Medical Secretary

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust; Kemp Town Estate; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a dedicated Secretary to join their team. This busy role involves providing a full clerical service to Consultants, managing patient enquiries, and ensuring effective communication across departments. The ideal candidate will have previous NHS experience and excellent organizational skills, demonstrating a commitment to patient confidentiality. Join a supportive environment that values diversity and fosters professional growth.

Benefits

Wellbeing programme for staff

Opportunities for flexible working

Supportive workplace culture

Qualifications

• Previous secretarial experience, ideally in the NHS.
• Ability to manage sensitive patient information confidentially.
• Experience in dealing with a high volume of enquiries.

Responsibilities

• Manage a full clerical administrative and secretarial service to Consultants.
• Respond to patient telephone enquiries with tact and diplomacy.
• Operate Careflow software for patient information retrieval.
• Produce clinical correspondence from electronic dictation system.

Skills

Excellent time management skills

Organisational skills

Compassion and empathy

Communication skills

IT skills (Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel)

Job description

We are looking for new, enthusiastic staff to join our secretarial team. The role is particularly busy with a lot of variety. You will work in the same area as the consultants and often will deal with their queries and correspondence with them directly.

The secretarial role here is busy and varied. The team works well together and the days fly by!

The department is situated in the new Louisa Martindale Building.

Please note: This role does not meet the minimum criteria for visa sponsorship under the current UK immigration rules, which set specific salary and skill thresholds. As such, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. Applicants will therefore need to already have the right to work in the UK to be considered. We include this information at the outset to provide clarity and avoid unnecessary inconvenience for applicants.

Responsibilities

• An autonomous responsibility to manage a full clerical administrative and secretarial service to the Consultants and their teams.
• Take initial receipt of all incoming correspondence and enquiries as appropriate.
• Operate Careflow computer software system for retrieval/tracking of patient information/notes and dealing with patient enquiries.
• Using tact, diplomacy, reassurance and discretion, respond to telephone enquiries from distressed patients and their relatives. Occasionally dealing with verbal abuse.
• Communicate with other Consultants, GP surgeries, Primary Care Trusts, other hospitals, patients and their carers, managers, wards, admissions, outpatients and many other departments.
• Provide a complete secretarial service including audio typing/touch-typing clinical correspondence, dealing with departmental emails and composition of letters.
• Utilise all modern IT tools available to provide the most efficient use of time and the most effective service e.g. software used Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Comply explicitly with the Trust's Complaints Procedure. Without delay forward to appropriate parties all formal complaints and responses.
• Personally deal with as many enquiries as possible such as arrangements for meetings, answer patient's enquiries relating back to them answers and advice as necessary on a regular basis.
• Act as a point of contact for the Clinical Team.

Important information for applicants

A Note on AI Use in Applications We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations-elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation. Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.

Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified. Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.

Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.

DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check . We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.

Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.

UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications.

You will need excellent time management skills, the ability to organise and prioritise work along with an understanding of, and commitment to, patient confidentiality.

You will carry out the production of clinic letters and other correspondence from the electronic dictation system (G2) including amending and sending letters, when approved/signed on a timely basis.

The ideal candidate will have NHS experience, secretarial experience and have excellent organisational skills.

There are many urgent telephone and email enquiries to the department which are dealt with in a professional manner by the secretarial team.

At UHSussex we're proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK's largest acute trusts, we're a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.

Our hard‑working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal – to deliver Excellent Care Everywhere for our patients, our people and our communities. Whatever your role here at UHSussex you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex.

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us deliver Excellent Care Everywhere. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

We value compassion, inclusion and respect as our core values. We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our wellbeing programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance – because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.

As part of our commitment to access for all, please see the different ways you can access the application form: https://apps.trac.jobs/accessibility?_ts=1

We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.