coding procedure in relation to inpatient activity and ECT treatments, ensuring speedy expedition of the process.
 Proactively receive visitors to the Outpatient Department, when necessary, dealing personally with matters where appropriate and demonstrating diplomacy in dealing with issues of a sensitive nature, re-routing enquiries if necessary.
 Contribute to organisation of changeover of junior doctors and responsibility for assisting with the maintenance of the on-call rota for Consultants and junior medical staff.
 To support data collection for the Outpatient Department and assist with reporting key performance indicators for the team.
 Monitoring of office equipment including reporting faulty technology; ensuring sufficient supplies of workplace sundries and stationery are available and ordering same via on-line and paper processes.
 Control and maintenance of health records (including archiving and culling) in accordance with the Trust’s Records Management Policy and ensuring all are electronically tracked to the correct location within PARIS.
 Organising and maintaining an efficient and effective filing system.
 To actively participate in yearly Individual Performance Development Reviews with related quarterly appraisals, undertaking managerial supervision and ensuring completion of mandatory training.
 Exercise independent judgement and initiative when problems arise by taking appropriate action to resolve the situation or referring to the appropriate person.
 Liaison with the Trust’s System Administration Department for rearranging clinic timeslots, setting up of new clinics, as the Consultant reorganises the clinics. Making any changes to clinics and informing patients where appropriate.
 Informing Consultant of any long waiting times for new patients; discussing and implementing any changes to the clinics to rectify any concerns in accordance with STEIS targets.

Assist in arranging conferences and training days inclusive of booking venues and catering as well as co-ordinating attendance.
 Assist in covering other Consultants and their supporting medical team’s secretarial needs when demand is high, after prioritisation.
 To provide cover in the absence of other administrative staff due to sickness, training or annual leave.
 Co-operate fully in the introduction of new technology and of new methods of working, as appropriate to the work of a Medical Secretary, including self-development, to continuously update knowledge of new trends.
 Ensure up-to-date personal awareness and knowledge of Trust-wide issues and directives, applying the knowledge in the workplace, including attending appropriate departmental and Borough-wide meetings.
 Assisting, where necessary, to provide a short induction for new staff regarding local procedures, advising of various health & safety information, etc.
 Provide support with training any new staff, demonstrating duties to new starters where required.
 To accept the need to change practice and processes within the changing requirement of the services that may involve the development and transposition of new systems.
 To safeguard, at all times, privacy of information relating to both patients and staff alike, ensuring that an efficient, courteous service is offered to all service users and that confidentiality is strictly maintained
 To comply with all Trust policies and procedures and, in particular, not to do anything that endangers yourself or others. To ensure full compliance and ensure high standards are maintained in line with Trust policies and procedures.
 Any other duties commensurate with the post, as instructed by the Outpatient Manager.
This job description is not exhaustive, but is intended to give an overall picture of the role. Other duties within the general scope of the post may be required from time to time. The duties of the post and job description can be reviewed through the agreed process.