Medical Support Secretary - GI Surgery

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a proactive Medical Secretary to join the GI Surgery and Physiology Department. Based at the Bristol Royal Infirmary site, the role provides essential secretarial support across four GI subspecialties and helps ensure smooth patient pathways.

This is a Monday–Friday post with flexible working, including hybrid options (one day from home per week once competent) and flexible start times between 8–9am, to help you balance work with life commitments.

Qualifications

• Clerical/Administrative experience is essential.
• Previous NHS experience is preferred.
• Understanding of medical terminology is important.

Responsibilities

• Maintaining accurate patient records and filing systems.
• Typing, editing and dispatching clinical correspondence using digital dictation.
• Managing the departmental diagnostic tracker and following up test results.
• Acting as a point of contact for patients and healthcare professionals.
• Supporting referral-to-treatment processes and maintaining up-to-date outcome information.
• Attending training and assisting with onboarding new staff.

Skills

Ability to work under pressure

Effective Organisational Skills

Understanding Medical Terminology

Education

GCSE English & Maths

Word processing / audio typing qualification

Job description

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. Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Considering this, if you are interested in this role,

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

We are looking for an organised, proactive and highly motivated individual to join our Medical Secretary team within the GI Surgery and Physiology Department. As a specialist tertiary centre for the South West of England, the department provides expert care for patients with complex gastrointestinal conditions and plays a key role in delivering high‑quality, patient‑centred services across the region.

This is an exciting time to join the division as we continue to enhance our elective pathways, strengthen administrative processes, and improve the experience of both patients and clinical teams. You will provide essential secretarial support across all four GI subspecialties, becoming a valued and trusted member of a busy, supportive team where no two days are the same. Working closely with clinicians and colleagues, you’ll help ensure clinical activity runs smoothly and contribute to the continuous improvement of our services.

The administration team is based at the Bristol Royal Infirmary site, and the post holder will not be required to work from other trust locations. This role is Monday–Friday and offers flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working (one day from home per week once competent and working independently) and flexible start times between 8–9am.

We welcome informal discussions and visits to the department. Please get in touch with the listed contacts if you’d like to learn more about the role and whether it could be the right fit for you.

Main duties of the job

The role will include, but is not limited to:

Maintaining accurate patient records and filing systems, including handling incoming post and scanning documentation to PAS.

Supporting Senior Medical Secretaries by typing, editing and dispatching clinical correspondence using digital dictation systems, ensuring accuracy and timely turnaround.

Managing the departmental diagnostic tracker, checking and sorting test results, sharing information with clinicians, and completing follow‑up actions to support smooth patient pathways.

Acting as a point of contact for patients and healthcare professionals, communicating clearly and professionally, and escalating queries where appropriate.

Working closely with administrative and clinical teams to support referral‑to‑treatment processes and maintain up‑to‑date outcome information.

Supporting service development by attending training, adapting to new processes and assisting with onboarding new staff.

We may close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications.

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 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 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.

Person specification

• Clerical / Administrative Experience
• Previous NHS Experience
• Understanding Medical Terminology

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work under pressure whilst maintaining a high standard of accuracy
• Ability to adapt and use new computer packages and programmes
• Effective Organisational Skills

Qualifications & Training

• Educated to GCSE, Grade C or above (or equivalent) in English & Maths
• Qualified in word processing/audio typing (or equivalent)
• Effective and polite manner when dealing with people, both face to face and on the phone
• Ability to work effectively in a busy team, adjust to change and motivate others
• Ability to work on your own, using your own initiative, if required

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.

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.

Application numbers

Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Considering this, if you are interested in this role,

If you have problems applying, contact

Name Jessica Mackay Job title Assistant Performance and Operations Manager Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0117 34 28932

Address People & Transformation Division North Bristol NHS Trust Southmead Hospital BS10 5NB Telephone [phone]