Administration Assistant - Paediatrics

Transformation Unit; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust in Gateshead is seeking an Administrative Assistant to support the busy paediatrics administration team. The role is full-time, 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with daytime hours.

You will handle post, notes, referrals, and general admin tasks, use Careflow and Microsoft Office, and work with clinical and administrative colleagues to ensure smooth patient care.

Qualifications

• Experience dealing with telephone enquiries.
• At least one year's experience in a busy office environment.
• Experience handling confidential information and maintaining confidentiality.
• Experience using Careflow and Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Opening, processing and actioning incoming post and preparing outgoing post, including scanning referrals to CentralBooking.
• Coordinating and tracking patient notes, including requesting notes, updating Filefast records and managing the transfer and return of notes between hospital providers.
• Undertaking general administrative duties including photocopying, scanning, filing, ordering stationery, uploading documents to Docstore and completing runner activities when required.
• Arranging interpreters, transport and other support services in conjunction with medical secretaries.
• Providing reception and ward clerk cover during periods of absence to support continuity of service.
• Using Trust systems, including Careflow and Microsoft Office packages, to support effective administration and maintain accurate records.
• Working independently, using initiative to prioritise workload and respond to changing service demands.
• Maintaining confidentiality at all times and ensuring patient information is handled securely in line with Trust policies and procedures.

Skills

Telephone enquiries

Prioritisation

Independent worker

Education

English Language GCSE

NVQ 2 Certificate in Business Administration

Tools

Careflow

Microsoft Office

Job description

Main area Paediatrics Grade NHS AfC: Band 2 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday 09:00am - 17:00pm) Job ref 297-7945260

Employer Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust Town Gateshead Salary £25,272 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 06/10/2026 23:59

NHS AfC: Band 2

In the event of excessive applications being received this vacancy may close earlier than the stated closing date, you are encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible

IMPORTANT NOTE ON COMPLETION OF REFERENCE SECTION OF APPLICATION FORM

All references from current and previous employers will be sought and MUST cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Where possible this should be from two separate employers. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

PLEASE NOTEit is a requirement of this Trust that all successful applicants pay for their DBS certificate if a check is required for the post. This will be done through deduction from your monthly pay over a maximum of three months. It is also a requirement that all successful applicants register or are registered with the DBS update service where a DBS is required.

All new entrants to the NHS will be appointed on the minimum of the pay scale in line with Terms & Conditions.

Job overview

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 withinabusy 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.

Working for our organisation

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.

Detailed job description and main 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 issuessuchas 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

Applicants who have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date are to assume that their application has been unsuccessful.

Applications from job seekers who require Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications where the post is eligible. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .

Candidates who require sponsorship are strongly advised to visit the UK Border Agency website and familiarise themselves with what is required. There is a facility on this site to access the points based calculator and work through an example which should assist candidates in their understanding of the process.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.