Medical Secretary

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS Pension Scheme

Flexible working

Training & development

Career progression

Staff benefits

Job summary

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Medical Secretary to provide comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to clinicians across our EIP Team and Mental Health & Wellness Team. This role supports busy community mental health services committed to high-quality, person-centred care.

The successful candidate will manage clinicians' diaries, handle confidential correspondence, and maintain patient records in line with information governance and NHS standards, while working

Qualifications

• Significant secretarial or administrative experience in a busy office environment.
• Excellent keyboard and typing skills with a high degree of accuracy.
• Experience of managing diaries and arranging meetings.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Teams, and Excel.
• Ability to work independently using initiative while remaining an effective team member.
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality and information governance.

Responsibilities

• Significant secretarial or administrative experience in a busy office environment.
• Excellent keyboard and typing skills with a high degree of accuracy.
• Experience of managing diaries and arranging meetings.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Skills

Keyboard skills

Diary management

Organisation

Communication

MS Office

Independence

Confidentiality & IG

Education

Relevant qualification

Tools

RiO

SystmOne

Job description

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced, organised, and proactive Medical Secretary to provide comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to clinicians working across our Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) Team and Mental Health & Wellness Team. This is a challenging and rewarding role supporting busy community mental health services that are committed to delivering high-quality, person-centred care. The successful candidate will play a vital role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the services by providing high-level administrative and secretarial support to psychiatrists, team leaders, and multidisciplinary colleagues.

Main duties of the job

Provide an efficient and confidential medical secretarial service to clinicians across the EIP and Mental Health & Wellness Teams. Audio and copy type clinical correspondence, reports, assessments, and other documentation within agreed timescales. Manage clinicians' diaries, appointments, meetings, and clinic schedules. Receive and process referrals, ensuring accurate recording on electronic patient record systems. Act as a point of contact for service users, carers, GPs, partner agencies, and other healthcare professionals. Prepare and distribute correspondence, agendas, minutes, and reports as required. Maintain accurate and up-to-date patient records in accordance with Trust policies and information governance requirements. Support the coordination of multidisciplinary meetings and ensure relevant documentation is available. Monitor and prioritise incoming communications, taking appropriate action where necessary. Ensure all work is undertaken in line with confidentiality, data protection, and NHS standards. Provide administrative support to the wider teams and cover for colleagues during periods of leave and absence.

About us

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health and community services for over 4.9 million people living in the London Boroughs of Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, and across Essex. We work to ensure our patients, their friends and family, feel confident that their health needs are well met. With an excellent reputation for research and development, our skilled health professionals are at the cutting edge of evidence-based innovation, opening up the possibilities for better ways of working and delivery of care.

Job responsibilities

• Significant secretarial or administrative experience in a busy office environment.
• Excellent keyboard and typing skills with a high degree of accuracy.
• Experience of managing diaries and arranging meetings.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Teams, and Excel.
• Ability to work independently using initiative while remaining an effective team member.
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality and information governance.

Desirable Criteria

• Previous experience as a Medical Secretary within the NHS or healthcare setting.
• Knowledge of mental health services and multidisciplinary team working.
• Experience using electronic patient record systems such as RiO, SystmOne, or equivalent.
• Audio typing qualification or experience.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to work within supportive and innovative mental health services.
• Access to training, development, and career progression opportunities.
• NHS Pension Scheme and staff benefits.
• Flexible working opportunities where service needs allow.
• A rewarding role supporting individuals experiencing mental health difficulties and those recovering from first episode psychosis.

Working for Us

Joining #TeamNELFT means you'll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We're CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award-winning equality and diversity initiatives, along with staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest significantly in your development because when you feel valued and supported, we can deliver the highest quality care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been recognised in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and hold a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Through our staff networks and training opportunities, we strive to foster a just and compassionate culture at NELFT.

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes, Essex.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period.

High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,870 and a maximum payment of £6,137 - per annum, pro rata for part time).

Certificates of Sponsorship

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system.

Use of AI

We value applications that genuinely reflect each candidate's own skills, experience and motivations. We therefore strongly discourage the use of AI-generated content in applications. Applications should be written in your own words and accurately represent your knowledge, skills and experience. We reserve the right to reject an application where we reasonably believe AI has been used to generate or materially contribute to its content.

Qualifications

• Relevant qualification required.

Experience

• Significant secretarial or administrative experience in a busy office environment.

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: NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

Address: Church Road Health Centre, Harold Wood, Essex, RM3 0SH, United Kingdom