Medical Secretary

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust; Taunton; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

NHS pension scheme

Generous annual leave

Job summary

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust invites applications for a Medical Secretary in the Paediatrics team at Musgrove Park Hospital. This 30-hour-per-week, 6-month fixed-term maternity cover role supports consultants and multidisciplinary colleagues, ensuring smooth, accurate documentation and a high standard of patient care.

You will provide comprehensive admin support, manage referrals, appointments and records, and collaborate across teams to deliver efficient patient journeys in a friendly, diverse

Qualifications

• Good literacy and communication skills.
• Strong administrative and keyboard skills.
• Knowledge of medical terminology is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive admin and secretarial support to consultants and paediatrics team.
• Manage correspondence, appointments, referrals, patient records and clinical documentation.
• Coordinate diary management and workload across multidisciplinary teams.
• Support patient pathways by progressing investigations and referrals efficiently.
• Maintain strong communication with patients, families and healthcare colleagues.

Skills

Secretarial efficiency

Microsoft Office

Oral and written comms

Diary and workload management

Education

RSA/OCR III WP/Typing

AMSPAR or British Medical Secretary Diploma

ECDL

Tools

Audio typing

Job description

Are you an organised and proactive administrator who enjoys making a difference behind the scenes?

Join our friendly Paediatrics team at Musgrove Park Hospital as a Medical Secretary and play a vital role in supporting children, young people, their families, and the clinical teams who care for them. This is a 30-hour per week, 6-month fixed-term opportunity to provide maternity cover within a welcoming and supportive service.

In this varied role, you will be at the heart of our service, helping consultants and multidisciplinary colleagues deliver safe, efficient, and compassionate care. Your organisational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities will help ensure patients receive the support they need throughout their healthcare journey.

Working within a dedicated team, you will enjoy a role where no two days are the same. You'll build valuable relationships across the service, develop your administrative expertise within a specialist healthcare setting, and contribute to improving the experience of patients and families across Somerset.

If you are a motivated team player who takes pride in providing a professional, high-quality service, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

As a Medical Secretary, you will:

• Provide comprehensive administrative and secretarial support to consultants and the wider Paediatrics team, helping services run smoothly and efficiently.
• Manage correspondence, appointments, referrals, patient records, and clinical documentation with accuracy and professionalism.
• Communicate with patients, families, and healthcare professionals, ensuring information is shared promptly and sensitively.
• Support patient pathways by helping appointments, investigations, and referrals progress effectively.
• Work closely with colleagues across multidisciplinary teams to coordinate information and deliver excellent administrative support.
• Contribute to a positive team culture by supporting colleagues, sharing knowledge, and helping new team members settle into the service.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job responsibilities

You will join an established Paediatric Secretarial Team providing high-quality administrative support within a busy healthcare environment. The role offers a great balance of independent working and teamwork, requiring excellent organisational skills, initiative, and the ability to prioritise a varied workload.

You will be responsible for managing clinical correspondence, including audio typing, handling telephone and email enquiries, arranging appointments, processing referrals, maintaining patient records, and supporting consultants with diary and workload management. You'll also work closely with clinical and administrative colleagues to ensure information is available when needed and patients receive a seamless experience throughout their care journey.

To be successful, you will have:

• A good standard of education and excellent literacy and communication skills.
• Strong administrative and keyboard skills, with experience of word processing and managing multiple priorities.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• The ability to communicate confidently and professionally by telephone, email, in writing, and face to face.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage your workload effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• A flexible and adaptable approach, with a commitment to confidentiality and outstanding customer service.
• Experience within an NHS, healthcare, or medical secretarial environment, along with knowledge of medical terminology and audio typing, would be advantageous.

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we are proud of our values of kindness, respect, and teamwork. You'll be supported by experienced colleagues who are committed to helping one another succeed while delivering the highest standards of care for the communities we serve.

If you're looking for a rewarding opportunity where your organisational skills can make a real difference to children, young people, and their families, we'd be delighted to receive your application.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Good standard of general education
• RSA/OCR III WP/Typing or equivalent
• AMSPAR or British Medical Secretary Diploma (includes medical terminology) or equivalent knowledge
• ECDL or equivalent

Experience

• Medical audio typing

Additional Criteria

• Working knowledge of Microsoft office suite
• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Working knowledge of in house hospital systems
• Knowledge of patient notes / retrieval and related tasks/medical records procedure
• Knowledge of Department and Divisional Structure

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.