Medical Secretary

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Chester; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Medical Secretary to support the Ophthalmology Department within the Planned Care Division. The role covers secretarial and administrative tasks for Consultants and the wider team, with emphasis on audio typing and accuracy.

You will work with minimal supervision in a close-knit team, maintaining clinical diaries, typing clinic letters, and arranging appointments while safeguarding confidentiality and using Medisec and EPR+ software

Qualifications

• Recent secretarial/administrative experience with audio typing.
• Qualifications include NVQ II/III in business admin or related field.
• Knowledge of Medisec and EPR+ is an advantage.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and NHS administrative processes.

Responsibilities

• Organise clinical diaries, type clinic letters and arrange appointments.
• Provide comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to Consultants and the team.
• Maintain confidentiality and deliver work with accuracy and initiative.

Skills

Audio typing

Secretarial experience

Communication skills

Confidentiality

Education

NVQ Level II or III in Business Administration/Customer Services/ Information Technology

GCSE English

RSA Typing

CLAIT, BTEC, AMSPAR

Supervisory Certificate

Tools

Medisec

EPR+

Microsoft Office

Job description

Main area Planned Care Grade Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday) Job ref 210-2026-449-A

Site Countess of Chester Hospital Town Chester Salary £25,760 - £27,476 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 22/09/2026 23:59

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, staff pride themselves on not only leading through clinical excellence, but also by creating an environment where all staff are valued and appreciated. To achieve this, the Trust has embarked on an exciting new strategy focused on continuous improvement.

Our vision is to improve the lives of our community and provide excellence in healthcare, through partnership and innovation

Our High Performance Culture will support everyone to be the best version of themselves by being true to our Trust vision, values and behaviours.
We welcome applications from colleagues from our local and neighbouring communities of all backgrounds and identities, who are currently under-represented within our region such as Black, Asian, Minority ethnic and those with disabilities.

As a region we are reviewing the way we work, and exploring how new working practices that support flexible working can create a positive work-life balance. As part of our recruitment process we will explore how our inclusive employment policies, flexible working, staff engagement forums, Trust facilities and services can be of mutual benefit.

Job overview

Working Full time: 37.5 hours per week

An opportunity has arisen within the Planned Care Division for a MedicalSecretary. The post holder will work in the Ophthalmology Department within The Countess of Chester Hospital. In this role the post holder will provide secretarial and administrative support to the Consultants and wider team.

We are looking for a highly motivated individual to provide a high standard of audio typing / clerical support. The successful candidate must be able to work using their own initiative, but also as part of a team.

Excellent communication and administrative skills are essential for this role, along with a keen eye for accuracy and detail. Organisational skills are also essential. Consultant diaries and associated clinical activity must be kept up to date to ensure the service we provide to our patients runs smoothly and efficiently.

A working knowledge of general office procedures and Microsoft packages is required, but full training will be given in the use of Medisec and EPR+ software. Knowledge of medical terminology also would be an advantage

Main duties of the job

You will contribute and commit to promoting a positive team-based attitude, striving for the highest standards of service and achieving excellence by providing a comprehensive secretarial service and administration support to the Team.

You will be expected to work with minimum supervision but within a close-knit team. All work must be carried out in a timely and accurate manner, with confidentiality being maintained at all times.

Some of the main duties of the job include organising the clinical diaries, typing clinic letters and arranging clinic appointments, all whilst maintaining the highest standard of care.

Working for our organisation

The Trust’s services are provided from three locations:

• The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 473 general and acute beds.
• Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 60 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.
• 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

Detailed job description and main 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

Good luck with your application.

Person specification

Qualifications

• NVQ Level II or III in Business Administration/Customer Services/ Information Technology
• GCSE standard (English) or equivalent
• RSA 3 Typing / office-related qualification/s and evidence of their use or equivalent experience
• CLAIT, BTEC, AMSPAR
• Supervisory Certificate

Knowledge

• Recent secretarial/administrative experience
• Audio typing experience
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Packages
• Experience as medical support secretary or medical audio typist
• Knowledge of Medical Terminology
• Knowledge of NHS or other health/social care settings

Skills

• Reliability and flexibility
• Adaptable and the ability to cope well with change
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with ability to communicate clearly and appropriately with people at varying levels

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
If the role is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 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.

Enhanced DBS check applications that are submitted with omitted or incorrect information will be withdrawn. In the event errors are identified on your original application, a new application will need to be submitted and you will be required to pay the DBS application fee again.

The cost of the DBS application will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.

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. 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 - Check if you need a UK visa - GOV.UK

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

For further details on skilled worker sponsorship, please consult the UK Home Office guidance: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK. Additionally, the New guidance for overseas applicants | NHS Employers provides helpful information on the recruitment process for candidates applying for roles in the UK.

Overseas candidates are responsible for their travel expenses.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have 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 dependent's (over 18 years old) will also be subject to this requirement.

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.