Medical Secretary

Job overview

To provide a comprehensive administrative/secretarial service to the Consultant Psychiatrist and supporting medical team. The post-holder will be expected to manage their workload with the Consultant and team and co-ordinate activities to ensure that an efficient service is provided in such a way as to make a direct and positive contribution to the organisation of the work.

It is essential that the post-holder should exercise initiative commensurate with the role of a Medical Secretary.

The post-holder will be flexible and use their own initiative to organise their workload, dependent upon the priorities and requirements at that time. Sensitivity to people with mental health needs is essential within this role.

As this role involves working across a clinical team with a need to have direct contact, it is unsuitable for agile working and must be conducted at the designated base.

Main duties of the job

Provision of full secretarial service to Consultant and supporting medical team which includes typing letters, psychiatric reports, non-clinical typing and recording minutes of meetings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To carry out general administrative duties for the Consultant and his/her supporting medical team to include information gathering and circulating correspondence. Dealing with internal and external mail (paper and electronic), managing this communication by responding to routine matters not requiring the urgent attention of the Consultant and ensuring timely dissemination. Filing, scanning and photocopying documents.

To deal with telephone enquiries (often from patients who are distressed) and give advice wherever possible, in a diplomatic and sensitive way, following these through with the appropriate member of staff, in a responsible and tactful manner.

Responsible for recording referrals, appointments and related information in a timely manner in accordance with the Data Quality Policy and supporting Data Quality Guidelines. To directly collate and input data on PARIS in relation to outpatient and/or inpatient activity. To deal with telephone enquiries (often from patients who are distressed) and give advice wherever possible, in a diplomatic and sensitive way, following these through with the appropriate member of staff, in a responsible and tactful manner.

To take additional referral information or clarify the nature of referrals by telephone and signpost to appropriate agencies, as required. Arrange urgent clinic appointments, ensuring all relevant departments are notified accordingly including Community Mental Health Teams and the Outpatient Department. On behalf of the Consultant and his/her team, to actively manage patients who disengage in line with Tableau reporting and ensuring opt-in letters are sent, responses are obtained and further intervention is arranged. Able to work unsupervised and manage own workload, exercising the highest standard of confidentiality using independent judgement and initiative, based on acquired knowledge and experience, Demonstrate influence and composure when working under pressure and to strict deadlines. Ensure effective liaison between a range of staff, patients and relatives. To arrange community visits by Consultant, communicating with patient’s relatives to arrange personal interviews with Consultant and giving appropriate advice wherever possible. Ensure the prompt typing of discharge summaries (as necessary), subsequent follow up appointment letters, reports and general correspondence within agreed standards. Maintain Consultant’s electronic diary, incorporating a “bring forward” system, ensuring that documentation is available prior to scheduled meetings. Timely filing to ensure that accurate copies of correspondence and investigative reports are scanned and uploaded to electronic health records, which will include sorting investigation results and retrieving relevant health records. Chase results in cases of urgency. Proactively receive visitors to the Outpatient Department, when necessary, dealing personally with matters where appropriate and demonstrating diplomacy in dealing with issues of a sensitive nature, re-routing enquiries if necessary. Contribute to organisation of changeover of junior doctors and responsibility for assisting with the maintenance of the on-call rota for Consultants and junior medical staff, when necessary. To support data collection for the Outpatient Department and assist with reporting key performance indicators for the team.

Monitoring of office equipment including reporting faulty technology; ensuring sufficient supplies of workplace sundries and stationery are available and ordering same via on-line and paper processes. To record incidents, as and when, on the Trust’s Ulysses system, taking remedial action as necessary. Control and maintenance of health records (including archiving and culling) in accordance with the Trust’s Records Management Policy and ensuring all are electronically tracked to the correct location within PARIS. Organising and maintaining an efficient and effective filing system. To actively participate in annual My Yearly Conversations with related quarterly appraisals, undertaking managerial supervision and ensuring completion of mandatory training. Exercise independent judgement and initiative when problems arise by taking appropriate action to resolve the situation or referring to the appropriate person. Liaison with the Trust’s System Administration Department for rearranging clinic timeslots, setting up of new clinics, as the Consultant reorganises the clinics. Making any changes to clinics and informing patients where appropriate. Informing Consultant of any long waiting times for new patients; discussing and implementing any changes to the clinics to rectify any concerns. Assist in arranging conferences and training days inclusive of booking venues and catering as well as co-ordinating attendance. Assist in covering other Consultants and their supporting medical team’s secretarial needs when demand is high, after prioritisation. To provide cover in the absence of other administrative staff due to sickness, training or annual leave. Co-operate fully in the introduction of new technology and of new methods of working, as appropriate to the work of a Medical Secretary, including self-development, to continuously update knowledge of new trends. Ensure up-to-date personal awareness and knowledge of Trust-wide issues and directives, applying the knowledge in the workplace, including attending appropriate departmental and Care Hub meetings. Assisting, where necessary, to provide a short induction for new staff regarding local procedures, advising of various health & safety information, etc. Provide support with training any new staff, demonstrating duties to new starters where required.

To accept the need to change practice and processes within the changing requirement of the services that may involve the development and transposition of new systems. To safeguard, at all times, privacy of information relating to both patients and staff alike, ensuring that an efficient, courteous service is offered to all service users and that confidentiality is strictly maintained.

To comply with all Trust policies and procedures and, in particular, not to do anything that endangers yourself or others. To ensure full compliance and ensure high standards are maintained in line with Trust policies and procedures. Any other duties commensurate with the post, as instructed by the Outpatient Manager.