Medical Secretary Haematology & Oncology

Job overview

Haematology & Oncology Medical Secretary – Band 4

A vacancy has arisen for an experienced medical secretary to work in the Haematology & Oncology Department as part of a pooled team of secretaries and support staff. The position is full time, 37.5 hrs per week.

You will provide a professional secretarial service for the team of Haematology Consultants as well as the Haematology and Oncology departments.

WHO WE ARE:

Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust is a medium-sized district general hospital which provides a wide range of services to about 300,000 people in North Northamptonshire.

WHERE WE ARE:

Kettering offers great access to all of the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside. It has excellent road and rail network links to and from London, the East Midlands and Birmingham and the hospital is just off the A14 giving easy access to the M1/M6.

Main duties of the job

You will provide a comprehensive secretarial service to the Consultant Haematologists. You will be expected to keep on top of typing workloads, organise and reschedule Haematology clinics and special Haematological investigations, for in-patients and out-patients. Organise in-patient treatment for patients, discharge summaries and follow-up appointments when required.

Work as part of the Haematology Medical Secretarial team providing secretarial cover for colleagues as required during holiday periods and sick leave

To liaise with other departments and clients.

To be a pro-active team player working as part of a pooled team of Medical Secretaries and support staff.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

First point of contact for all forms of communication for the Consultant Haematologists and team.

To deal with telephone enquiries from key contacts, liaise with internal and external sources to resolve any problems, queries or complaints, which may be from distressed patients/relatives and may include dealing with delicate situations, using own judgement regarding escalation.  Taking down telephone messages in shorthand and taking relevant action.

Manage own workload and work as part of the Haematology Medical Secretarial pooled team providing support and cover for colleagues as necessary.

Maintain diaries, assist in scheduling Consultant workload, and liaise with other relevant parties concerning the planning and re-scheduling of work as necessary.

Ensure Consultant is aware of key diary dates including committee dates and appropriate minutes are available.

Ensure word processing of all documents relevant to Consultant’s work, clinical and non-clinical, including BigHand dictation, prioritising workload effectively.  (Urgent letters to be typed within 24 hours; 14-day turn-round target for routine letters.)

Recording annual leave and sick leave ensuring wards and departments are aware of Consultant’s annual leave dates.

Ensure junior medical staff attend clinical commitments as necessary.

Allocate and organise junior medical staff administrative workload, ensuring timely response in the interest of patient care.

Compile and review office protocols, modifying working practices where necessary, ensuring that protocols are up to date and contain all relevant procedures within individual offices to support any relief medical secretaries, clerical staff and new staff who may be required to support the office.

Open post and prioritise for the Consultants, dealing with any matters not requiring the Consultant’s attention.

Ensure all investigations and test results are checked by the Consultant, or an appropriate member of their team.  Ensure all known abnormal or urgent results are brought to the attention of the consultant, or an appropriate member of their team; ensuring urgent action is taken as appropriate and add to MDT if agreed by consultant for discussion and management/treatment plan.

Ensure that accurate copies of correspondence, x-rays, pathology and other investigative reports are accurately filed in medical records case notes, following laid down guidelines.

Prepare clinics as required and produce after-clinic correspondence.

To ensure that correspondence is despatched electronically to GP surgeries in line with agreed Trust benchmarks and in the interest of patient care.

Ensure RTT coding is correct before returning medical notes to Medical Records for filing.

Arrange for bone marrow and trephine biopsies, either as an in-patient/out-patient and arrange follow-up if necessary.

Ensure a general administrative service is provided for the Consultant and their team including photocopying, filing, and distribution.

To compile any patient, clinic or admission lists, liaising with waiting list /appointment staff where necessary, giving concise instructions regarding preparation and administration of waiting list issues and procedures and appointment requests, cancellations and rescheduling.

Liaise with other departments concerning case notes for appointments, ensuring timely availability of patient x-rays and the results of tests and investigations.

Take minutes and arrange meetings.

Assist in the preparation of teaching materials including presentations/slides, organising teaching sessions and speakers.

To use the various Trust IT systems, regarding identification of patient, in-patient, out-patient and waiting list data.

Process information through established Trust systems and procedures.

Participate in audits as required.

Provide support with training any new staff where required, demonstrating duties to new starters.

Ensure up to date personal awareness and knowledge of Trust wide issues and directives, applying the knowledge in the workplace, including attending appropriate directorate briefings and meetings.