Main area Clinical Haematology & Clinical Biochemistry Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract 6 months (6 month fixed term) Hours 37.5 hours per week (Full time - 37.5 hours per week) Job ref 216-EG-M7536054
Employer University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Derriford Hospital Town Plymouth Salary £24,937 - £26,598 £24,937 - £26,598 Per Annum Salary period Yearly Closing 11/11/2025 23:59
Medical Secretary - Clinical Haematology
NHS AfC: Band 3
Job overview
We are looking for a Medical Secretary to join the Clinical Haematology and Biochemistry team on a 6 month fixed term basis.
The role will be responsible for co‑ordinating and delivering a comprehensive medical secretarial and personal assistant service to Consultant Haematologists and other clinical team members in an efficient and timely manner, working on own initiative. Maintain good communications between the consultant, patients, carers and other health professionals.
To contribute to the effective delivery of patient care, through knowledge of consultant practice and hospital systems as well as trust targets in relation to cancer pathways.
To aid in the supervision of trainee/junior staff, bank/agency staff and filing clerk as necessary within your area.
To maintain absolute patient confidentially in accordance with the Trust’s Code of Practice for Patient Confidentiality.
Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS at Risk staff throughout Devon who is able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.
Main duties of the job
Provide and deliver a high standard of full secretarial and personal assistant service to the consultant and his/her medical team using a varied range of work procedures, many of which are non‑routine, requiring a level of theoretical knowledge.
Weekly workload to incorporate, clinics:-
* Sub‑specialty clinics
* New patient clinics
* Joint clinics
* Nurse‑led clinics
Working for our organisation
We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
* Prioritise own workload including the typing of clinics, booking patients, discharge summaries and medical reports. Inform GP’s of patient results via letter dictated by Consultant.
* Manage RTT, Follow Up and New PTL in line with the Trust’s Access Policy.
* Ensure effective communication with all members of the multi‑disciplinary team.
* Sort and deal with all correspondence, keeping a satisfactory record and filing system.
* Collate results with patient casenotes, ensuring that they are seen and actioned promptly by the relevant clinician.
* Take appropriate actions with regard to telephone calls from patients, GPs and other agencies using initiative, within Trust guidelines.
* Maintain an up to date diary for the Consultants / team, inform relevant staff of cancelled and reduced outpatient sessions due to Consultant leave, junior doctors leave, on‑call commitments and various meetings.
* To obtain hospital casenotes from both within the Trust and external agencies when required by the Consultant and/or team.
* To ensure that the casenotes are traced accurately using PiMS at all times and retuned to Health Records in a timely manner. To raise hospital casenotes as necessary, ensuring that accurate and full details are entered onto PiMS in line with the Trust’s APN for health records.
* Required to cover for other colleagues during annual leave/sickness or peak workloads.
* Arrange patient admissions as directed by the Consultant/team, taking into account clinical priority ensuring that any relevant investigations or pre‑assessment appointments are booked.
* Inform the ward of patient admissions and provide hospital notes, rebook cancelled patients/informing patients of cancellations.
* Ensure that appropriate clinic follow‑up is actioned as appropriate, i.e. outpatient appointments, investigations, add patients to waiting list, re‑admissions and referrals to other Consultants/departments.
* Work with the junior doctors to ensure that the clinic outcomes, discharge summary/proformas are completed.
* Ensure timely dispatch of clinical letters to GP’s.
* Obtain results ensuring that the Consultant /or medical team see them and action in a timely manner.
* Provide other secretarial assistance to the team as required, typing up correspondence, references for junior staff and administration and maintain filing system of this correspondence.
* Exposure to distressing/emotional circumstances i.e. typing letters of a distressing nature, dealing with distressed, anxious and angry patients and relatives in person or by telephone.
* Requirement to exert physical effort when dealing with quantities of notes and when retrieving notes from outpatients after Consultant clinics each week and filing them accordingly.
* Requirement to work with DSE for at least 75% of the working day.
For further details please see the attached JD.
Person specification
Knowledge & Experience
* Previous demonstrable experience within a similar role
* Demonstrate ability to use all main software packages.
* Demonstrate use of hospital software iPMS.
* Demonstrable experience of audio typing
* Previous demonstrable experience of working in a Haematology Department
* Minute taking
Qualifications
* NVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration
* Shorthand qualification
* Excellent organisational skills.
* Ability to communicate at all levels.
* Excellent telephone manner.
* Ability to handle difficult/distressed patients in a sensitive and empathetic manner.
* Professional manner
* Adaptability, flexibility and ability to multi task
* Desire to achieve and sustain high standards
* Able to cope with sensitive nature of work
* Able to work well in a busy environment and meet deadlines
* Able to work as part of a team and independently as required.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY INCLUDING YOUR JUNK FOLDER.
If you need support with the online application process or require reasonable adjustments with the application and/or interview process please contact the Recruiting Manager for this post.
We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants about less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. We recommend contacting the manager of the role prior to applying and we commit to giving requests full consideration.
We welcome and encourage applicants who identify with all protected characteristics to apply for our roles. We believe that diversity strengthens our teams and improves our patients' experience. At UHP we aim to create an inclusive workplace and hospital where everyone feels they belong and included .
It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Providing false information is an offence & could result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal/police action if an applicant is successful.
Please note that if you are successful in your application & accept the position you agree that the Staff Health and Wellbeing Department can access your health records from your current/previous employer in order to check the status of your inoculations & screening tests. This is an automated process & the information will only be used for these purposes prior to your taking up the position with us.
For Doctors Roles:
Unsolicited CVs and Candidate Profiles/Details. University Hospitals Plymouth has a commitment to sourcing candidates directly and as such we do not accept speculative CVs from agencies.
We do, however, work with a defined list of preferred HTE Framework suppliers who may be invited to support us in sourcing candidates for particular roles.
In line with our preferred supplier list, we only pay agency fees where we have a signed agreement in place and an agency has been instructed by a member of the Trust’s Medical Workforce team.
We do not pay agency fees where speculative and unsolicited CVs are submitted to the Trust or Trust employees by any other means than the official route above. Where this is not observed the Trust reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and initiate discussions without payment of any agency fee.
Any candidate details (whether written or spoken) or CVs that are referred directly will not constitute an introduction. The Trust will under no circumstances be responsible for any recruitment fees in relation to these contacts.
Submission of any unsolicited CVs, candidate’s details and/or proposals to the Trust will not be considered further and will be deemed evidence of full and unlimited acceptance of this Agency Protocol.
In order to establish and maintain good working relationships with the Trust’s agency suppliers, we ask that this Protocol is adhered to and thank you for your co‑operation.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
#J-18808-Ljbffr