Relief / Assistant Medical Secretary

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in York is looking for a motivated Relief/Assistant Medical Secretary to join their paediatric secretarial team. This role involves providing crucial administrative support to medical secretaries and consultant teams. The ideal candidate will possess recent secretarial experience, excellent typing skills, and the ability to thrive in a team-oriented environment. Benefits include access to the NHS Pension Scheme, generous holiday entitlement, and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

NHS Pension Scheme

27 days holiday rising to 33 days

Employee Assistance Programme

Learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Recent administrative or secretarial experience.
• Excellent administration and secretarial skills with proven audio-typing ability.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a supportive team environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to medical secretaries and consultant teams.
• Type clinical and administrative letters accurately.
• Coordinate with clinical and non-clinical teams.

Skills

Organisational skills

Excellent communication

Audio typing

Time management

Flexibility

Education

GCSE English Language, Grade C or above

Qualification or training in Customer Service

ECDL

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Go back York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Relief/Assistant Medical Secretary

The closing date is 01 January 2026

Are you a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual with recent administrative or secretarial experience?

Do you want to make a meaningful difference supporting medical professionals and contributing to children's health and well-being? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

We are seeking a dedicated Relief/Assistant Medical Secretary to join our friendly and inclusive Paediatric Secretarial Team at York Hospital. In this role you will provide vital administrative support to medical secretaries and their consultant teams, ensuring smooth and efficient operations.

Responsibilities

• Act as the Designated Doctor Admin for Children's Safeguarding
• Coordinate Educational Health Care Plans (EHCPs) across North Yorkshire and the City of York Council
• Support the paediatric secretarial team with day‑to‑day tasks and workflow management
• Type clinical and administrative letters accurately and efficiently
• Answer telephone enquiries professionally from patients, consultants, and GPs
• Handle general administrative duties to support the smooth running of the office
• Cover for Medical Secretaries during periods of absence, ensuring continuity of service
• Communicate regularly and effectively with Paediatric Consultants and other clinical staff
• Coordinate with both clinical and non‑clinical teams, maintaining a patient‑centred approach

About You

• Recent experience in an administrative or secretarial role
• Strong organisational skills with attention to detail
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work collaboratively within a supportive team environment
• A proactive, flexible approach and a positive attitude
• Excellent administration and secretarial skills with proven audio‑typing ability
• Good understanding of customer relations to handle queries sensitively and effectively
• Ability to work well under pressure, prioritising competing demands in a busy office environment
• Strong time management skills and ability to work independently and unsupervised
• Accurate and efficient typing speed with knowledge of medical terminology seen as a strong advantage
• Previous or current NHS experience is desirable but not essential
• A friendly, professional attitude and ability to work collaboratively within a team

Why Join Us?

We are a welcoming, friendly, and supportive team that values inclusion and a strong work ethic. You will be part of a dedicated group committed to delivering excellent service to our patients and consultants.

Benefits

We offer a range of benefits to support our staff including:

• Access to the NHS Pension Scheme, providing generous benefits upon retirement, as well as a lump sum and pension for dependants
• 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service)
• A variety of different types of paid and unpaid leave covering emergency and planned leave
• Confidential advice and support on personal, work, family and relationship issues, 24/7, from our Employee Assistance Programme
• NHS Car Lease scheme and Cycle to Work scheme
• An extensive range of learning and development opportunities
• Discounts on restaurants, getaways, shopping, motoring, cinema and finance from a range of providers

For further information on the fantastic range of benefits we offer please visit the Trust's dedicated Staff Benefits pages.

Education

• GCSE English Language, Grade C or above (or equivalent)
• Qualification or appropriate training in Customer Service
• ECDL

Experience

• Experience of working in a customer focused environment
• Experience of using a variety of IT applications, including Microsoft Office
• NHS Experience
• Knowledge of medical terminology

Skills

• Proficient audio typist with the ability to accurately transcribe complex audio tapes and type complicated medical information whilst subject to frequent interruption
• Ability to cope with distressing and emotional situations with patients, relatives and staff
• Effective communication skills, verbal and written
• Ability to be flexible and to adapt to new demands
• Ability to exercise judgement and resolve problems

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.

Working for the Trust

Across our organisation, people are guided by values that were co-developed with staff: we are kind; we are open; and we pursue excellence.

Our values play into our ambition to develop a more diverse workforce, truly representative of our communities. We welcome applications from everyone, while working with our Staff Networks – including our Race Equality, LGBTQ+, Disability and Carers Networks – to increase the number of applications we receive from different backgrounds. If there is anything we can do to make our application process more accessible to you, please contact [e-mail].

As part of seeking to become more inclusive, we will consider requests for flexible working from the start of your employment. It may not be suitable for every role, but we will try and be supportive where we can. We would encourage you to speak to the recruiting manager named within this advert to discuss any requirements you may have.

Armed Forces Friendly Employer

We are holders of the Gold Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which is helping actively promote SaBRE – Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers. This means that we have made a statement of intent to support all Defence personnel, including with applications for employment.

Employer name

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust