Administration Assistant - Paediatrics

NHS; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS in Gateshead is seeking an Administration Assistant to deliver high-quality clerical support in a busy clinical team. The role requires proactive, organised work and the ability to handle a varied workload with accuracy and discretion.

Key duties include managing post, notes, reception duties, and supporting clinicians and secretaries using Careflow and Microsoft Office. Monday–Friday, 37.5 hours, on-site in Gateshead.

Qualifications

• Experience in handling telephone enquiries and supporting a busy department.
• Proven ability to manage confidential information and maintain accurate records.
• Experience using Careflow and Microsoft Office to produce documentation.

Responsibilities

• Act as first point of contact for staff, patients and other service users.
• Organise and prioritise workload to meet timescales.
• Maintain and transfer patient notes, update records and ensure confidentiality.
• Provide reception and ward clerk cover when required.
• Support administrative processes including scanning, filing and correspondence.

Skills

Telephone enquiries

Office environment experience

Confidential information handling

Records management

Education

GCSE English Language (Grade C+ or equivalent)

GCSE Maths (Grade C+ or equivalent)

NVQ 2 Certificate in Business Administration

Tools

Careflow

Microsoft Office

Job description

Administration Assistant - Full-time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday 9pm-5pm)

We are lookingto recruit aconfident, enthusiasticand organised AdministrativeAssistant to joinour busy clinicalteam.

This is avaried role providingessential administrativesupport to ensurethe smooth runningof the service. The successful candidatewill be someonewho is proactive, able to usetheir own initiativeand confident inmanaging a variedworkload within abusy environment.

You will needto be ableto work independently, prioritise tasks effectivelyand adapttochanging demands, whilstmaintaining a highlevel of accuracyand attention todetail. You willwork closely withclinical and administrativecolleagues to supportthe delivery ofhigh-quality patientcare.

This role would suit someone with strong administrative skills who enjoys working as part of a team and is committed to providing an efficient and professional service to patients, relatives and colleagues.

Main duties of the job

The successful postholder will provideadministrative supportto the departmentand undertake arange of dutiesincluding:

• Opening, processing andactioning incoming postand preparing outgoingpost, including scanningreferrals to CentralBooking.
• Coordinating and trackingpatient notes, includingrequesting notes, updatingFilefast records andmanagingthe transfer andreturn of notesbetween hospital providers.
• Undertaking general administrativeduties including photocopying, scanning, filing, orderingstationery, uploading documentsto Docstore andcompleting runner activitieswhen required.
• Arranging interpreters,transport and othersupport services inconjunction with medicalsecretaries.
• Providing reception andward clerk coverduring periods ofabsence to supportcontinuity of service.
• Using Trust systems, including Careflow andMicrosoft Office packages, to support effectiveadministration and maintainaccurate records.
• Working independently, usinginitiative to prioritiseworkload andrespondto changing servicedemands.
• Identifying and resolvingroutine administrativeissues, escalating morecomplex matters appropriately.
• Maintaining confidentialityat all timesand ensuring patientinformation is handledsecurely in linewith Trust policiesand procedures.
• Working flexibly across the department to support colleagues and ensure effective service delivery.

About us

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronymICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.

Job responsibilities

The post holderwill provide acomprehensive administrativeservice to supportthe effective runningof the departmentand will actas a keypoint of contactfor staff, patientsand other serviceusers.

Key responsibilities include:

• Acting as thefirst point ofcontact for generaldepartment queries fromstaff, patients andothers, responding appropriatelyor escalating querieswhere required.
• Assisting with telephoneenquiries, ensuring informationis recorded accuratelyand queries aredealt with ina professionaland timely manner.
• Organising and prioritisingown workload toensure tasks arecompleted within requiredtimescales.
• Maintaining, tracking andtransferring patient notesefficiently, resolvingroutine issues suchas locating notesand ensuring documentationis managed appropriately.
• Identifying whether documentsrequire retention byreferring to standardoperating procedures andprocesses, following retentionand access toinformation requirementsas applicable.
• Escalating issues whennecessary and seekingadvice where appropriate.
• Maintaining accurate recordsand ensuring allpatient information ishandledconfidentially and securely.
• Supporting administrativeprocesses including correspondence, scanning, filing, documentmanagement and otherduties required tomaintain an effectiveservice.
• Working flexibly acrossthe department andproviding support duringperiods of absence.

The post holderwill be expectedto demonstrate aproactive approach, useinitiative and workeffectively as partof a teamwithin a busyclinical environment.

Recruitment process:Shortlisted candidateswill berequiredto attend anin-person interview. Online interviews arenot available forthis role.

As part of the assessment process, candidates will be required to complete a short written assessment to assess spelling, punctuation and grammar skills. This reflects the requirements of the role, including preparing correspondence, maintaining accurate records and communicating effectively with patients, relatives and colleagues.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of dealing with telephone enquiries and communicating with a range of people (evidenced in application)
• At least one year's experience of working in a busy office environment (evidenced within the application)
• At least one year's experience of dealing with confidential information and maintaining confidentiality (Evidenced in application)
• At least one year's experience of maintaining accurate records and attention to detail (as evidenced in application)
• Knowledge of using Careflow
• Experienced in using Microsoft Office packages to produce documents, spreadsheets and maintain records (evidenced within the application)

Qualifications

• English Language (GCSE) - at least Grade C or above OR Functional Skills level 2
• Maths (GCSE) - at least Grade C or above or Functional Skills Level 2
• NVQ 2 Certificate in Business Administration

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.