Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Medical Secretary, Band 3
The closing date is 25 March 2026
The post-holder will provide an efficient, confidential and professional secretarial service to the medical staff and their supporting team. This will include administration and secretarial support to enable provision of patient care and specialty services. Effective communication with patients, relatives, general practitioners and other hospital staff is essential to ensure a proficient, high-quality service for patients and clinicians. The post-holder will be expected to work as part of the Hepatology team but also support the secretarial team as needed.
Main duties of the job
* Providing a comprehensive secretarial and administrative service to the medical staff and their supporting team.
* Ensuring excellent communication is provided to patients, relatives, general practitioners and other hospital staff to ensure a proficient, high‑quality service for patients and clinicians.
* Ensuring all clinics are used to their full capacity and that any vacant slots are fully utilised and acted upon, including informing the Booking Office, to maximise capacity.
* Regularly informing the secretarial supervisor about progress and flagging up as a matter of urgency any issues, for example, capacity or delays due to internal or external factors, difficult queries from patients, etc.
About us
We take pride in placing people at the centre of everything we do, working together as a united team. Driven by a shared ambition to continually grow, develop, and learn, we recognise and value every contribution. By combining our experience and skills, we not only support our vibrant, diverse communities, but also support one another.
With a team of over 9,000 employees, we are proud to be the largest employer in Gloucestershire and rank among the top 10 largest Trusts in the South West region. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from an excellent package that includes exclusive benefits, flexible working opportunities and the chance to gain valuable experience in one or both of our innovative hospitals.
As well as generous annual leave allowance, you will have access to the excellent NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, discounts at local shops and restaurants, access to two on‑site nurseries, discounted public transport, reward and recognition and a range of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Job responsibilities
* Providing a comprehensive secretarial and administrative service to the medical staff and their supporting team.
* Providing cover for colleagues in their absence to maintain service levels.
* Ensuring excellent communication is provided to patients, relatives, general practitioners and other hospital staff to ensure a proficient, high‑quality service for patients and clinicians.
* Ensuring all clinics are used to their full capacity and that any vacant slots are fully utilised and acted upon, including informing the Booking Office, to maximise capacity.
* Regularly informing the secretarial supervisor about progress and flagging up as a matter of urgency any issues, for example, capacity or delays due to internal or external factors, difficult queries from patients, etc.
* Managing the pathway for patients referred in under the two‑week wait ensuring they are monitored to minimise/avoid breach.
* Carrying out regular review and administrative validation of the clinicians return outpatient wait list.
* Supporting the achievement of Trust performance by ensuring administrative standards are met e.g. typing times, test results passed to clinician and any potential 52 week breaches are escalated to the clinician, secretarial supervisor or AGM/DGM to avoid breach.
* Ensuring all clinic cancellations/alterations are dealt with efficiently and in line with the Trust’s 8‑week annual/study leave policy.
* Typing correspondence to patients, GPs, medical staff and any other required addressee following clinical attendance or other patient contacts using digital dictation or via Dragon voice recognition.
* Typing detailed medical reports when necessary.
* Handling DVLA forms ensuring they are completed and sent as appropriate.
* Highlighting to the clinical team members any results, correspondence or patient queries that need response and acting e.g. booking investigations, transcription, etc.
* Ensuring incoming post and results is sorted, any appropriate action taken and passed to the clinician on a daily basis.
* If appropriate to the role, booking follow‑up appointments as requested by the clinical team, including negotiation of dates with the patient and creating correspondence.
* Booking investigations as requested by the clinical team, including negotiation of dates with the patients and creating correspondence if appropriate.
* Deal with enquiries by letter, e‑mail or telephone from patients, GPs, other hospitals, police, solicitors (via legal department), other consultants and management.
* Organisation of procedures in negotiation with the clinical staff and patients as requested by the secretary supervisor. This includes identifying potential dates with the clinical team, negotiation of dates with the patient and any additional coordination of staff, equipment, stock, facilities, external support (company representatives) and paperwork.
* Monitoring the pathway for patients referred in under the two‑week wait to minimise/avoid breach.
* Supporting consultant staff by assisting with the production/transcription of medical staffing paperwork, such as references etc.
* Supporting consultant staff with their additional responsibilities, such as clinical governance, Clinical Tutor role, etc. This may include setting up training days, teaching sessions, organising visitors, etc.
* Liaising with external organisations for the benefit and progress of patient care, such as Social Services, other hospitals, etc.
* Diary management, including making appointments, booking meeting dates and venues, organising and distributing paperwork as required by the clinical team/supervisor.
0300 422 6896
Please feel free to reach out should you wish to discuss the role. Always happy to discuss any questions you may have.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
* Educated to GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in literacy and numeracy.
* RSA Level three/Speed typing qualification or demonstrable experience.
* NVQ level three in administration or equivalent experience. Appropriate experience in a hospital or office environment.
Knowledge and Skills
* IT capable to ensure proficient use of hospital computer systems.
* Personally resilient and able to manage complexity and work in an ambiguous or changing environment.
* Proven organisational skills.
* Excellent presentational, communication and interpersonal skills.
* IT experience of Microsoft Office packages.
Experience
* Experience of working as a secretary.
* Appropriate experience in a hospital or office environment.
* Understanding and previous experience in medical terminology.
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.
Employer name
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Salary
£24,937 to £26,598 a year (pa, pro rata if part time)
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full‑time
Reference number
318-26-T0165
Job locations
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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