Departmental Secretary - Gastroenterology and Hepatology

NHS; Luton; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

Join a leading healthcare trust as a Departmental Secretary, providing essential support to clinicians in a fast-paced environment. You'll be key in ensuring smooth operations and maintaining high standards of service for patients and staff alike.

Qualifications

• Secretarial experience in a busy, customer-focused environment.
• Experience of working as part of a team and on own initiative.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive departmental secretarial service.
• Manage and communicate clinic changes.

Skills

Organisational Skills

Communication

Education

GCSE level or equivalent

Secretarial qualification RSA II or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job summary

The Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department is looking for a keen Departmental Secretary to join their friendly team, working alongside other secretaries in a fast-paced office environment.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for providing a comprehensive departmental secretarial service to the service manager, consultants, specialist nurses and other clinicians within the team.

The Departmental Secretary will be instrumental in the smooth running of the office and will need to work without supervision, using their initiative when dealing with enquiries that arise in the absence of the clinicians, to bring about a successful outcome. The post demands the ability to communicate at all levels with patients, relatives, medical colleagues and allied health professionals whilst maintaining a high standard of service to meet the needs of the patient.

The post holder will support work to ensure that the department is meeting all performance requirements, including quality and activity targets.

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

Details Date posted

16 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£26,530 to £29,114 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

418-GAST7279-EH

Job locations

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Nova House, Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ

Job description Job responsibilities

Provide the focal point of communication for all medical, professional and allied healthcare staff, both within this Trust and with external organisations, using judgment to facilitate a successful outcome for all enquiries.

Deal with concerned patients/relatives with tact, patience and discretion, especially when conveying sensitive information.

Update and maintain patient waiting lists on iPM.

Manage and communicate clinic changes including setting up additional clinics, changing, moving or cancelling clinics depending on clinician availability and/or service need with guidance from department management.

Support the 18/52 patient pathway by providing timely information to the medical 18 Week team on a weekly basis.

Job description Job responsibilities

Provide the focal point of communication for all medical, professional and allied healthcare staff, both within this Trust and with external organisations, using judgment to facilitate a successful outcome for all enquiries.

Deal with concerned patients/relatives with tact, patience and discretion, especially when conveying sensitive information.

Update and maintain patient waiting lists on iPM.

Manage and communicate clinic changes including setting up additional clinics, changing, moving or cancelling clinics depending on clinician availability and/or service need with guidance from department management.

Support the 18/52 patient pathway by providing timely information to the medical 18 Week team on a weekly basis.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent including English and Mathematics
• Secretarial qualification RSA II or equivalent

Desirable

• Computer literate to ECDL standard or equivalent

Experience Essential

• Secretarial experience in a busy, customer focused environment
• Experience of working as part of a team and on own initiative
• Use of databases and data collection
• Organising meetings and minute taking

Desirable

• Previous NHS Experience
• NHS IT systems
• Audio typing

Knowledge Essential

• Knowledge of GDPR
• Microsoft office applications including Excel, Word and PowerPoint

Desirable

• Medical Terminology
• Knowledge of patient pathway targets

Personal Skills Essential

• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to work to tight deadlines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Good team player

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent including English and Mathematics
• Secretarial qualification RSA II or equivalent

Desirable

• Computer literate to ECDL standard or equivalent

Experience Essential

• Secretarial experience in a busy, customer focused environment
• Experience of working as part of a team and on own initiative
• Use of databases and data collection
• Organising meetings and minute taking

Desirable

• Previous NHS Experience
• NHS IT systems
• Audio typing

Knowledge Essential

• Knowledge of GDPR
• Microsoft office applications including Excel, Word and PowerPoint

Desirable

• Medical Terminology
• Knowledge of patient pathway targets

Personal Skills Essential

• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to work to tight deadlines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Good team player

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).

Additional information 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 and Dunstable Hospital

Nova House, Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ

Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Nova House, Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ

Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)