Medical Secretary

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

Job summary

The Medical Secretary role at Bristol NHS Foundation Trust based at Weston General Hospital in Weston-super-Mare is a Band 3 post on a fixed-term 9-month contract (may be secondment if internal). The post is full-time, 37.5 hours per week, with interview on a date in October.

You will provide a comprehensive secretarial and administrative service to clinical teams, manage patient pathways, RTT standards, and booking/waiting list tasks while upholding NHS values and confidentiality.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines whilst maintaining a high standard of accuracy.
• Confidence to handle difficult conversations with patients, relatives and carers.
• Ability to handle difficult conversations professionally and sensitively.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Understanding of RTT pathways and NHS performance targets.
• Knowledge of NHS systems and processes.
• Understanding of medical terminology.

Responsibilities

• To support the Senior Medical Secretaries on a day-to-day basis with admin, typing of letters and overseeing of basic tasks.
• To liaise with and act as a point of contact for clinical and non-clinical staff via telephone and email.
• To act as a point of contact for patients, relatives and carers. The post holder should be polite and empathetic to the patient’s needs at all times and be able to communicate effectively when dealing with difficult situations/conversations.
• Returning calls promptly and keeping callers updated with information in an effective and efficient way.
• Escalate patient queries, capacity problems and general issues to the role’s line manager or 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 in a professional and empathetic manner.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Keyboard skills

Confidentiality

Education

GCSE English Language and Maths

Business and Administration Level 3 NVQ

Audio typing or medical secretary qualification

Proofreading qualification

Tools

Digital dictation systems

NHS systems & processes

Job description

Main area Admin and Clericle Grade Band 3 Contract Fixed term: 9 months (Can be a secondment if internal in the NHS) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday) Job ref 387-WD8254-CCC

Employer Bristol NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Weston General Hospital Town Weston-super-Mare Salary £25,760 - £27,476 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 29/10/2026 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 Medical Secretary provides a comprehensive, efficient and high-quality secretarial and administrative service to clinical teams and speciality services. The post holder acts as a key point of contact for patients, relatives, carers, GPs and multidisciplinary teams, ensuring effective communication and the timely production of accurate clinical correspondence. The role supports the effective management of patient pathways, including Referral to Treatment (RTT) standards, partial booking waiting list administration, results tracking and clinic outcomes. The post holder is responsible for maintaining accurate patient records, prioritising workload to meet service demands, contributing to the delivery of a responsive and patient-focused service. Working independently and as part of a wider administrative team, the post holder will demonstrate excellent organisational, communication and customer service skills whilst maintaining confidentiality, supporting continuous improvement and always upholding the Trust’s values.

This is a fix term for 9 months and would be good as a secondment and development role within the NHS

Interviews to take place on Monday 26th October

Main duties of the job

• To support the Senior Medical Secretaries on a day-to-day basis with admin, typing of letters and overseeing of basic tasks
• To liaise with and act as a point of contact for clinical and non-clinical staff via telephone and email
• To act as a point of contact for patients, relatives and carers. The post holder should be polite and empathetic to the patient’s needs at all times and be able to communicate effectively when dealing with difficult situations/conversations
• Returning calls promptly and keeping callers updated with information in an effective and efficient way
• Escalate patient queries, capacity problems and general issues to the role’s line manager or 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 in a professional and empathetic manner

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 retaina workforce whichrepresentsthe 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

We would welcome applications from those who meet the essential criteria as set out in the person specification. This includes having a qualification (pass or distinction) in audio transcription, word processing or have relevant experience.

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

Person specification

Educations and Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE, grade C or above (or equivalent) in English Language and Maths
• Business and Administration Level 3 NVQ or equivalent experience
• Audio typing or medical secretary qualification
• Proofreading qualification or evidence of advanced keyboard skills

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines whilst maintaining a high standard of accuracy
• Confidence to handle difficult conversations with patients, relatives and carers
• Ability to handle difficult conversations professionally and sensitively
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills
• Ability to work accurately under pressure and meet deadlines
• Understanding of RTT pathways and NHS performance targets
• Knowledge of NHS systems and processes
• Understanding of medical terminology

Experience

• Previous admin or secretarial role
• Experience dealing with members of the public by telephone and in person
• Previous NHS experience
• Experience of clinical correspondence or digital dictation systems

Experience supporting patient pathways and waiting list management

Professional and patient-focused approach

Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Flexible and adaptable approach to work

Commitment to confidentiality and data security

Demonstrates Trust values

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 represents the 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.
• Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

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. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date.

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.