Gastroenterology - Medical Secretary (Liver service)

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity that has come up in the Gastroenterology Administrative Department. We are looking for a dedicated and enthusiastic individual to join us as a Gastro Secretary for the liver nursing team.

There is no sponsorship for this role. This role may close early due to popularity.

The role of the Medical Secretary is to provide a comprehensive secretarial, administration and information service to the Consultants in respect of their NHS work and to the supporting medical team. The role comprises a wide range of specific duties and requires competence in word processing, keyboard skills, audio-typing, data processing, information technology, communication and organisational skills. An essential part of the role is the ability to manage and prioritise own workload without direct supervision.

Main duties of the job

A Secretary in the NHS plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the department. They are responsible for a wide range of administrative and clerical tasks that support the team and contribute to the overall patient care experience.

Key responsibilities include managing consultant clinics, coordinating clinic schedules, and ensuring that all necessary documentation is accurately maintained and readily available. They also handle patient enquiries, provide information and support to patients and their families, and liaise with other healthcare professionals to facilitate effective communication and collaboration.

Additionally, the Secretary is responsible for maintaining patient records, ensuring that all data is up-to-date and securely stored. They may also be involved in preparing and distributing correspondence, reports, and other important documents related to patient care and surgical procedures.

Effective organisational and communication skills are essential for this role, as well as a keen attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure. The Secretary must be able to prioritise tasks and manage their time effectively to ensure that all responsibilities are completed in a timely and efficient manner.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Audio type written reports and correspondence, using word processing packages, for the Consultants and their teams. These may include outpatient reports, discharge summaries, operation notes and other relevant clinical and non-clinical correspondence.
• Compose, as required, non-routine letters requiring tact, sympathy and understanding, on behalf of the Consultant or medical staff.
• Where appropriate, ensure operation note templates are set up on the word processing system for the Consultant in preparation for his/her completion at the time of the patients’ surgical procedures.
• Following authorisation by the clinician, ensure that clinic and discharge correspondence to GP’s and/or other Consultants are dispatched promptly and efficiently.
• Following authorisation by the clinician, ensure correspondence to patients is dispatched promptly and efficiently.
• Check all outgoing correspondence ensuring any instructions in the correspondence are carried out. These may include arranging outpatient clinic appointments, further investigations or surgical procedures. Dispatch the relevant investigation/operation request forms to the appropriate departments once completed by the Consultant or a member of the medical staff.
• Take the necessary action as instructed by the Consultant with regards to patients who fail to attend clinic appointments, investigations or inpatient procedures.
• Open and prioritise incoming correspondence (which is often of a highly sensitive and confidential nature) on behalf of the Consultant, ensuring that urgent correspondence receives prompt attention. In the Consultant’s absence, the Medical Secretary is responsible for ascertaining which correspondence requires referral to an appropriate clinician for urgent attention.
• Manage patients’ investigation results. Check all incoming laboratory/radiology results, ensuring that abnormal results are communicated promptly to the appropriate clinician. Ensure all reports are seen and signed by the clinician prior to filing in case notes. Retrieve investigation results and reports from the Pathology, Radiology (PACS) and ADAMS systems, where applicable. Be responsible for chasing up any missing results.
• Receive, manage and prioritise telephone and personal enquiries, complaints, messages and information from patients, relatives, GP’s, Consultants and other medical staff and external organisations on behalf of the Consultant and medical team. Deal with enquiries relating to the medical and social welfare of patients and relatives in a sensitive manner, referring to medical staff or other healthcare professionals where appropriate. When responding to enquiries, ensure that relevant guidelines or protocols are followed.

Please see the attached Job Description & Person Specification for further information, and before applying for the position.

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.