Detailed job description
and main responsibilities
1. Deal appropriately with telephone calls from GP’s, patients, medical staff, nursing staff, hospital departments etc especially in the absence of the Consultant secretary.
2. Ensure that the telephone is always attended during normal working hours, if only with a message facility in the absence of the post holder.
3. Liaise with General Practitioners regarding patient care and pathways.
4. Liaise with other hospitals and agencies regarding the transfer of patient’s ongoing care.
5. Take calls from anxious and distressed members of the public or staff, requiring skill and sensitive handling, without recourse to others other than in exceptional cases.
6. To support the consultants and consultant secretaries in providing an efficient secretarial service. This will involve the typing of all clinical correspondence i.e. clinic letters, reports, operation letters etc, under the supervision of the consultant secretary, using audio/Digital Dictation.
7. To be aware of RTT (Referral to Treatment) pathways to adjust patient referral to treatment clock according to the treatment plan, liaising with consultant secretaries and/or validator as necessary
8. Look up, sort and file patients’ results as directed by the clinician/consultant secretary in line with Health Records filing policy.
9. Photocopying, faxing and general filing to include correspondence, results in hospital notes when required.
10. Be responsible for out-going post, meeting afternoon deadline assisting post workers when required.
11. To deal with telephone queries in an appropriate manner as instructed by the consultant secretary.
12. To ensure all referrals are collected on a daily basis and distributed to the appropriate clinician without delay. This includes Choose and Book referrals and paper referrals received direct from GP or other professional bodies.
13. To understand and be proactive in managing RTT (Referral to Treatment) pathways and highlight any potential issues to prevent breaches. This includes ensuring that follow up appointments following diagnostics are dealt with immediately to avoid any unnecessary delays within the patient pathway to meet national targets.
14. To prepare an adequate instruction daily work sheet to be used in the post holder’s absence.
15. Maintain confidentiality at all times. Deal with confidential sensitive information about patients. Adhere to policies and statutory Health and Safety requirement of the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Foundation Trust.
16. To maintain patient safety through rigorous and consistent compliance with Trust policies for the prevention and control of infection, including hand hygiene. To undertake appropriate mandatory training and updates in infection prevention and control.
17. To work closely with consultant secretaries and audio typist/clerical assistant.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
18. RSA II or equivalent touch typing/computer skills
19. Minimum 5 GCSE’s including English or equivalent
Desirable criteria
20. Computer qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
21. Secretarial experience
22. Working with people at all levels
23. NHS medical secretary experience
Desirable criteria
24. UHD experience in similar role
25. NHS medical secretary experience
Technical Skills
Essential criteria
26. Computer literate with word processing experience.
27. Audio typing
28. Data accuracy on computer
Desirable criteria
29. Experience of working with Hospital systems
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
30. Team Player
31. Effective communicator