Medical Secretary

St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Knowsley; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust seeks an accurate Medical Secretary (Band 3) to support Admin Services within Clinical Support Services. The role is site-based at Whiston Hospital or St Helens Hospital and involves audio typing of clinical correspondence and routine admin tasks.

Hours are fixed weekly patterns during weekdays, with maternity cover. The successful candidate will work between 8.00am and 5.00pm and must have good typing speed, discretion, and knowledge of

Qualifications

• Excellent audio typing and administrative skills.
• Good English language skills.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Audio typing of clinical letters and documentation.
• Working across a range of surgical and medical specialties.
• Chasing external tertiary referrals.
• Covering telephones and dealing with enquiries as required.

Skills

Audio typing

Microsoft Word

Organisation

Independent working

Education

GSCE Standard or Higher

Tools

PAS system

Microsoft Office

Job description

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

Medical Secretary (Band 3)

Admin Services | Clinical Support Services Division

Fixed-Term Maternity Cover Opportunities

We are recruiting to backfill maternity leave and have the following fixed-term opportunities available:

• 6 hours 45 minutes per week until 17 December 2027
• 12 hours 30 minutes per week until 23 October 2027

We are happy to appoint the same candidate to both positions. If appointed to both posts, the successful candidate will work:

• 19 hours 15 minutes per week until 23 October 2027
• 12 hours 30 minutes per week from 24 October 2027 until 17 December 2027

Working hours and days can be discussed at interview. Hours must be worked between Monday and Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm, and the successful candidate will work a fixed weekly pattern rather than a rota-based arrangement.

The role will be site-based at either Whiston Hospital or St Helens Hospital, with site preference discussed at interview.

We are seeking an accurate, well-organised typist with excellent attention to detail and a good working knowledge of medical terminology.

The role involves typing clinical correspondence for multiple specialties, ensuring work is completed accurately and within agreed timescales.

JD & PS are under AfC review and are subject to change

Interview date to be confirmed

Main duties of the job

Duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Audio typing of clinical letters and documentation
• Working across a range of surgical and medical specialties
• Chasing external tertiary referrals
• Covering telephones and dealing with enquiries as required

About You

We're looking for someone who is:

• Highly organised with strong audio typing and administrative skills.
• Able to work independently.
• Accurate, detail-focused and discreet.

You will be reliable and able to work both independently and as part of a team, with a strong commitment to delivering a professional and efficient service in line with NHS values.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To quality check documentation completed in clinical administration support.

• Audit reports bi-monthly against KPI's (key performance indicators).
• Mentor, train and supervise relevant staff as required by the Administration Services Co-ordinator.
• Complete any Tertiary Referrals to external Trusts and ensure these are completed on PAS system. Keep track of referrals to ensure patient is reviewed promptly. Check that follow up appointments are arranged in conjunction with Referral To Treat (RTT) patient pathway.
• Type dictation from audio transcription of clinical correspondence and documentation. Ensuring appropriate follow up arrangements /investigations are in place. Liaise with Personal Medical Secretary of specialty accordingly.
• Deal appropriately with concerns from staff in line with Trust policy
• To answer the telephone promptly and politely, telephoning patients where appropriate using tact, discretion and empathy in all situations.
• Accurate use of patient information using the Patient Administration System (PAS), including registration screen to check patient details are correct.
• Ensure efficient audit processes in place concerning correspondence to ensure quality levels maintained and rectify accordingly.
• Print off EIS reports for discharges
• Taking minutes of meetings and circulating to relevant groups.

Person specification

Our Values

• We are Kind
• We are Open
• We are Inclusive

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• GSCE Standard or Higher
• RSA/OCR or equivalent typing experience

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria

• Good English Language Skills
• Word Processing Skills
• Audio-Typing Skills
• Microsoft Office Products ExperienceAbility to work as part of a team

Desirable criteria

• Medical Terminology
• Minute Taking
• 2 years' experience working in an NHS environment
• Previous Medical Secretary Experience
• Medical Audio Typing
• Understanding of Trust Internal Policies as appropriate

Skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent IT Skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to manage/prioritise own workload
• Excellent Word Processing and Keyboard skills
• Ability to accurately maintain computerised and manual filing/documentation systems

Desirable criteria

• Time Management Skills
• Knowledge of Trust computer systems

Other

Essential criteria

• Ability to use own initiative and work independently
• Capability to adapt to most situations
• Reliable and conscientious
• Ability to manage difficult/sensitive situations
• Comply with Trust policies and procedures at all times
• Ability and willingness to undergo further training for the post

Desirable criteria

• Excellent interpersonal skills

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. MWL is an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.

Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact