Patient Pathway Coordinator Medical Secretary

Job overview

Patient Pathway Co-ordinator/Medical Secretary, Oesophago-Gastric Surgery - (Band 4) -  22.5 hours per week

We are looking for a first class secretary who has excellent interpersonal skills and a calm and methodical approach to provide essential secretarial/administration duties to Consultants in the Oesophago-gastric specialty within our General Surgery department. We are looking for someone for 3 days a week.

Principle duties include audio typing, report typing, taking and transcribing minutes, diary management, arranging meetings, pulling notes, filing, distribution of post, using hospital patient system and other databases and liaison with other healthcare professionals. You will be expected to have an excellent telephone manner, be courteous and efficient and have an excellent working knowledge of Word, Excel spreadsheets, emails, use of an electronic diary etc.

Main duties of the job

To provide a full range of medical secretarial assistance to consultants and their team. Manage own workload, demonstrate efficient organisation and oversee the smooth effective operation of the office.   To work autonomously within a team, providing full organisational support to the consultant’s practice and their team.  To ensure procedures and working practices are in place so that the specialty and Trust can deliver a service that meets the standards and targets that have been set. To provide a considerate, patient focussed service in all dealings with patients and with staff around the hospital and throughout the whole system.

To provide a full range of administrative assistance to specialist Consultants and nurses within the Oesphago-Gastric (Upper GI) department. The patient pathway coordinator will be required to manage their own workload, demonstrate efficient organisation and oversee the smooth effective coordination of the office. To work collaboratively within the team to deliver a service, that meets Trust standards and outstanding patient care.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the full job decription & person spec for further details.

1.              To undertake a full range of secretarial duties for consultants and their team.

2.              To produce and forward all patient letters, and other correspondence in line with current standards using audio typing and/or dedicated software. Ensuring patient letters on Dictate IT are reviewed and authorised in line with the Trust’s guidelines

3.              To deal with all post, faxes, e-mails, results etc on a daily basis and prioritise as necessary to ensure consultants and their team are aware of urgent results and information. To ensure all correspondence is managed and prioritised as necessary on a daily basis

4.              Take responsibility for all new referrals; liaise with the appointment centre staff and other coordinators such as specialist nurses and cancer MDT coordinators, other nursing and medical staff to ensure new referrals are promptly seen/treated in line with the current guidelines. To help maintain the departments joint referral inbox to ensure they are being reviewed and actioned accordingly

5.              Make appointments as required. To liaise with outpatients and other specialties to ensure patients appointments are being actioned/requested in a timely manner and liaise with the Assistant Specialty Manager to raise any capacity concerns.

6.              To play a key role in establishing and implementing local policies and procedures that ensure working practices meet the above standards/targets and is centred around

7.              Listen to and feel confident with managing patient concerns on the phone and in person in an empathetic and caring manner. This may involve difficult conversations with patients or relatives who may be upset, angry or concerned. This involves listening to and as far as possible resolving situations that can be highly distressing to patients/relatives who may be upset, angry or concerned.

8.              Understanding of the Trust’s PALS & complaints structure and/or escalating if needed. use initiative to resolve complaints from patients and any other individuals as far as possible. Escalate outstanding concerns as required.

9.              Manage the implications of annual leave, organise the amendment of clinics, other fixed commitments and arrange cover for consultants during their absence. Liaising with the Assistant Specialty Manager & Outpatients regarding implications of Consultants leave and management of their clinics in the event of annual leave.

10.          To effectively manage last minute clinic changes and requirements

11.          To maintain efficient filing and information tracking systems to ensure continuity of care, including electronic case note tracking. To maintain an efficient use of the various patient information tracking systems (E.G, Cerner, ICE etc.)

12.          Send out information leaflets where appropriate and provide telephone information/advice to patients as agreed within the team and in accordance with guidelines.

13.          To provide short-term cover for annual leave and emergency cover for other Patient Pathway Coordinator/Medical Secretary staff as required.

14.          Be willing to adjust own working practices and support speciality wide and trust wide changes that will occur.

15.          Any other duties appropriate to the grade and nature of the post.

16.          Agree individual Personal Development Plan with line manager.