Medical Secretary NHS AfC: Band 3

Job overview

The Medical Care Group at Whiston Hospital is looking to appoint a Medical Secretary to provide a comprehensive service with the minimum of supervision within the Palliative Care Team.

The successful applicant will be able to organise their own workload, co-ordinate workload activities with other secretaries in the team and liaise directly with the Personal Medical Secretary. The successful candidate will be of a pleasant disposition, have excellent interpersonal skills and a friendly telephone manner.

There is a need to be able to work to tight deadlines and withstand the pressure of a busy department and it is essential that you are able to work on your own initiative.

Interviews will include a 20 minute timed typing test. Interviews will be held on 2nd August 2021.

Those applicants who have previously applied will not be considered.

Main duties of the job

Applicants will be proficient in the use of audio-typing and word-processing packages and ideally qualified to at least RSA Level 3/OCR typing/word-processing or equivalent. Knowledge of medical terminology is essential. Possession of the AMSPAR certificate is desirable. Experience of using Microsoft Office software and the Medway system is an advantage but training will be provided if necessary.

Please see the attached job description and person specification for full details regarding this role.

Working for our organisation

St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is the BEST acute Trusts in England for the THIRD year running!

The Trust is currently the only acute Trust in Cheshire and Merseyside, and is one of few in the entire country, to achieve the title of OUTSTANDING, rated by the Care Quality Commission.

We provide a full range of acute adult services to our local population of circa 350,000 and provide tertiary services across a much wider area in the North West, North Wales and Isle of Man. We are also a Major Trauma Unit and the Mersey Regional Burns Unit.

Our ’5 Star Patient Care’ strategy is at the heart of all that we do; supporting our vision to provide world class services for all our patients by getting it right for every patient, every time.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Duties

• To quality check documentation completed in clinical administration support.

• Audit reports bi-monthly against KPI’s (key performance indicators).

• Mentor, train and supervise relevant staff as required by the Administration Services Co-ordinator.

• Complete any Tertiary Referrals to externals Trusts and ensure these are completed on PAS system. Keep track of referrals to ensure patient is reviewed promptly. Check that follow up appointments are arranged in conjunction with Referral To Treatment (RTT) patient pathway.

• Type dictation from audio transcription of clinical correspondence and documentation. Ensuring appropriate follow up arrangements/investigations are in place. Liaise with Personal Medical Secretary of speciality accordingly.

• Deal appropriate with concerns from staff in line with Trust policy.

• To answer the telephone promptly and politely, telephoning patients where appropriate using tact, discretion and empathy in all situations.

• Accurate use of patient information using the Patient Administration System (PAS), including registration screen to check patient details are correct.

• Ensure efficient audit processes in place concerning correspondence to ensure quality levels maintained and rectify accordingly.

• Print off EIS reports for discharges.

• Taking minutes of meetings and circulating to relevant groups.
• Obtain information requested by Administration Services Co-ordinator.

• Record sickness/absence, annual leave on ESR system.

• Carry out appraisals as appropriate.

• Organise and order stationary items as appropriate.

• Ensure all mandatory training is up to date and report accordingly.

• Be able to work as part of a team, promote effective flows in the department to cover leave to ensure office runs smoothly.

• General office duties including dealing with incoming and outgoing mail, e-mail, fax, photocopying. Participate in housekeeping of the office environment.

• Attend appropriate training, meetings and education sessions at the request of the manager.

• Work with managers to review working practices, ways of working and find solutions to problems.

• To work in a flexible manner in accordance with the Trust Policy.

• Any other duties required by the Line Manager.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Comply with Trust Safeguarding Children Policy and standard operating procedures to safeguard vulnerable children up to 18 years throughout the Trust, this includes the Protocol for Children who Do Not Attend Clinics, fulfilling your role as defined in these documents.

• Liaise with all relevant professionals (Police, Social Services) in relation to safeguarding work undertaken by your Consultant. Type any medical reports for child protection cases as requested by the Consultant, nurse or junior medical staff.

• Arrange multi-professional meetings regarding child protection/child in need cases. Minute multi-professional meetings as necessary.

• Provide administrative support for the Named Consultant and Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children

• Know about the range of physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and sexual abuse.

• Be able to recognise signs of abuse appropriate to role and what action to take

• Know what to do if concerned that a child is being abused.

• Know about the Trust’s local policies/procedures.

• Understand the importance of sharing information, how it can help and the dangers of not sharing information.

• Be able to recognise signs of child abuse as this relates to their role. e.g observe inappropriate parenting, an unusually quiet and withdrawn child etc

• Be able to seek advice and report concerns, ensuring that they are listened to