HPB Medical Secretary / PA

Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare institution in Cambridge is seeking a Medical Secretary / Personal Assistant for its Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and Transplant department. The position involves providing comprehensive support to consultants, handling patient queries, and ensuring timely service delivery in a busy setting. Ideal candidates will demonstrate excellent communication skills, strong organisational abilities, and prior secretarial experience. A commitment to teamwork and patient care is essential, with opportunities for professional development. Flexible work arrangements may be available.

Benefits

On-site leisure facilities

Reduced cost bus travel

Subsidised parking

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Good standard of English and excellent communication skills required.
• Previous secretarial experience and medical terminology is advantageous.
• Ability to prioritise and multitask to meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Provide a comprehensive Personal Assistant service to HPB / Transplant Consultants.
• Coordinate meetings, take minutes, and optimise clinic utilisation.
• Manage patient and GP queries in a sympathetic and professional manner.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Organisational skills

Ability to work under pressure

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Education

A Level or Level 3 Business Admin / IT qualification including English and Maths GCSE

Touch Typing Certificate

Audio Typing experience

Medical Terminology Certificate

Tools

Microsoft Office

Epic computer system

Job description

HPB Medical Secretary / PA

The closing date is 01 January 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Medical Secretary / Personal Assistant to join our Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) and Transplant department. The HPB service is the regional centre for Pancreatic and Liver surgery.

The HPB Consultants and wider team are looking for a Medical Secretary / Personal Assistant to help coordinate an effective and safe delivery of HPB patient care in a diverse, busy and fast-paced service.

We are looking for an individual who has a can do attitude, has initiative, the ability to work under pressure and is conscientious to join our proactive busy team. An ability to sensitively deal with patients and relatives over the telephone is a must and require excellent organisational skills in order to support our Consultants.

Main duties of the job

To provide a comprehensive Personal Assistant and Theatre Scheduling service to our HPB / Transplant Consultants, registrars and nursing staff within the speciality to ensure timely delivery of our service. To be compliant with Key Performance Indicators (KPI); specifically in line with letters, Advice and Guidance turnaround times, Cancer and elective surgical pathways.

Tasks include coordinating meetings, taking minutes, optimising clinic utilisation, ensuring compliance with CCG requirements and generating letters. You will be dealing directly with both patient and GP queries and concerns in a sympathetic, constructive and professional manner.

You should have a good standard of English as well as excellent communication skills. You will be required to work to deadlines and must have the ability to prioritise and multi-task. You should be able to produce accurate audio-typing with good overall computing skills.

Previous secretarial experience and medical terminology is advantageous.

About us

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:

• applied for a Graduate visa
• or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment

or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment

As per Home Office guidelines, please be aware that, unfortunately, the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular position.

The advert will close at midnight on 1 January 2026.

Interviews are due to be held on 13 January 2026.

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to A Level or Level 3 Business Admin / IT qualification including English GCSE pass at Grade 4 or above and Maths GCSE pass at Grade 4 or above or equivalent experience
• Touch Typing Certificate or equivalent experience
• Audio Typing experience
• Medical Terminology Certificate or equivalent

Experience

• Experience of administrative work and working in a busy office environment
• Prioritising, planning and organising own tasks
• Working within guidelines and developing administrative processes
• Customer Service and dealing with enquiries in difficult situations
• Data entry and producing reports
• Experience of IT packages - all Microsoft Office packages
• Secretarial and/or administrative including diary management, coordinating and arranging meetings, minute taking and developing templates and prioritisation of workload
• Familiarity with Epic computer system
• Experience of working in the NHS
• Experience of dealing with difficult situations and confrontations

Knowledge

• Understanding Confidentiality and Data Protection
• Understanding of Customer Services
• Awareness of NHS targets and Trust priorities
• Knowledge of the Trust including awareness of priorities
• Knowledge of Trust information systems
• Knowledge of Medical Terminology
• Knowledge of PTL and processes

Skills

• Ability to work as part of a team
• Excellent communication skills including telephone, email, face to face
• High level of ability to organise and manage own time, keeping to schedule and deadlines
• Ability to adapt to change and work under pressure
• Ability to store and safeguard confidential documents
• Ability to show attention to detail and accuracy
• Willing to take on and learn new skills
• Accurate and speedy typing, keyboard skills and ability to take minutes to a high standard
• Good organisation skills
• Ability to use own initiative and work autonomously

Additional Requirements

• The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Safe, Kind, Excellent.

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.