About this role
Job summary
The post holder will be responsible for providing a comprehensive departmental secretarial service to consultants, specialist nurses and other clinicians within the team.
The departmental secretary will play a key role in ensuring the smooth and effective running of the office and will be expected to work independently, using initiative and sound judgement when responding to enquiries, particularly in the absence of clinicians, to ensure appropriate and timely outcomes.
The role requires excellent communication skills and the ability to liaise effectively with patients, relatives, medical colleagues and allied health professionals, while maintaining a consistently high standard of service and ensuring that the needs of patients remain central to the delivery of the service.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide a comprehensive and efficient secretarial and administrative service to consultants, specialist nurses and other clinicians within the department.
The role will act as a key point of contact for patients, relatives, healthcare professionals and external organisations, dealing with enquiries sensitively and professionally and using initiative and judgement to ensure appropriate outcomes.
The post holder will manage and prioritise their own workload, support the timely progression of patient pathways and ensure that clinical and administrative actions are completed promptly. This will include supporting clinic and appointment management, processing clinical correspondence, chasing outstanding results and investigations, managing referrals and ensuring appropriate follow-up actions are completed.
The post holder will work closely with clinicians and administrative colleagues to support effective clinic utilisation, communicate clinic changes and maintain accurate records and information.
The role requires the ability to work independently, prioritise competing demands and maintain confidentiality, accuracy and a high standard of service at all times, contributing to the safe and efficient delivery of patient care.
About us
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
Job description Job responsibilities
The post holder will provide a comprehensive, high-quality and efficient medical secretarial and clinic coordination service to consultants, specialist nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
Working as an integral member of the clinical service, the post holder will support the effective management of patient pathways, outpatient clinics, referrals, clinical correspondence and associated administrative processes. The role requires a high degree of organisation, accuracy and initiative, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work independently within agreed Trust policies and procedures.
The post holder will act as an important point of contact between patients, relatives, clinicians, General Practitioners, allied health professionals, other Trust departments and external organisations. They will be required to communicate professionally and sensitively, including when dealing with patients or relatives who may be distressed, anxious or seeking information regarding their care.
The post holder will be expected to use relevant Trust clinical and administrative systems confidently and will need to adapt to evolving digital ways of working, including the use of Dragon voice recognition/digital dictation systems and Single Point of Access (SPoA) processes.
Main responsibilities will include:
Provide a comprehensive medical secretarial and administrative service to designated consultants, specialist nurses and other clinicians, ensuring that the service is responsive, accurate and delivered within appropriate timescales. Act as a key point of contact for patients, relatives, GPs, clinical teams and external organisations, dealing with telephone calls, correspondence and enquiries appropriately and using initiative to resolve issues where possible. Communicate sensitively and professionally with patients and relatives, particularly where individuals may be anxious or distressed, ensuring that concerns are managed appropriately and escalated to clinical staff when required. Manage and prioritise the post holder's own workload, identifying urgent actions and ensuring that outstanding queries, correspondence, investigations and patient-related actions are followed through to completion. Support the timely progression of patients through their clinical pathway, working closely with clinicians, pathway coordinators and other administrative colleagues to identify and address potential delays. Monitor patient pathways and relevant waiting lists, ensuring that administrative actions are completed within required timescales and that potential pathway delays are highlighted and escalated appropriately. Support the management of referrals received through the Single Point of Access (SPoA), ensuring that referrals are processed, recorded, directed and tracked in accordance with local procedures and that any incomplete or urgent referrals are appropriately escalated. Liaise with clinical teams regarding referrals requiring review, triage or further information and ensure that subsequent actions are progressed promptly. Support the coordination and administration of outpatient clinics, including the creation and amendment of clinic templates where authorised, clinic changes, additional clinics, cancellations and rebooking arising from clinician availability or service requirements. Maintain an overview of clinic capacity and clinician availability and support forward planning to maximise the effective use of available outpatient capacity. Work closely with clinicians and pathway/booking teams to ensure that clinics and appointments are appropriately managed and that available capacity is utilised effectively. Communicate clinic changes promptly to the appropriate teams and ensure that any associated patient or administrative actions are completed. Support the management of clinical correspondence using Dragon voice recognition, digital dictation and other Trust-approved systems. The post holder will be expected to review, format and process correspondence accurately and ensure that letters are completed, approved and distributed within agreed Trust timescales. Identify and appropriately manage any inaccuracies, missing information or outstanding actions within dictated correspondence, liaising with the relevant clinician where clarification is required. Ensure that all actions arising from clinic letters, patient correspondence and GP correspondence are identified and progressed appropriately, including referrals, follow-up appointments, investigations and onward communication. Chase outstanding clinical correspondence, approvals, investigation results and other information where required to support timely patient care and pathway progression. Process urgent referrals and clinical documentation promptly, ensuring that appropriate clinicians are made aware of urgent information and that relevant actions are recorded and followed through. Arrange procedures, investigations, follow-up appointments or other actions requested by clinicians, in accordance with local processes and within the remit of the role. Maintain accurate and up-to-date electronic patient and administrative records using relevant Trust systems, ensuring that information is entered accurately and in accordance with information governance requirements. Scan, upload and appropriately file clinical documentation within Trust electronic patient record systems where required. Maintain electronic diaries for clinicians and the wider team, coordinating appointments, meetings and other commitments as necessary. Organise and support departmental, clinical, business, educational and multidisciplinary meetings where required, including diary coordination, preparation of documentation and taking minutes where appropriate. Prepare reports, presentations, spreadsheets and other departmental documentation as required. Support data collection, validation and audit activity within the department, including the maintenance of databases and preparation of information or reports requested by clinical or management teams. Work collaboratively with other medical secretaries, clinic coordinators and administrative colleagues to maintain adequate administrative cover and support service continuity during periods of annual leave, sickness or other absence. Support the induction and training of new or temporary administrative staff where appropriate, including providing guidance on departmental processes, systems and ways of working. Maintain strict patient confidentiality and comply with Trust policies relating to information governance, data protection, records management and the appropriate use of clinical systems. Work independently within established procedures, using initiative and sound judgement to manage enquiries and resolve routine problems, while recognising when issues require escalation to a clinician or manager. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with clinical and non-clinical colleagues across the Trust and with external organisations to support efficient and coordinated patient care. Contribute to the continuous improvement of administrative processes within the service, including adapting to new technology, digital workflows and service developments such as Dragon voice recognition and SPoA. Maintain a patient-focused approach at all times and contribute to the delivery of a safe, efficient and responsive service. Undertake any other reasonable duties appropriate to the Band 4 role, as required to meet the changing needs of the service. The post requires an individual who is able to work with limited supervision, organise and prioritise a varied workload, communicate effectively at all levels and respond flexibly to changes in service demand. The post holder will be expected to demonstrate a high level of accuracy, professionalism and discretion and to recognise the importance of timely administrative processes in supporting safe and effective patient care.
Person Specification
Education Essential
GCSE Maths and english Digital skills
Desirable
NHS Experience
NHS Experience Essential
NHS experience
Desirable
1 year in admin role
Interpersonal skills Essential
Ability to work in a team and be proactive
Desirable
Leading a team or initiative
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address Luton Hospital
Lewsey Road,
Luton
LU4 0DZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)