Medical Secretary

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Development opportunities

Recruitment and onboarding support

Staff benefits

Job summary

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Medical Secretary to support the Maxillofacial team. The role focuses on coordinating patient pathways, managing waiting lists, and arranging appointments with a strong emphasis on accuracy and patient care.

You will work closely with consultants and clinical staff, handling enquiries professionally and maintaining comprehensive patient information across Trust IT systems.

Qualifications

• Experience in administrative roles within NHS settings.
• Ability to use NHS IT systems and manage patient data.
• Understanding of 18‑week RTT principles.

Responsibilities

• Be the main point of contact for patients and clinical staff with courtesy and sensitivity.
• Coordinate patient pathways and waiting lists in line with targets and booking procedures.
• Handle cancellations, queries and pathway issues, escalating as needed.
• Typing, proofreading and dispatch of clinical correspondence within set timescales.
• Ensure urgent test results are brought to the Consultant or team immediately.

Skills

Organisational skills

Prioritisation

Autonomy & teamwork

Communication skills

Job description

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

Medical Secretary

Closing date is 05 November 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a medical secretary to join our Maxillofacial team. We are looking for an organised, motivated and patient-focused individual who can provide an efficient and responsive administrative service supporting patients throughout their pathway of care.

Working closely with consultants, clinical teams and administrative colleagues, you will play an important role in coordinating patient pathways, managing and monitoring waiting lists, arranging appointments and ensuring that patients progress through their pathway in a timely manner. You will act as a key point of contact for patients and clinical colleagues, responding to enquiries professionally, sensitively and courteously.

The role requires excellent organisational and communication skills, a high level of accuracy and the ability to prioritise a busy workload. You will use a range of Trust IT systems to maintain accurate patient information, monitor waiting lists and support effective service delivery. You will need to work independently as well as becoming an effective member of the wider multidisciplinary team.

Experience of working within an NHS administrative or patient/customer care environment would be particularly valuable, together with an understanding of patient pathways, waiting‑list management and Referral to Treatment (RTT) principles

Main duties of the job

• You will act as the main point of contact for patients and medical staff on behalf of the consultant and team ensuring that all queries are answered with skill and sensitivity and in a courteous and professional manner
• Manage and coordinate patient pathways and waiting lists in line with relevant targets and booking procedures.
• Manage cancellations, queries and pathway issues, escalating concerns where appropriate.
• Typing/proof-reading and dispatch of clinical correspondence within agreed timescales and quality standards
• Ensure urgent test results/correspondence is brought to the immediate attention of the Consultant or team
• An understanding of 18‑week RTT process
• Liaise effectively with wards, departments and other clinical staff within the hospital and external healthcare providers

Closing date for applications: 5th November 2026

Interview date: 19th November 2026

About us

As a trusted organisation at the heart of our communities, we recognise the important role we can play in supporting the public, patients, our own people and local partners in achieving the best of health for the local population and the communities in which they live by providing Exceptional Care Together

Our fundamental Values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence underpin how we intend to work as a Trust and the associated behaviours are becoming embedded in all aspects of how we work.

In return we will offer:

• Development opportunities, both professional and leadership development
• On-going support from recruitment to when you join our team and beyond.
• Staff benefits including employee assistance programme, discounted gym membership, onsite fitness classes, car schemes

Key Facts:

• We see on average 4810 OP appointments a day.
• We are the 4th busiest Trauma & Orthopaedic outpatients department in England - an average of 2077 per week.
• An average of 1115 patients are seen in A&Es across our network every day - 3rd largest in the country.
• Our hospitals admit an average of 195 emergency patients daily.
• Last year we undertook almost 33,700 planned surgical operations in our 57 operating theatres.
• We are one of only 7 Trusts nationally with more than 50 operating theatres.
• We carry out more than 140 elective procedures each working day.
• UHDB is a research active University Hospital with a large and varied portfolio of clinical trials and research opportunities for all staff.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of working in an administrative role
• Ability to use various NHS systems
• Understanding of 18 week RTT

Skills

• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent prioritisation and efficiency skills
• Experience working autonomously as well as part of a team

Communication

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience of communicating with a wide variety of staff
• Experience of dealing with patient/customer queries

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 name

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust