Medical Secretary | Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS healthcare provider in Liverpool is seeking a Specialty Secretary to act as the operational link between the consultant team and patients. The role requires strong communication, discretion, and organisational skills, along with proficiency in patient administration systems and Microsoft Office. Responsibilities include managing appointments and supporting consultants in clinical and non-clinical activities. This position offers an opportunity to work in a dynamic healthcare environment with an emphasis on patient care and team collaboration.

Qualifications

• Experience in a secretarial or administrative role within a healthcare setting.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritise effectively.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Develop in-depth knowledge of the consultant's role.
• Facilitate effective communication with patients and staff.
• Organise and maintain consultant's admissions and follow-up appointments.
• Prepare presentation documents and meet with stakeholders.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff as required.

Skills

Effective communication

Teamwork

Discretion and tact

Microsoft Office proficiency

Knowledge of patient administration systems

Job description

The Specialty Secretary forms the operational link between the Consultant Team, the service and the patient and will be expected to undertake the following key skills and competencies:

Responsibilities

• To develop an in depth knowledge of all aspects of the Consultant’s role, liaising with professional bodies where medical staff have additional roles and special interests.
• To apply knowledge of patient administration systems and Microsoft office products for updating/extracting patient information to support the patient pathway, as appropriate.
• To be discerning in all aspects of the secretariat role, exercising independent judgement and initiative, as appropriate.
• To be an effective communicator at all levels of the organisation and when dealing with external clinical stakeholders and exercising tact, sensitivity and discretion when dealing with patients and their relatives.
• To be a team player, cross covering colleagues, acting as mentor to new staff members and supervising junior admin staff, where appropriate.
• To provide a comprehensive service to the consultants and speciality teams, with the minimum of supervision. Organise your own workload and co‑ordinate activities with other medical secretaries to ensure that an efficient service is provided. It is essential that you show initiative commensurate with the role and that confidentiality is maintained at all times. Ensure cross‑cover working where possible.
• To provide a comprehensive service to consultants and speciality teams including nurse practitioners/clinicians.
• Keep diary up to date, arrange appointments, and arrange travel and accommodation.
• Operate an effective bring‑forward system and filing system.
• To manage and maintain 18‑week pathways including tertiary referrals to external trusts, and ensure these are accurately recorded on PAS system. Keep track of referrals to ensure patients are reviewed promptly. Check that follow‑up appointments are arranged in conjunction with Referral to Treat (RTT) patient pathway.
• Mentor, train and supervise relevant staff as required. Deal with annual leave requests and sickness absence return‑to‑work interviews.
• Support consultants in non‑clinical activities by preparing presentation documents using relevant packages and arranging meetings, setting agenda, circulating agenda/supporting papers as appropriate, and taking minutes at meetings.
• Ensure appropriate personnel are informed of consultant annual leave/study leave. Keep consultants informed of junior doctor leave, as it could have an effect on the service.
• Organise and maintain consultant’s admissions. Cancel and add patients to the waiting list, as appropriate, ensuring lists are updated and patients contacted. Liaise with waiting‑list office, anaesthetic department and ward. Complete and amend theatre lists appropriately.
• Type dictation from audio transcription of clinical correspondence and documentation.
• Type discharge summaries as appropriate. Maintain an effective track of inpatient referrals to ensure patients are reviewed promptly.
• Check against clinical letters to ensure appropriate follow‑up arrangements/investigations are in place. Rectify if not.

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities – from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award‑winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single‑site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

For roles at Liverpool Women’s, visit their careers page.

This advert closes on Monday 24 Nov 2025.