Legal Assistant Subject Access Requests

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Chester; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Chester is seeking a full-time Subject Access Assistant to join our busy Legal Services team. The role focuses on processing requests from patients and authorised representatives to access health records, requiring care, accuracy and discretion with confidential information.

You will work within a supportive team, handling requests, gathering documentation, meeting deadlines and providing general administrative support.

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.
• Experience handling sensitive and confidential information, ideally within a healthcare or legal environment.
• Experience with administration and record keeping.

Responsibilities

• register and acknowledge new Subject Access Requests
• obtain identification, consent and authority documentation where required
• request and collate records from electronic and paper-based systems
• maintain accurate case records and monitor progress against deadlines
• prepare documentation for review and secure disclosure
• respond professionally to enquiries from patients, representatives and Trust colleagues
• follow established procedures for information governance, confidentiality and data protection
• provide general administrative support to help the service manage requests efficiently

Skills

Discretion

Data protection knowledge

Healthcare administration

Education

GCSE English & Maths

A-levels or equivalent

Job description

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Legal Assistant Subject Access Requests

The closing date is 08 November 2026

Working Full time: 37.5 hours per week We are looking for an organised, accurate and motivated Subject Access Assistant to join our busy Legal Services team. The Subject Access team is responsible for processing requests from patients and authorised representatives for access to health records. This is an important administrative role requiring care, accuracy and discretion when handling sensitive and confidential information.

Main duties of the job

Working as part of a supportive team, you will:

• register and acknowledge new Subject Access Requests
• obtain identification, consent and authority documentation where required
• request and collate records from electronic and paper-based systems
• maintain accurate case records and monitor progress against deadlines
• prepare documentation for review and secure disclosure
• respond professionally to enquiries from patients, representatives and Trust colleagues
• follow established procedures for information governance, confidentiality and data protection
• provide general administrative support to help the service manage requests efficiently

Job summary

Working Full time: 37.5 hours per week We are looking for an organised, accurate and motivated Subject Access Assistant to join our busy Legal Services team. The Subject Access team is responsible for processing requests from patients and authorised representatives for access to health records. This is an important administrative role requiring care, accuracy and discretion when handling sensitive and confidential information.

Main duties of the job

Working as part of a supportive team, you will:

• register and acknowledge new Subject Access Requests
• obtain identification, consent and authority documentation where required
• request and collate records from electronic and paper-based systems
• maintain accurate case records and monitor progress against deadlines
• prepare documentation for review and secure disclosure
• respond professionally to enquiries from patients, representatives and Trust colleagues
• follow established procedures for information governance, confidentiality and data protection
• provide general administrative support to help the service manage requests efficiently

You will receive training and support to develop the knowledge needed for the role. More complex decisions concerning redaction, exemptions and disclosure will be escalated to senior members of the team.

About us

The Trust's services are provided from three locations:

o The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 473 general and acute beds.o Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 60 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.o Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust employs 5,964 staff (headcount) to provide care and treatment to a population of over 400,000 people living in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire.

The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System. Due to its location on the border with North Wales, the Trust also works closely with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

The Trust treats patients from England and some parts of Wales. During 2024/2025, there were approximately 643,000 patient attendances (inpatient, A&E, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery

Job description

Job responsibilities

See Job Description for further details.

Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values. An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

If a DBS is required for your role, you are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee applies which is payable to the DBS Service.Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

The Trust will not sponsor where the starting salary does not meet immigration rules

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics at grade C (or equivalent) or above.
• A-levels (or equivalent) in relevant subjects, or demonstrable equivalent experience in an administrative, compliance, or healthcare setting.

Desirable

• A relevant vocational qualification (e.g., in data protection, information governance, healthcare administration).
• Further education in a related field (e.g., Business Administration, Law, Health and Social Care).

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Working knowledge of the Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR, and other relevant legislation, particularly in relation to Subject Access Requests (SARs).
• Experience handling sensitive and confidential information, ideally within a healthcare or legal environment.

Desirable

• Previous experience in an NHS, healthcare, or information governance role.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Countess of Chester Hospital

Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1UL

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.coch.nhs.uk/working-with-us.aspx (Opens in a new tab)