Main area Surgery Grade NHS AfC: Band 2; Contract 12 months (fixed term due to organisational change; temporary post with potential to become permanent in the future). Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday); Full time with flexible working.
Salary £24,465 per annum, pro rata, NHS Foundation Trust; Closing date 13/11/2025 08:00.
NHS AfC: Band 2
Choose Well - Choose WWL
Job overview
We are recruiting two motivated, enthusiastic individuals who possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills with an ability to work effectively within a team. You must have knowledge of general office systems and protocols in a customer related environment.
You will be working within the Health Records Team, Health Care Operations department, based at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary; however, you may be required to work on other sites if cover is needed. The service operates between 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday. You will be working 37.5hrs per week and would be expected to work flexibly to cover these hours.
Please note, shortlisting is based on the person specification; when completing your supporting statement, refer to the person spec and demonstrate how you match all points, providing examples of experience, understanding and transferable skills.
NHS Employees should ideally secure their manager’s agreement for a secondment arrangement prior to applying, as this will be a condition of any offer. This vacancy is advertised on a fixed term basis for 12 months; while this post is advertised on an acting/secondment basis there is potential it may become permanent in the future.
Main duties of the job
The main function of the Health Records Assistant is the filing and retrieving of patient records from storage areas across the three main sites.
It is important to ensure patient needs are central to the delivery of the service; therefore you should have first-class customer service skills along with a professional telephone manner and compliance with all appropriate policies and procedures.
Qualifications: Must be educated to GCSE level or equivalent / relevant experience; demonstrate keyboard skills. It is necessary to be flexible and able to adapt quickly to change and altering work patterns. You will be covering various admin and clerical duties in line with service demands. Appropriate systems training will be provided, but basic IT skills linked with good keyboard skills would be a distinct advantage. Detail in your supporting statement how you meet the essential/desirable requirements given on the person specification.
Working for our organisation
Choose Well – Choose WWL
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust provides acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. We value our staff and believe that “happy staff makes for happy patients.” We have a recognised track record in staff engagement and living our values.
WWL is committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and to safe, effective care that acknowledges dignity. We seek to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.
On-Call
Please note that senior positions (AFC band 8A or above) may be expected to participate in an on-call rota if the role is predominantly operational.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The main duties of this role are
* General housekeeping, liaising with Trust colleagues, exchanging information within guidelines and responding to ad hoc duties; take operational responsibility for a high-quality Health Records service and support the provision of Health Records for the A&E department.
* Provide Health Records in line with Trust and National policies and guidance.
* File, retrieve and maintain Health Records and/or X-rays in accordance with local Trust policies and National policies and standards.
* Plan, organise and prioritise daily workload; understand how Health Records are used and travel around the Trust sites.
* Co-ordinate and respond to requests from varying sources using judgement and initiative.
* Adhere to good housekeeping guidance and improve efficiency through effective storage solutions.
* Deal with electronic, telephone and written queries, prioritising each request.
* Involve in repetitive physical activity involving movement and distribution of Health Records across the Trust.
* Rotate between departmental sites, transferring general skills as service demands require within each Health Records Library.
* Plan and prioritise in line with service demands while assisting colleagues to meet governance, quality standards and other targets.
* Actively promote and support good practice within Health Records Libraries.
* Maintain daily contact with staff across disciplines who may need to access Health Records Services.
* Use various methods of communication (written, fax, telephone, scanning) to facilitate service provision.
* Process routine/non-routine requests confidently and confidentially, using own judgement and initiative where needed.
* Report any process or system failures to the line manager.
* Ensure accurate recording of patient information and related data onto the HIS system; interpret HIS information to improve availability of patient records.
Person specification
Flexible
Knowledge
* Data Protection
* Confidentiality Codes of Conduct
Skills
* Keyboard skills
* Proven ability to communicate effectively at all levels
* Ability to multi-task
* Ability to work to deadlines
* Interpersonal skills
* Demonstrate ability to work in a team
* Work with frequent interruptions
Experience
* Proven experience of managing a busy workload
* Proven experience of meeting deadlines and targets
Qualifications
* Educated to GCSE Level (or equivalent) or able to demonstrate equivalent experience
Our Trust prefers candidates to submit applications online. Please contact the Recruitment Team on 01942 244000 if you have difficulty applying online.
Using AI when writing job applications
If you choose to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other tools to assist in writing your application, personalise this information to reflect your skills and experience. Relying solely on AI could negatively impact your chances; refer to the NHS guidance for further information.
The Trust reserves the right to close adverts earlier than the stated closing date if there is a high volume of applications.
We endeavour to inform all applicants of the outcome of their application by email or SMS text message.
Guidance on Completing Your Application
Applications are scored against the person specification; use the supporting information section to demonstrate how you meet the criteria with illustrative examples.
On-Call
Please note that some roles may require participation in an on-call rota if the role is predominantly operational.
WWL has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment and will recognise continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in related local authorities and NHS organisations, giving access to service-related benefits.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
#J-18808-Ljbffr