Medical Secretary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; Weston-super-Mare; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Part time

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a part-time Medical Secretary (Band 3) to provide efficient secretarial support to clinical teams across specialties. The role requires handling patient correspondence, diary management and accurate filing, with a focus on high-quality patient care and professionalism.

The post involves NHS environment experience and a commitment to equality of opportunity. Educational requirements include GCSE English and Maths and Level 3 Business Administration; word

Qualifications

• Experience of dealing with the public, via telephone and in person.
• Clerical/administrative experience and NHS exposure is preferred.
• Understanding of medical terminology and sensitive patient communication.

Responsibilities

• Liaise with patients and clinical staff via phone and email.
• Maintain up-to-date patient records and filing systems.
• Attend training and support service development.
• Type, edit and proof clinical letters using the Trust system.

Skills

Public interaction

Clerical experience

Communication

Professional empathy

Adaptability

Education

GCSE English & Maths

Business & Administration Level 3

Word processing/audio typing

Tools

Word processing

Job description

Main area Care of the Elderly Grade Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 30 hours per week (working 4 days to be discussed at interview) Job ref 387-WD3570-MF

Employer Bristol NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Weston General Hospital Town Weston-super-Mare Salary £25,760 - £27,476 pa pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 07/10/2026 23:59

Medical Secretary

Band 3

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1 st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This will create an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job overview

The post holder will work within University Hospitals Bristol and Weston and be responsible for providing an efficient and effective secretarial service for clinical teams within specialities across the Trust. The role acts as a point of contact and help to support colleagues and other members of the team. The Medical Secretary is therefore responsible for setting high standards of patient care by promoting the Trust's values at all times.

Main duties of the job

Communication:

• To liaise with and act as a point of contact for patient, clinical and non-clinical staff via telephone and email
• Escalate patient queries, capacity problems and general issues the role's line manager of relevant clinical staff as appropriate
• To show a caring and professional approach towards patients, relatives and carers. This may require acting with resilience to deal with sometimes distressed patients and relatives

Organising and Planning:

• Ensure patient records are up to date and maintained
• To carry out associated clerical duties, for example maintaining accurate filing systems, receiving post, diary management and scanning patient notes if required

Service Development:

• Attend training courses as required to support personal development and the needs of the service
• Assist in training of new members of the team

Information Resources:

• To type, edit and proof-read clinical letters, general correspondence and reports using the Trust's clinical noting system, ensuring thatcorrespondence is dispatched within the Trust's target turnaround times
• Use the relevant computer systems to accurately input and retrieve patient information, updating patient demographics where necessary

Other:

• Act with flexibility to utilise skills in other functions if and when appropriate or required by the role's line manager
• Act with flexibility to adjusting work patterns to meet the needs of the service

Working for our organisation

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations,operatingfrom three main sites at Southmead, Bristol citycentreand Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that theSouth Westhas to offer.Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which representsthe rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and Person Specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience of dealing with the public, both on the telephone and in person
• Clerical/administrative experience
• Previous NHS experience
• Understanding of medical terminology

Skills & Abilities

• Effective and polite manner when dealing with people
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines whilst maintaining a high standard of accuracy
• Ability to work effectively in a busy team
• Ability to work on your own, using your own initiative if required
• Effective Organisational skills
• Ability to adapt to use new computer packages and programmes
• Confidence to handle difficult conversations with patients, relatives and carers

Qualifications & Training

• Educated to GCSE, grade C or above (or equivilent) in English Language and Maths
• Business and Administration Level 3 NVQ or equivalent experience
• Qualified in word processing or audio typing (or equivalent)

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which representsthe rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.

BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.

If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.

The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.

By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification.

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.

IMPORTANT:

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews.