Post Overview
The post holder will undertake a wide range of secretarial, administrative and clerical duties with specific responsibilities, including digital transcription of clinic letters and appropriate management of results, administration and correspondence, RTT work. The role involves transcription and production, from digital dictation or shorthand, of typewritten reports and correspondence for the Consultant's team, which may include outpatient reports, discharge summaries, operation notes and other relevant clinical and non‑clinical correspondence.
Responsibilities
* Open and prioritise correspondence (which is often of a highly sensitive and confidential nature) on behalf of the Consultant, ensuring that urgent correspondence receives prompt attention. In the Consultant's absence, the Medical Secretary is responsible for ascertaining which correspondence requires referral to an appropriate clinician for urgent attention.
* Maintain accurate 18‑week referral to treatment (RTT) pathway for patients. The role includes data cleansing by identifying inaccuracies, inconsistencies and gaps in data records for patients on an 18‑week pathway. Working closely with the Assistant Business Manager, elective admissions and other key stakeholders, you will be involved in the successful delivery of RTT pathways, including the use of ongoing patient tracking list (PTL) databases and weekly validation and maintenance to ensure up‑to‑date 18‑week pathway records.
* Retrieve and act upon correspondence received by fax or e‑mail.
* Process patients discharged from hospital; follow through ongoing care plans as indicated in notes or on Cerner (as relevant). Allocate notes to relevant clinician for dictation, or ensure that any standard letters are completed as appropriate. Where standard letters have been generated at ward level, ascertain from case‑notes or Cerner whether any supplementary letter/action is indicated and act appropriately. Ensure that follow‑up appointments or referrals to other specialties are arranged where necessary and that relevant investigation results received after a patient's discharge are communicated to GP's when indicated.
* Ensure that all correspondence is dictated and typed within the designated time limits.
* Receive, manage and prioritise telephone enquiries, complaints, messages and information from patients, relatives, General Practitioners, Consultants and other medical staff and external organisations on behalf of the Consultant and clinical team. Deal with enquiries relating to the medical and social welfare of patients and relatives in a sensitive manner, referring to medical staff or other healthcare professionals where appropriate. When responding to enquiries, ensure that relevant guidelines or protocols are followed.
* Respond to enquiries from patients and healthcare personnel as appropriate, providing empathy and reassurance to patients where necessary. May be required to convey clinical/medical information to patients and clinical personnel when instructed by— or with— the permission of the Consultant.
* Manage patient investigation results. Check all incoming laboratory/radiology results, ensuring that abnormal results are communicated promptly to the appropriate clinician. Ensure all reports are seen and signed by clinician prior to filing in case‑notes where appropriate. Retrieve patient results from Cerner/ICE system, ensuring that results are actioned as soon as possible. Maintain systems for monitoring and retrieving outstanding investigations and chase up missing results. May be required to instigate appropriate referrals to other disciplines in respect of specific abnormalities in line with departmental protocols.
* Participate in the training and supervision of Support Medical Secretaries, Medical Audio Typists and apprentices/work‑experience students, which will involve planning and allocation of work, and checking of letters produced for accuracy, as appropriate.
* Undertake self‑supervision and effective self‑organisation in terms of: a) co‑ordinating annual and other leave in co‑operation with other secretaries and with the approval of management; b) liaising with other secretaries to ensure fair distribution of work by mutual assistance; c) liaising with the manager and other secretaries regarding any flexi‑time arrangements within the office.
* Establish and maintain efficient office systems, including filing systems and maintain a booking out and/or booking in system for case‑notes if required in your specialty. Co‑ordinate arrangements for urgent outpatient appointments/hospital admissions, domiciliary visits etc.; liaise with wards, departments and other agencies as required.
* Liaise with the Admissions Department in respect of patients requiring hospital admission, ensuring that relevant information or instructions are communicated effectively. Ensure that all relevant investigations are available prior to admission and, in particular, that any problem with the potential to delay admission/surgery is brought to the urgent attention of the relevant clinician (may be necessary to liaise with or organise input of other clinicians prior to admission, e.g. anaesthetic assessment) or to co‑ordinate arrangements where procedures require multidisciplinary input.
* Maintain confidentiality at all times, ensuring that information is only divulged to authorised sources and by appropriate means.
* Input and extract data from patient administration system Cerner and other relevant software programmes, which may be Trust‑wide or specialty‑specific (e.g. ICE and Winscribe).
* Process documentation and correspondence for Senior and Junior Medical Staff (e.g. travel claims, family planning claims, references) liaising with Medical Staffing and bodies such as the General Medical Council where necessary.
* Provide administrative and secretarial support for the Consultant's non‑clinical NHS obligations and commitments.
* Liaise with reception staff/book‑clerk staff regarding follow‑up appointments.
* Liaise with diagnostic services in arranging or expediting urgent or routine investigations.
* Generate correspondence and take appropriate action, in line with Trust policy, in respect of patients who fail to attend.
* Ensure that referrals are dealt with in accordance with the Consultant's guidelines and/or departmental or Trust protocols.
* Maintain the Consultant's diary. Keep records of clinician leave and absence and report all absences to line managers/DDMs within the Directorate.
* Ensure that clinics/theatre lists are cancelled where necessary, and the relevant personnel are notified in respect of the Consultant's or other medical staff absence. May be required to inform appropriate personnel of cover arrangements for the Consultant or other medical staff.
* May be required to produce and circulate duty rotas.
* Type medico‑legal summaries, maintain medico‑legal files and liaise with the legal department in respect of medico‑legal cases.
* Make arrangements for the Consultant to attend clinical conferences, seminars or other relevant events, as necessary, which may include booking travel and accommodation, forwarding remittance and arrangements for study leave.
* May be required to take and transcribe minutes of clinical or non‑clinical meetings at the request of the Consultant or Departmental Manager.
* Co‑ordinate arrangements for relevant clinical meetings, liaising with appropriate disciplines, ensuring that case‑notes for discussion are available if relevant and that appropriate agendas or case summaries are prepared, produced and circulated as necessary.
* Distribute and/or duplicate appropriate information using photocopier, fax or e‑mail.
* Responsible for safe use of, and basic maintenance of office equipment/machinery.
* May be required to arrange for repair/servicing of office equipment and machinery as necessary.
* Maintain levels of stock/stationery for own work area.
* Ensure effective communication with all work colleagues, patients and visitors.
* Ensure departmental security is maintained.
* Complete and/or attend all mandatory training before becoming non‑compliant.
Qualifications & Skills
* RSA/OCR II typewriting
* RSA/OCR word processing
* RSA/OCR audiotranscription stage II
* or proven ability at an equivalent level of skill
* GCSE English at Grade C/Grade 4 and above
* Desirable: ECDL
* Desirable: RSA/OCR medical audiotranscription
* Desirable: Medical terminology
* Desirable: AMSPAR qualification, six months secretarial experience
* Desirable: Ability to understand, absorb and comply with detailed procedures
* Desirable: Proven ability to manage priorities under pressure
* Desirable: Proven ability to demonstrate clear and precise communication skills
* Desirable: Knowledge of medical terminology
* Desirable: Ability to work in a team and be supportive of team members
* Desirable: Proven ability to use own initiative and work without close supervision
About East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of its staff and operates a ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. We aim to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first‑class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust.
We employ over 9,500 staff. Our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ many internationally renowned staff who have won awards for their work.
Application Notes
* Please note that the salary advertised is for full‑time hours. If this post is less than 37.5 hours per week, the salary will be pro‑rata.
* This vacancy may close before the closing date if the recruiting manager deems sufficient applications have been received; therefore it is advised to complete your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
* Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
* Please note that shortlisting is completed anonymously with candidates being assessed against the essential criteria for the post. Only applicants who can clearly demonstrate how they meet our person specification criteria in their application will be shortlisted.
Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS)
If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006), any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained. The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed to the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1–3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. By applying for this vacancy you agree to this undertaking if you are successfully appointed. The cost of an Enhanced Disclosure will be £55.38 and for a Standard Disclosure will be £27.38.
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