Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic, individual to join our critical care as a ward clerk, an essential member of our team. The ward clerk is responsible for providing a front-line reception service to the unit and for delivering a high standard of customer care to a wide range of people including the ward's multi-disciplinary team, patients, relatives and their carers.
The post-holder must undertake effective forward planning, to ensure that the administrative needs of the service are met and must carry out a range of effective administration processes to support the delivery of high quality patient care.
The ward clerk will not be directly supervised on a day-to-day basis and is responsible for the management and prioritisation of their own workload. You will provide a front of house reception service for patients or relatives arriving on the unit, welcoming all visitors and directing as appropriate.
Duties will include answering telephones, ensuring bed states are up to date, to provide weekly and monthly ward activity figures, to provide a confidential and high standard general administrative support to the unit, to ensure that all patient admissions, discharges and attendances are recorded accurately on the relevant electronic system in real time, to sort out incoming/outgoing post and distribute or act as necessary and any other ward clerking responsibilities.
Applicants are asked to carefully read the advert and Job Description before completing and applying.
Please ensure you clearly demonstrate how you meet the criteria in the person specification.
To be eligible for an Apprenticeship you must meet the following criteria:
a. Be 18 years old or over
b. Have the right to work in the UK
c. Have been permanently resident in the UK for the past 3 years
PLEASE NOTE: The post is initially offered as a fixed term contract; but will become permanent on successful completion of the apprenticeship. Applications are welcome from people who have lived experience of the care system.
Main duties of the job
To provide an effective and efficient reception for patients and visitors to the department; preparing patient’s medical notes, checking patient’s details on Medway and providing effective administrative support to the nursing team.
Working for our organisation
We’re an organisation that is getting better and better and our improvements are driven by a determination to deliver care we’re proud of and our patients are happy with. We’re no longer in special measures; we’ve opened two new theatres at our Elective Surgical Hub in King George Hospital (KGH); and Matthew Trainer, our Chief Executive, was named the top CEO by the Health Service Journal in 2024.
We operate from two main sites – KGH in Goodmayes and Queen’s Hospital in Romford. We have two busy emergency departments with more than 330,000 people visiting them last year. We’re campaigning to secure the £35m we need to transform the A&E at Queen’s and get rid of corridor care.
Our patients are benefitting from our Women’s Health Hub in Ilford; an Ageing Well Centre in Hornchurch; and Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) at Barking Community Hospital and at St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub in Hornchurch.
These CDCs are open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and are providing an extra 94,000 scans a year.
The majority of our 8,000 staff – who come from 146 different countries - live in the three diverse London boroughs we serve and are from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Many can work flexibly and more than 400 of them are on our Ofsted accredited apprenticeship programmes. We’re proud to be a London Living Wage employer.
We’re looking forward to introducing an electronic patient record that will be transformative for our staff and beneficial for our patients.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification.
The person specification listed below is not the full specification requirements for the role. Please ensure you review the full specification on the job description prior to submitting your application.
Applicants are advised to read all the information on the advert and the supporting information before completing and submitting an application. As you complete your application please ensure you clearly demonstrate how you meet the criteria in the person specification for this post by adequately completing the supporting information section of the application form.
All new staff appointed at the Trust are subject to a probationary period.
Person specification
Education/ Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. •Good level of education to GCSE standard with English and Maths at Grade 1 as a minimum
Skills/ Abilities
Essential criteria
2. Good oral and written communication skills in English
Desirable criteria
3. Ability to prioritise and complete work in a timely manner.
Experience/ Knowledge
Essential criteria
4. Ability to prioritise and know when to escalate/report upwards
Desirable criteria
5. Ability to work in a fast paced, high-pressure environment and to complete work in a timely manner
6. Previous administration experience
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Application numbers
This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.