University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)
Medical Secretary for Paediatric Cardiology
The closing date is 09 April 2026
The post holder will work within University Hospitals Bristol and be responsible for providing an efficient and effective secretarial service for clinical teams within specialties across the Trust.
The role of Medical Secretary is to provide patients and GP's with high quality clinical outcome information, within the Trust's target turnaround times. The role is therefore responsible for setting high standards of patient care by enacting the Trust's values at all times.
Main duties of the job
* To liaise with and act as a point of contact for clinical and non-clinical staff via telephone and email.
* To act as a point of contact for patients, relatives and carers.
* To audio type, edit and proof read clinical letters, general correspondence and reports using the Trust's Digital Dictation and Speech Recognition System, ensuring that all correspondence is dispatched within the Trust's target turnaround times.
* Achieve the required standard of proofreading/editing using the Trust's Digital Dictation and Speech Recognition System, as specified by the Trust.
* Use the relevant computer systems and Patient Administration System (PAS) to accurately input and retrieve patient information, updating demographics where necessary.
About us
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as 'Good' overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward‑thinking multi‑award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world‑leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.
Job responsibilities
Communication:
* To liaise with and act as a point of contact for clinical and non‑clinical staff via telephone and email.
* To act as a point of contact for patients, relatives and carers. The post holder should be polite and empathetic to the patients needs at all times and be able to communicate effectively when dealing with difficult situations/conversations.
* Returning calls promptly and keeping callers updated with information in an effective and efficient way.
* Escalate patient queries, capacity problems and general issues to the roles line manager or relevant clinical staff as appropriate.
* To show a caring and professional approach towards patients, relatives and carers. This may require acting with resilience to deal with sometimes distressed patients and relatives in a professional and empathetic manner.
Organising and Planning:
* Ensure patient records are up to date and maintained. Tracing case notes where necessary to ensure readiness for clinic.
* Checking and sorting investigation reports and passing information on to clinical team as required.
* Ensuring speciality specific documentation is completed and filed appropriately.
* To carry out associated clerical duties, for example maintaining accurate filing systems, receiving post, diary management and scanning patient notes if required.
* Attend appropriate meetings as required by the roles line manager.
* To gain a working understanding of other specialties in order to provide cover for other secretaries in times of sickness or annual leave and undertake any duties deemed reasonable by your line manager.
* Support the maintenance and updating of all patients referral to treatment pathways, including outpatient clinic outcomes, results tracking, any waiting list arrangements and associated appointments, as required by the service.
Service Development and Research:
* Attend training courses as required to support personal development and the needs of the service.
* Assist in training of new members of the team.
Finance and Resources:
* Maintain, order and/or receipt stationary and essential items, in line with Trust policies.
Information Resources:
* To audio type, edit and proof read clinical letters, general correspondence and reports using the Trust's Digital Dictation and Speech Recognition System, ensuring that all correspondence is despatched within the Trust's target turnaround times.
* Achieve the required standard of proofreading/editing using the Trust's Digital Dictation and Speech Recognition System, as specified by the Trust.
* Use the relevant computer systems and Patient Administration System (PAS) to accurately input and retrieve patient information, updating demographics where necessary.
* To check incoming email inbox(s) on a daily basis to keep up to date with departmental and Trust wide news and information.
Other:
* Act with flexibility to utilise skills in other functions if and when appropriate or required by the roles line manager.
* Maintain confidentiality and discretion and comply with the terms of the Data Protection Act and local Trust policies at all times.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
* Educated to GCSE, grade C or above (or equivalent) in English Language and Maths.
* Business and Administration Level 3 NVQ or equivalent experience.
* Qualified in word processing or audio typing (or equivalent).
Knowledge and Experience
* Experience of dealing with the public, both on the telephone and in person.
* Clerical / administrative experience.
* Previous NHS experience.
* Understanding of medical terminology.
Skills and abilities
* Effective and polite manner when dealing with people, both face to face and on the phone.
* Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines whilst maintaining a high standard of accuracy.
* Ability to work effectively in a busy team, adjust to change and motivate others.
* Ability to work on your own, using your own initiative, if required.
* Confidence to handle difficult conversations with patients, relatives and carers.
* Effective organisational skills.
* Good IT skills including Microsoft packages.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)
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