About this role
Job summary
We are a large, busy and forward-thinking University practice looking to recruit two full-time staff, a Medical Secretary and an Administrator, to join our friendly and supportive team.
These roles are central to the safe and efficient running of our clinical services, supporting clinicians with a wide range of administrative duties. A key focus of both posts will be processing and managing clinical workflow and summarising patient medical records, ensuring that information is accurately coded, prioritised, and directed to the appropriate clinician in a timely manner.
Working in a high-volume environment, you will play an essential role in maintaining patient safety and continuity of care. This includes handling incoming clinical correspondence, processing referrals, and ensuring that all relevant information is clearly documented within electronic patient records. Accurate coding and summarisation are critical to support clinical decision-making, patient recalls, and population health management.
You will also contribute to the day-to-day management of administrative processes, helping to maintain smooth workflows across the practice. This may include supporting document management, responding to queries, assisting with audits, and collaborating with colleagues across clinical and non-clinical teams.
Main duties of the job
The Medical Secretary role focuses on supporting clinicians with administrative and secretarial tasks to ensure effective patient care and smooth clinical processes. Key responsibilities include:
Processing referrals accurately and in a timely manner, including urgent referrals where appropriateManaging and tracking referral pathways, liaising with external providers and patients as neededAudio typing, preparation of clinical correspondence, and ensuring all documentation is completed to a high standardSupporting clinicians with queries relating to administrative processes and patient pathwaysAssisting with general secretarial duties, including results handling support where requiredContributing to practice audits, tracking, and reporting processes where relevant
The Administrator role is central to the day-to-day operational workflow of the practice, ensuring that high volumes of incoming work are processed safely, efficiently, and in line with protocols. Key responsibilities include:
Managing clinical workflow, including processing incoming documents, tasks, and communications within agreed timeframes.Reviewing and actioning documentation by prioritising, coding, and directing items to the appropriate clinician or service.Completing patient record summarising, ensuring key clinical information is accurately recorded and coded.
About us
We are a large, well-established university-based GP practice providing primary care services to a diverse and predominantly student population.
Our team consists of over 90 members of staff, bringing together a wide range of clinical and non-clinical expertise. This includes:
A team of GP partners, salaried GPs, and GP trainees.
Experienced nursing staff, including ANPs, practice nurses, nurse associates, and healthcare assistants.
A growing range of ARRS roles, supporting enhanced access, mental health, and multidisciplinary care.
A large and highly skilled administration and reception team, who play a vital role in ensuring safe, efficient, and well-coordinated patient care.
As a practice, we operate in a busy and fast-paced environment, with high patient demand and a strong focus on patient safety, continuity of care, and effective workload management. Our administrative teams have evolved significantly in recent years, reflecting the increasing complexity of general practice, including workflow management, safety netting, and governance responsibilities.
We pride ourselves on working collaboratively across all teams, with clinicians and administrative staff working closely together to deliver high-quality care. The practice has a strong emphasis on teamwork, flexibility, and supporting one another, particularly during periods of high demand or staff absence.
Job description Job responsibilities
Medical Secretary duties:
Process referrals (routine and urgent) accurately and within required timescalesManage referral tracking, liaising with hospitals, external providers, and patientsPrepare and process clinical correspondence (including letters, reports, and emails)Workflow incoming documents, ensuring items are directed to the appropriate clinicianCode and file correspondence within patient records to maintain high data qualitySupport clinicians with administrative queries and patient pathway coordination
Administrator duties:
Manage clinical workflow, including processing incoming documents, emails, and tasksPrioritise and action correspondence, directing items to the appropriate clinician or teamComplete patient record summarising, ensuring key clinical information is recorded accuratelyMaintain high standards of coding to support clinical care, recalls, and reportingSupport results processing and recall administration, ensuring appropriate follow-upAssist with registration, deductions, and general patient record managementSupport document management, scanning, and audit processes
Shared Responsibilities / Cross-Over
Work collaboratively across administrative functions to support service deliveryProvide cover for workflow, summarising, and secretarial tasks during peak demand or staff absenceAssist with results processing, recalls, and general administrative duties as requiredEnsure urgent clinical information is prioritised and processed within agreed timescalesMaintain accuracy, confidentiality, and high standards of patient record keeping.
General Responsibilities
Work flexibly as part of a multidisciplinary team in a busy practice environmentFollow practice protocols, policies, and governance requirementsContribute to continuous improvement, audits, and safe working practicesUse practice systems (EMIS) effectively and ensure data quality standards are met
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
GCSE grade AC (or equivalent) in English and Maths Evidence of continuous professional development
Desirable
Experience in general practice or NHS setting Experience using EMIS or similar clinical systems Experience of medical terminology, coding, or patient record summarising
Experience Essential
Previous experience working in a busy administrative environment Experience of managing and prioritising workload under pressure Experience of working with confidential and sensitive information Experience of using IT systems, including Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel)
Desirable
Previous experience working in general practice or NHS settings Experience of using clinical systems such as EMIS Experience of processing referrals or medical correspondence Experience of patient record summarising or data entry within healthcare records Experience of managing clinical workflow or document management systems Experience working in a patient-facing or customer service environment
Skills Essential
Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise and manage competing demands Strong attention to detail, particularly when processing information and updating records Good written and verbal communication skills Ability to work both independently and as part of a team Ability to follow processes and work in a structured way (e.g. workflow protocols and document handling)
Desirable
Ability to work confidently with multiple IT systems and adapt to new processes Strong keyboard skills, including typing or audio typing (for Secretary role) Ability to identify and prioritise urgent clinical information appropriately
Personal Attributes Essential
Flexible and adaptable, with a willingness to support different areas of the administrative team Calm and professional approach when working in a fast-paced environment Reliable, punctual, and able to meet deadlines Positive team player with a proactive attitude Commitment to maintaining high standards of patient care and safety
Desirable
Enthusiastic and willing to learn new skills within a healthcare environment Able to work flexibly across different administrative functions (e.g. workflow, summarising, secretarial) Interest in developing knowledge in clinical administration and patient safety processes
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name The University of Nottingham Health Service
Address Cripps Health Centre
University Park
Nottingham
NG7 2QW
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.unhs.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)