Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
We are seeking an experienced Medical Secretary to provide a smooth and efficient secretarial and administrative support function to the Integrated Administration Team. The successful applicant will have experience of secretarial support in a health care setting and be able to demonstrate excellent organisational and workload management skills.
It is important that our organisation has one core set of values, to provide an underlying consistency to how we all work. They identify our people and what we feel is important in our organisation.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be required to provide a comprehensive and confidential secretarial and/or administrative support to the Mental Health and Wellness Team/Early Intervention in Psychosis Service to ensure the smooth running of the area including:
1. Providing secretarial support to the clinical team by undertaking audio and copy typing
2. To liaise between Consultants and their teams, with the Wards, Medical Records Personnel, Urgent Care teams, Pathway services, other Hospitals, Care Coordinators, Social Workers etc. including CPA review meetings and organising outpatient’s clinics when necessary.
3. To input and update the NHS client database (RiO) and local databases (training will be provided)
4. To undertake telephone duties, dealing with caller enquiries, making appointments, problem solving, investigations and taking accurate messages for the team
5. To make appointments for clinicians as requested
6. To undertake general office duties including photocopying, filing, faxing, shredding etc. as required
7. To provide cover for the Medical Secretaries and wider admin team as directed by the Line Manager
8. To attend relevant training, team meetings and supervision
9. The post holder is to recognise the sensitivity of the business undertaken and to ensure strict confidentiality at all times
10. To undertake other duties as appropriate to the grade
Working for our organisation
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They are:
We are kind.
We are respectful.
We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15%of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,714 and a maximum payment of £5,941 - per annum, pro rata).
Use of AI
Please see attached document regarding acceptable use of AI
during the recruitment process.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer to this when completing your application.
Key Responsibilities:
11. To support clinicians by providing a comprehensive secretarial and admin service
12. Transcribe, from recorded dictation or handwritten notes, all discharge summaries, clinic letters & all other correspondence generated by consultants & their teams, detailed & complicated Reports for Courts, Tribunals, Case Conferences & Minutes of Meetings. Some reports & letters are of a distressing nature. Signing letters on behalf of medical staff as and when required.
13. To type clinical correspondence, reports, letters, statements, notifications, rota’s etc.
14. Organise systems access for new staff/distribute Induction Packs
15. Manage prescription pads
16. Keep patient records up to date on the Trust’s electronic data base. (RIO) This forms a large part of the role & training will be given as required.
17. To administer telephone calls efficiently and courteously on behalf of the clinical team addressing general enquires from the public, NHS professionals, outside agencies, voluntary organisations, Social Services, GP’s, taking and responding to messages in accordance with current good practice in Customer Care.
18. To maintain an effective paper/electronic filing systems and ensure that the filing is completed in good time
19. Ensure patient information is entered and updated on central and local recording systems in a timely fashion, including: recording new patients, clinic appointments, clinic outcomes, discharging, updating progress notes, uploading documents etc.
20. To provide a typing word/processing service including the typing of clinical letters, correspondence and confidential reports for clinicians; copy typing and other appropriate software programmes.
21. To ensure workload is managed and prioritised appropriately, frequently under pressure, without supervision, and for urgent situations to be addressed speedily
22. To support clinicians with administration of SHO training programme
23. To plan and organise diary activities, clinical and professional appointments and conference and room bookings as required
24. To organise meetings for the consultant psychiatrist as required.
25. If required, to plan and book translation and interpretation services for clients and clinicians
26. To support lead clinician with reporting requirement’s related systems to sickness absence/training request, expenses etc
27. To take minutes at meetings for the consultant psychiatrist and the B&D Early Intervention Team.
28. To take responsibility for ensuring both computerised and paper systems are operating effectively, and take action to remedy problems as they arise (including addressing network mapping and printer access, breakdowns etc.)
29. To provide ongoing RiO support to clinicians
30. To process incoming and outgoing mail including ascertaining the nature of the correspondence, date stamping and distributing accordingly
31. To undertake any required training provided by the employer
32. To comply at all times with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
33. Previous secretarial experience
34. Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
35. Experience of working in a Mental Health Organisation
36. Competence in audio/copy typing to produce high quality, well presented documentation
Desirable criteria
37. Advanced secretarial qualifications.
Qualifications
Essential criteria
38. NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
Knowledge
Essential criteria
39. Handling sensitive and confidential information
Skills
Essential criteria
40. Good working knowledge of RiO, Outlook, Word, Excel, Power point, Access
41. Clear communication skills including excellent writing, data entry and presentation skills
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
42. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
43. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
44. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
45. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.