Personal Medical Secretary NHS AfC: Band 4

Job overview

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

The successful applicant will be able to organise their own workload and co-ordinate workload activities with other Personal Medical Secretaries in the team. The successful candidates 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.

Main duties of the job

• To provide a comprehensive secretarial service to the Consultant, Doctors and Speciality Team including nurse clinicians.
• Manage all departmental rotas and on-call rotas ensuring that annual/study leave and sickness do not compromise the smooth running and the department. Liaise with Medical Staffing to arrange locum cover. If emergency need is requested by members of clinical team ensure this is covered accordingly liaising closely with Clinical Director or dedicated clinical person for rota management
• Monitoring of the use of annual and study leave for all doctors ensuring that the correct level of cover is provided at all times. This would also include the arrangement of cover during examinations and junior doctor rotation.
• Type dictation from audio transcription of clinical correspondence and documentation, ensuring all letter and workflow processes are adhered to and Standard Operating Procedures are followed.
• To manage and maintain 18 week pathways including Tertiary Referrals to external Trusts and ensure these are completed on the PAS system. Keep track of referrals to ensure patient is reviewed promptly. Check that follow up appointments are arranged in conjunction with Referral To Treat (RTT) patient pathway.
• Assist with the investigation and compilation of responses to complaints, helping to ensure this is done within the optimum deadlines set by the Trust.

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 provide a comprehensive secretarial service to the Consultant, Doctors and Speciality Team including nurse clinicians.
• Manage all departmental rotas and on-call rotas ensuring that annual/study leave and sickness do not compromise the smooth running and the department. Liaise with Medical Staffing to arrange locum cover. If emergency need is requested by members of clinical team ensure this is covered accordingly liaising closely with Clinical Director or dedicated clinical person for rota management
• Preparation of departmental induction and teaching programme for junior doctors/students taking an active part in departmental induction.
• Monitoring of the use of annual and study leave for all doctors ensuring that the correct level of cover is provided at all times. This would also include the arrangement of cover during examinations and junior doctor rotation.
• Monitoring of the use of annual and study leave for all doctors ensuring that the correct level of cover is provided at all times. This would also include the arrangement of cover during examinations and junior doctor rotation.
• Keep diary up to date, arrange appointments, and arrange travel and accommodation.
• Operate an effective bring forward system and filing system.
• Type dictation from audio transcription of clinical correspondence and documentation, ensuring all letter and workflow processes are adhered to and Standard Operating Procedures are followed.
• Type discharge summaries as appropriate
• Check against clinical letters to ensure appropriate follow up arrangements/investigations are in place. Rectify if not.
• To manage and maintain 18 week pathways including Tertiary Referrals to external Trusts and ensure these are completed on the PAS system. Keep track of referrals to ensure patient is reviewed promptly. Check that follow up appointments are arranged in conjunction with Referral To Treat (RTT) patient pathway.
• Support Consultant in non-clinical activities/Clinical Director role by preparing presentation documents using relevant packages and arranging meetings, circulate agenda/supporting papers as appropriate, and taking minutes at meetings.
• Ensure appropriate personnel are informed of consultant annual/study leave. Amend clinic/theatre lists/forms appropriately. Keep Consultants informed of junior doctor leave could have an effect on the service.
• Arrange planned patient admission to Hospital liaising with the appropriate ward and admissions department.
• Ensure Consultants are up to date with mandatory training/appraisals and ensure information is updated on ESR system.
• Ensure sickness/absence and annual leave of clinical staff is reported on ESR system.
• Assist with the investigation and compilation of responses to complaints, helping to ensure this is done within the optimum deadlines set by the Trust.
• Work from initiative using own judgment, acquired knowledge and tact to deal with queries and resolve situations or referring to appropriate person.
• Deal with enquiries either on the telephone or face to face from patients, consultants, junior doctors and colleagues in an appropriate manner.
• Ensure all correspondence relating to patient care is acted upon in a timely manner and that investigations are signed by Consultants or team and are dealt with in accordance with Trust policy.
• Cross reference invoices against investigations completed at external sites. Prepare any claims for reimbursement for consultant activities.
• Accurate check of demographics using the Patient Administration System (PAS), including registration screen to check patient details are correct.
• Maintain effective track on inpatient referrals to ensue patient is reviewed promptly.
• Receive new referral letters and ensure they are dated and triaged in a timely manner. Liaise with appointments and patients to book appointments accordingly. Check monthly breach lists.
• Receive cash/cheque donations to Trust; provide receipt/letter of confirmation.
• Assist with audit/research data collection as required.
• Obtain information requested by Administration Services Manager as and when required.
• Be able to work as part of a team, promote effective flows in the department to cover leave to ensure office runs smoothly.
• Train new and junior members of the team within own work area as required by Administration Services Co-ordinator.
• General office duties including dealing with incoming and outgoing mail, e-mail, fax, photocopying. Participate in housekeeping of the office environment.
• Attend appropriate training and education sessions at the request of manager
• Work with co-ordinators to review working practices, ways of working and find solutions to problems.
• Implement policies and procedures for own areas.
• Order stationery for own areas when required.
• To work in a flexible manner in accordance with the Trust Policy.
• Any other duties required by Line Manager

GENERAL DUTIES

• To observe the provisions of and adhere to all Trust policies and procedures.
• To actively participate in the annual performance review to identify personal development needs
• To attend Trust Statutory and Mandatory training sessions as required and any other training courses relevant to the post.
• To fully comply with the relevant sections of the Health and Safety at Work Act. They must also understand and implement St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Hospitals Trust “Statement of Policy on Health and Safety at Work” and the Trust corporate “Health and Safety Policies and Procedures”. You are required to follow all applicable rules and procedures relating to Health and Safety at Work and to take all responsible precautions to avoid actions.
• To be aware of the confidential aspects of the post. To keep up to date with the requirements of information governance; undertake mandatory training and follow Trust policies and procedures to ensure that trust information is dealt with legally, securely, efficiently and effectively. Breaches of confidentiality will result in disciplinary action that may involve dismissal. You must maintain the confidentiality of information about service user staff and organisational business in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR) and Caldicott principles.
• The post holder should also be aware that, regardless of any action taken by the employing authority, breaches of confidentiality could result in civil action for damages.
• All staff will be treated with respect by management, colleagues, patients and visitors and equally staff will treat management, colleagues, patients and visitors with the same level of respect. Staff will be supported to challenge any discriminatory behaviour that may be based on differences in race, disability, language, culture, religion, sexuality, age, and gender or employment status.
• You will be expected to undertake the Trusts’ commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
• To ensure that when creating, managing and sharing information records it is done in an appropriate way, subject to statutory requirements and agreed security and confidentiality policies, procedures and guidelines. All employees are responsible for implementing and maintaining data quality, ensuring that records are legible and attributable and that the record keeping is contemporaneous
• In accordance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the post holder will actively participate in the prevention and control of infection within the capacity of their role. The Act requires the post holder to attend infection prevention and control training on induction and at regular updates and to take responsibility for the practical application of the training in the course of their work. Infection prevention and control must be included in any personal development plan and/or appraisal.
• To adhere to relevant Code of Practice of Professional body (if appropriate)
• The post holder must be flexible in the duties performed and it is expected that similar duties, not specifically listed above, will be carried out as required and may be cross site.
• The duties contained in this job description are not intended to be exhaustive. The duties and responsibilities of this post are likely to evolve in line with the Trust’s continued organisational development.
• To adhere to the NHS Constitution and its principles and values. You must be aware of your Duty of Candour which means that you must be open and honest during your employment and if you see something wrong, you must raise it. You must read the NHS Constitution in full and can download this from the Trusts intranet site or the gov.uk website. Hard copies are available from the HR Department on request.
• The Trust is a non-smoking site. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action.