Job summary
Due to the retirement of one of our long-serving staff members, Oswald Medical Centre is looking to welcome a dedicated full time Medical Secretary (up to 37.5 hours per week) to our supportive and dynamic team. We are a forward-thinking, award-winning practice serving over 16,250 patients across three sites in Accrington, Oswaldtwistle, and Blackburn.
At Oswald Medical Centre, we pride ourselves on delivering compassionate, patient-centred care. Alongside core NHS services, we offer a range of enhanced services, including minor surgery.
What We Offer
Generous annual leave allowance
Free on-site parking
Access to the PerkBox Scheme
Access to the NHS Pension Scheme
Ongoing training and professional development
A supportive and approachable GP team
Skilled and experienced administrative support
Opportunities to contribute to Practice development and innovation
Main duties of the job
To be responsible for undertaking a wide range of secretarial and administrative duties and the provision of administrative support to the multidisciplinary team.
Duties can include, but are not limited to, the processing of information (electronic and hard copy) in a timely manner, liaising with multidisciplinary team members and external agencies such as secondary care and community service providers in accordance with current policies, including the use of the electronic referral service (ERS).
About us
JOB ADVERT- MEDICAL SECRETARY
Join Our Friendly, Award-Winning Team
Due to the retirement of one of our long-serving staff members, Oswald Medical Centre is looking to welcome a dedicated full time Medical Secretary (up to 37.5 hours per week) to our supportive and dynamic team. We are a forward-thinking, award-winning practice serving over 16,250 patients across three sites in Accrington, Oswaldtwistle, and Blackburn.
At Oswald Medical Centre, we pride ourselves on delivering compassionate, patient-centred care. Alongside core NHS services, we offer a range of enhanced services, including minor surgery.
What We Offer
Generous annual leave allowance
Free on-site parking
Access to the PerkBox Scheme
Access to the NHS Pension Scheme
Ongoing training and professional development
A supportive and approachable GP team
Skilled and experienced administrative support
Opportunities to contribute to Practice development and innovation
Details
Date posted
16 February 2026
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
Depending on experience
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number
A
Job locations
Aston House 391a
Blackburn Road
Accrington
Lancashire
BB5 1RP
Job description
Job responsibilities
All staff at Oswald Medical Centre have a duty to conform to the following:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
A good attitude and positive action towards Equality Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) creates an environment where all individuals can achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons it improves operational effectiveness; it is morally the right thing to do, and it is required by law.
Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect.
Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued, and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.
Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF)
This organisation is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities for staff to maintain their health, wellbeing and safety.
The post holder is to manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients and monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines.
All personnel have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for themselves, their team and others and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements.
All personnel are to comply with the:
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Environment Act 1995
Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999
Coronavirus Act 2020
Other statutory legislation which may be brought to the post holders attention
Confidentiality
The organisation is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality.
It is essential that, if the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained, all staff must protect patient information and provide a confidential service.
Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI)
To preserve and improve the quality of this organisations outputs, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work.
The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the organisation to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice and to discuss, highlight and work with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care.
Oswald Medical Centre continually strives to improve work processes which deliver healthcare with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement where everyone counts, and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care.
Staff should interpret national strategies and policies into local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general practice.
All staff are to contribute to investigations and root cause analyses whilst participating in serious incident investigations and multidisciplinary case reviews.
Induction
At Oswald Medical Centre you will be required to complete the induction programme and the practice management team will support you throughout the process.
Learning and development
The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake in, and complete mandatory training as directed by Oswald Medical Centre. It is an expectation for this post holder to assess their own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate
The post holder will undertake mentorship for team members and disseminate learning and information gained to other team members to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (e.g., courses and conferences).
The post holder will provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning.
Collaborative working
All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working and understand their own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time. Staff are to prioritise their own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team.
Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments and the post holder is to work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working and work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery
Effective communication is essential, and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner. All staff should delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence.
Plans and outcomes by which to measure success should be agreed.
Managing information
All staff should use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in the planning, implementation and monitoring of care and presenting and communicating information. Data should be reviewed and processed using accurate SNOMED/read codes to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes.
Service delivery
Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure. The post holder must adhere to the information contained within the organisations policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are always adhered to.
Security
The security of the organisation is the responsibility of all personnel. The post holder must ensure they always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager.
Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Likewise, password controls are to be maintained and are not to be shared.
Professional conduct
All staff are required to dress appropriately for their role.
Leave
All personnel are entitled to take leave. Line managers are to ensure all their staff are afforded the opportunity to take annual leave each year and should be encouraged to take all their leave entitlement.
Public holidays will be calculated on a pro-rated basis dependent on the number of hours worked.
The following are the core responsibilities of the Medical Secretary. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:
a. Typing letters, reports and associated documentation as required
b. Liaising with external agencies such as hospitals and community services, ensuring referrals are processed efficiently
c. Managing all enquiries in an effective manner
d. Maintaining an accurate referrals database
e. Actioning all incoming email
f. Processing calling letters as requested
g. Scanning of patient related documentation and attaching scanned documents to patients healthcare records
h. Inputting data into the patients healthcare records as necessary
i. Processing referrals using the electronic referral system (ERS)
j. Work with the Administration Team for Processing requests for information i.e., SAR, insurance/solicitors letters and DVLA forms to ensure these are completed in a timely manner
k. Clinically coding data on EMIS Clinical System
l. Answering incoming phone calls, transferring calls or dealing with the callers request appropriately
m. Managing all administrative queries as necessary
n. Carrying out system searches as requested
o. Maintaining a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times
p. Supporting all clinical staff with general administrative tasks as requested
In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Medical Secretary may be requested to:
a. Partake in audit as directed by the audit lead
b. Produce meeting agendas and record the minutes of meetings
c. Support reception staff, providing cover during staff training events
Job description
Job responsibilities
All staff at Oswald Medical Centre have a duty to conform to the following:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
A good attitude and positive action towards Equality Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) creates an environment where all individuals can achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons it improves operational effectiveness; it is morally the right thing to do, and it is required by law.
Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect.
Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued, and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.
Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF)
This organisation is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities for staff to maintain their health, wellbeing and safety.
The post holder is to manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients and monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines.
All personnel have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for themselves, their team and others and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements.
All personnel are to comply with the:
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Environment Act 1995
Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999
Coronavirus Act 2020
Other statutory legislation which may be brought to the post holders attention
Confidentiality
The organisation is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality.
It is essential that, if the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained, all staff must protect patient information and provide a confidential service.
Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI)
To preserve and improve the quality of this organisations outputs, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work.
The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the organisation to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice and to discuss, highlight and work with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care.
Oswald Medical Centre continually strives to improve work processes which deliver healthcare with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement where everyone counts, and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care.
Staff should interpret national strategies and policies into local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general practice.
All staff are to contribute to investigations and root cause analyses whilst participating in serious incident investigations and multidisciplinary case reviews.
Induction
At Oswald Medical Centre you will be required to complete the induction programme and the practice management team will support you throughout the process.
Learning and development
The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake in, and complete mandatory training as directed by Oswald Medical Centre. It is an expectation for this post holder to assess their own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate
The post holder will undertake mentorship for team members and disseminate learning and information gained to other team members to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (e.g., courses and conferences).
The post holder will provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning.
Collaborative working
All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working and understand their own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time. Staff are to prioritise their own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team.
Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments and the post holder is to work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working and work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery
Effective communication is essential, and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner. All staff should delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence.
Plans and outcomes by which to measure success should be agreed.
Managing information
All staff should use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in the planning, implementation and monitoring of care and presenting and communicating information. Data should be reviewed and processed using accurate SNOMED/read codes to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes.
Service delivery
Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure. The post holder must adhere to the information contained within the organisations policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are always adhered to.
Security
The security of the organisation is the responsibility of all personnel. The post holder must ensure they always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager.
Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Likewise, password controls are to be maintained and are not to be shared.
Professional conduct
All staff are required to dress appropriately for their role.
Leave
All personnel are entitled to take leave. Line managers are to ensure all their staff are afforded the opportunity to take annual leave each year and should be encouraged to take all their leave entitlement.
Public holidays will be calculated on a pro-rated basis dependent on the number of hours worked.
The following are the core responsibilities of the Medical Secretary. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:
a. Typing letters, reports and associated documentation as required
b. Liaising with external agencies such as hospitals and community services, ensuring referrals are processed efficiently
c. Managing all enquiries in an effective manner
d. Maintaining an accurate referrals database
e. Actioning all incoming email
f. Processing calling letters as requested
g. Scanning of patient related documentation and attaching scanned documents to patients healthcare records
h. Inputting data into the patients healthcare records as necessary
i. Processing referrals using the electronic referral system (ERS)
j. Work with the Administration Team for Processing requests for information i.e., SAR, insurance/solicitors letters and DVLA forms to ensure these are completed in a timely manner
k. Clinically coding data on EMIS Clinical System
l. Answering incoming phone calls, transferring calls or dealing with the callers request appropriately
m. Managing all administrative queries as necessary
n. Carrying out system searches as requested
o. Maintaining a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times
p. Supporting all clinical staff with general administrative tasks as requested
In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Medical Secretary may be requested to:
a. Partake in audit as directed by the audit lead
b. Produce meeting agendas and record the minutes of meetings
c. Support reception staff, providing cover during staff training events
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
Desirable
* GCSE Mathematics and English (C or above)
* NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care
Experience
Essential
* Experience of working with the general public
* Experience of administrative duties
Desirable
* Experience of working in a healthcare setting as a medical secretary
Skills and Personal Qualities
Essential
* Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
* Strong IT skills, including audio typing
* Clear, polite telephone manner
* Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
* Effective time management (planning and organising)
* Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
* Good interpersonal skills
* Problem solving and analytical skills
* Ability to follow policy and procedure
* Polite and confident
* Flexible and cooperative
* Motivated
* Forward thinker
* High levels of integrity and loyalty
* Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
* Ability to work under pressure
* Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
* Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
Desirable
* EMIS/ SystemOne/Vision user skills
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
Desirable
* GCSE Mathematics and English (C or above)
* NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care
Experience
Essential
* Experience of working with the general public
* Experience of administrative duties
Desirable
* Experience of working in a healthcare setting as a medical secretary
Skills and Personal Qualities
Essential
* Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
* Strong IT skills, including audio typing
* Clear, polite telephone manner
* Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
* Effective time management (planning and organising)
* Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
* Good interpersonal skills
* Problem solving and analytical skills
* Ability to follow policy and procedure
* Polite and confident
* Flexible and cooperative
* Motivated
* Forward thinker
* High levels of integrity and loyalty
* Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
* Ability to work under pressure
* Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
* Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
Desirable
* EMIS/ SystemOne/Vision user skills
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
Oswald Medical Centre
Address
Aston House 391a
Blackburn Road
Accrington
Lancashire
BB5 1RP
Employer's website
(Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
Oswald Medical Centre
Address
Aston House 391a
Blackburn Road
Accrington
Lancashire
BB5 1RP
Employer's website
(Opens in a new tab)