Medical Secretary

Job overview

Come and join our busy team of Medical Secretaries based in either Southport or Ormskirk Hospital sites. We are looking for experienced Medical Secretaries with a background in healthcare to join our existing team. We offer on the job training and support from our teams alongside a Trust which can offer ongoing learning and apprenticeships, so that all our staff have the opportunity to fulfil their true potential.

We have the following vacancies currently available:

30 hours in gynaecology, working Tuesday to Friday based at Ormskirk Hospital

30 hours in general surgery/vascular, working Tuesday to Friday based at Southport Hospital

We are happy to have a chat or arrange for an informal visit. Come and see what we can offer you.

Previous applicants need not apply.

Please note this vacancy may close early if a high volume of applications is received, we advise you submit your application early to avoid disappointment

Main duties of the job

It is expected that applicants will have appropriate knowledge of working in a medical environment and also demonstrate a background of working in an office environment with the ability to liaise with all relevant departments within the Trust and multiple outside agencies.

Being a team player is essential together with first-rate organisational skills. This post is an important role within the Vascular team.

You must:

• Have previous medical secretarial experience
• Have an extensive knowledge of medical terminology
• Experience of minute taking

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Support the day-to-day organisation, planning and management responsibilities of the Consultants and their teams through the maintenance of their annual leave, their diary, the arrangement of meetings, travel and other appointments.
• To act as first point of contact for patients, GP’s, external organisations and members of the general public seeking information and support from the hospital. The post holder must be able to triage the calls appropriately as well as deal sympathetically with people who may be bereaved, distressed or angry using tact, persuasion and discretion, assessing priorities and initiating action as required.
• Answer telephone queries and provide non-clinical advice regarding patient care and appointments/admissions to patients, Trust staff, referring GP’s and Consultants, making appropriate judgement using acquired knowledge and experience.
• Communicate with patients/parents regarding personal and highly sensitive information.
• Typing urgent clinical and non-clinical correspondence and reports including the transcription and management of audio sources (eg, digital dictation) using initiative in managing and prioritising workload.
• Compose routine and non-routine letters and produce typed clinical correspondence including the transcription of audio dictation.
• Attend, take and transcribe minutes for meetings as required within the specialty and implement any follow-up action points.
• Access the computerised Patient Administration System (CareFlow) for relevant patient details, updating records and registering patients as required.
• Maintain and update specialty-specific databases.
• Retrieve radiology and pathology results from core clinical systems.
• Take action as necessary in respect of all patients who fail to attend in accordance with the Trusts policy and the consultants’ special instructions.
• Ensure the timely despatch of all relevant information to GP’s, other medical staff and external organisations in relation to the locally agreed requirements.
• To evaluate and re-prioritise own workload in accordance with competing demands from patients, medical staff and others.
• Prioritise work to ensure that medical staff are provided with necessary information to take appropriate clinical action.
• Liaise with the Cancer Services Department of patients to be discussed at the Multidisciplinary Team Meetings.
• In conjunction with the support medical secretary/ies and clerical officer(s) within the department ensure that administrative duties are allocated and completed in a timely manner and distribution of workload is done to utilise the resources and support available.
• Ensure that all investigation results are shown to the relevant clinicians in a timely manner and make arrangements for any follow up actions required eg urgent appointments.
• Where applicable ensure waiting time performance targets are achieved.
• Type theatre lists and distribute as required.
• Co-operate in the introduction of new technology as it may apply.
• Be instrumental in preventing complaints from service users, resolving informal complaints and supporting the formal complaints process.
• In line with the Trusts standing financial instructions, handle cash/cheques for the Consultants and teams, patients and other external sources.
• Provide full secretarial support with respect to teaching/meetings as directed by medical staff, e.g. preparing PowerPoint presentations using clinical data and information via the internet.
• Maintain database of clinical activity as required to assist in clinical audit.

Provide guidance to the support medical secretaries and clerical officer(s) and self-supervision in terms of:

• Liaising with other medical secretaries in the department to ensure an efficient service.
• When necessary, exercise initiative to allocate work to the support medical secretaries and clerical officer(s) in a fair and reasonable manner.
• Make economical use of supplies. When necessary, maintain control of stock including stationery supplies.
• Deputise for others and provide cross cover within the team during absences.
• Assist in the orientation of new or temporary members of staff by demonstrating own duties.
• Working independently, plan and prioritise own workload following appropriate Trust and Medical Secretary policies and processes, suggesting improvements where necessary.