Medical Secretary

NHS Jobs; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

The post holder is secretary to the Consultant and is a demanding role.

The emphasis is to provide an efficient and high quality secretarial service to the Consultant and speciality doctors, to liaise and communicate effectively with patients and their relatives, colleagues within the multidisciplinary team and external colleagues, other departments and directorates within Livewell Southwest and all agencies/organisations that interface with the Consultant's area of clinical responsibility,

Job description

The post holder is secretary to the Consultant and is a demanding role. The emphasis is to provide an efficient and high quality secretarial service to the Consultant and speciality doctors, to liaise and communicate effectively with patients and their relatives, colleagues within the multidisciplinary team and external colleagues, other departments and directorates within Livewell Southwest and all agencies/organisations that interface with the Consultant's area of clinical responsibility, including clinical governance issues. The job description and person specification are an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The job holder will need to be flexible and carry out any other duties as may be reasonably required by their line manager.

Scope and Range

the medical secretary provides comprehensive administrative support to consultants and speciality doctors within the CAMHS Psychiatry Team. This role involves coordinating and managing secretarial duties within the Psychiatry Team. The postholder will have a specific service to support and are expected to be flexible and support the other services during staff absences and periods of increased demand, ensuring continuity across the department. You will need excellent organisational skills, good communication skills, a flexible approach , good time management and the ability to prioritise work and manage stress well.

Main Duties/Responsibilities

To provide an efficient audio/copy typing and word processing service as required. This includes the typing of letters and reports in an accurate and high-quality manner, adhering to the organisations turnaround time for clinic letters following appointments. To work with the team in implementing all admin procedures including the typing letters, reports, training packages, emails, minutes and agendas as requested. This requires advanced keyboard skills, speed and accuracy within required timescales and constant use of a VDU daily. Liaise with our referral co-ordinator to ensure referrals out to other services as requested by the doctors are processed in a timely manner, as well as any referrals in received. To establish and maintain filing and administrative systems so that written or computer information is easily accessible and secure. To retrieve medical records and assist the completion of medical/insurance records. To receive incoming and initiate outgoing telephone calls in order to facilitate timely and appropriate communications with others, taking messages and dealing with appropriate queries. To maintain the computer clinic system in an accurate and secure manner. In liaison with the team responsible, maintain adequate supplies of office stationery in order to perform your secretarial duties. Process incoming and outgoing mail, distributing to correct doctor in a timely manner. Be responsible for all of the consultants incoming mail and e-mails, whilst using discretion to deal appropriately with any mail that does not require the consultants perusal. Provide an efficient and accurate secretarial service to the consultant and to ensure the consultant's diary of appointments is updated and confirmed with them regularly. Use discretion to make changes to the consultants diary and communicate the changes whenever necessary. To maintain, always, the highest level of confidentiality in respect of information concerning the Livewell Southwest or any of its staff or patients. Record and monitor the consultants attendance/absence in own diary. Apply to the appropriate parties for approval of leave and obtain consultant cover. Arrange changes to the Consultant Duty Rota as necessary and again notify all parties of such changes. Provide secretarial support for the junior doctors working with the consultants following outpatients clinics. Liaise with the team and other medical secretaries to cross cover for annual leave and other leave as required, in line with the secretarial standard. Liaise with GPs, patients, carers and other professionals on a daily basis via email, telephone calls or letters. Book patients in for clinical appointments, send appointment letters, following the appointment outcome the appointment and booking the next appointment within timeframe stated by the doctor. Be the first point of contact on the telephone for patients and healthcare professionals including following data protection protocols for confirming callers details. Use tact, diplomacy and maintaining confidentiality when talking to patients. Take telephone messages and pass to correct secretary/team member as appropriate. Maintain outpatients appointments and implement changes as necessary on own initiative to ensure that the lists run effectively and efficiently. Review the consultants caseload and waiting lists regularly. To coordinate and produce agendas and minutes for high level and confidential meetings, transcribing and distributing as necessary. The post holder will liaise with patients, carers, families and other professionals and agencies to organise various meetings. Due to the urgency, some of these meetings are arranged at short-notice, requiring re-organisation of diaries to ensure service user needs are met. To attend and participate in admin team meetings, as well as the wider service meetings. Accurately recording large amounts of information relating to staff contact with patients onto Livewell Southwest database (SystmOne) daily. The post holder will identify new ways of working and make changes to own work, when agreed, to improve service. Ensure that all complaints, compliments, concerns, comments, and suggestions are appropriately recorded, and where possible resolved within level of role or escalated appropriately. The post holder will be able to provide non-clinical advice and information with regards to appointments and visitors to the unit. The post holder will undertake surveys/audits as required including staff surveys. Respond to all communication via telephone calls, email, and written queries on behalf of the service area including call handling where appropriate. Manage appointments, meetings, and events on behalf of the service, making bookings where necessary and ensuring all equipment and documentation is available. Ensure that the corporate support function complies with all Livewell policies and procedures including Data Protection, confidentiality, Health and Safety, security and safeguarding. Assist in the training of newly appointed secretarial/administrative staff and supporting them during their assimilation. Be proactive and contribute ideas for improvement in the way the service is delivered. Able to work on own initiative, prioritising work within defined policies and procedures to set timescales. Supporting with all administrative tasks around FP10s, including monthly audits, ensuring signatory log is kept up to date when staff changes occur and scanning and saving the FP10into SystmOne Distributing and logging FP10s Monitoring the FP10 stock monthly and arranging collection of new FP10 pad from Mount Gould Hospital as and when required.

Physical Effort

The job requires sitting working at a desk for periods at a time and moving patient notes to secure storage lockers which can be a number of files at once.

Mental Effort

Will use VDU for high proportion of time. The flexible nature of the job may require post holder to move within the team or within the wider organisational setting as required and undertake similar duties.

Emotional Effort

Exposure to unpleasant conditions is rare/occasional. May be exposed to verbal aggression from patients. The post holder will provide and receive confidential, complex and sensitive information, orally, inwriting or electronically, within the boundaries of confidentiality. At times the information can be distressing

Communications and Relationships

The post holder will be in regular contact with nursing and other clinical staff, service users and carers, other appropriate bodies as needed, general practice, members of the public and all stakeholders To maintain confidentiality regarding information gained during the course of work. To be responsible for the work area and ensure and maintain a safe environment in line with Livewell Southwest policies and protocols. Ensure that the consultants' caseload details are kept up-to-date Deal with patients and service users of all ages and requirements over all forms of communication, being mindful of the communication challenges from service users and adapting accordingly. Working with other admin staff within the wider teams. Working with the Service Support Manager and other department managers regarding queries that require escalation. To build positive working relationships with the immediate medical secretary team, wider administration/reception team, management, doctors and internal and external stakeholders as required.