Secretary / Administrative Assistant

NHS; Wigan; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is seeking a Secretary/Administrative Assistant to join the MSK CATS service. This role involves providing efficient secretarial support, handling patient interactions, and managing clinical documentation using systems like SystmOne and BigHand. The ideal candidate will have relevant experience, strong interpersonal skills, and be able to work independently. A commitment to continuing professional development is essential. The position is permanent with a salary range of £24,937 to £26,598 annually, part-time for 24 hours a week, with work across various sites.

Qualifications

• A general educational background with qualifications in Maths and English.
• Experience in secretarial or administrative roles is essential.
• Familiarity with medical terminology is required.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive secretarial service to the MSK CATS team.
• Manage correspondence and typing of documents.
• Carry out reception duties and manage patient information.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Keyboard skills

Ability to use initiative

Organisational skills

Flexibility

Education

Good general education to GCSE level

RSA 11 or equivalent

ECDL

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

The BigHand audiotyping software

SystmOne

Job description

Secretary/Administrative Assistant (MSK CATS)

The closing date is 20 January 2026

The MSK CATS service at Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are recruiting an enthusiastic individual to join our well-established team as a secretary / administrative assistant for 24 hours per week on a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The role will be predominantly based at Boston House Health Centre, although there may be a requirement to work in our community settings across the Wigan and Leigh borough, specifically at Platt Bridge Health Centre and Leigh Health Centre. Therefore, you must be able to travel across the Trust independently.

This post involves contact with patients and families face to face within a community setting. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the post holder may come in to contact with people who have COVID-19, although the Trust provides PPE and takes all reasonable steps to minimise risk.

This vacancy may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Evidence of qualifications will be requested at interview and during the onboarding process.

Main duties of the job

You will be expected to provide a comprehensive and efficient secretarial service for the MSK CATS service working within a well-established administrative team. You must be able to work as part of a team as well as use your own initiative and have the ability to prioritise your own workload. Good communication skills are required.

Duties include typing clinic letters using The BigHand audiotyping software, and experience of using this system or other audiotyping software is desirable. Knowledge of medical terminology and experience of working in a clinical environment is essential. This role will also involve reception duties. The department uses SystmOne, eReferrals / Choose & Book and occasionally HIS. As such, a working understanding of these electronic patient records would be an advantage.

About us

Choose Well - Choose WWL

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that 'happy staff, makes for happy patients'. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values 'the WWL Way'.

WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.

Job responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

Planning and Organisational Duties

• To provide a comprehensive secretarial and confidential service to the Team Leader and MSK CATS Department including management of correspondence, typing of reports, letters, etc.
• To carry out general reception duties, including checking in patients, answering the telephone, ordering ambulances, arranging interpreter services, legal administrative duties / invoices and dealing with routine enquiries, etc.
• To be responsible for the registration and referring of patient details, including data collection and inputting onto SystmOne. To be able to access and navigate eReferrals / Choose & Book and the Patient Administration System (PAS).
• To take delegated responsibility for the allocation of MSK CATS appointments for patients referred to the MSK CATS service.
• To attend relevant meetings and be responsible for the taking and producing of minutes accurately, efficiently and to distribute appropriately.
• To accurately and efficiently input patient data into the service-wide shared database for Squirrel Archives Storage System for MSK CATS records.
• To be responsible for the setting up of patient information databases alongside therapists and to ensure accurate input of data to be used in the development of the MSK CATS Service.
• To be able to use Microsoft Office Suite to carry out administrative duties to a high standard.
• To undertake any other duties that might be considered appropriate by the Clinical Services Manager.

Communications and Key Working Relationships

• Using the spoken and written word and being sensitive to those who are vulnerable or do not have English as their first language.
• Assisting in the establishment of communication systems with all staff, patients and relatives to promote understanding and good will.
• Maintaining accurate, timely and legible records.
• To influence and prioritise the development of knowledge, ideas and work practice in self and others.
• To encourage others to seek advice and solutions to problems.
• Communicate in a manner that is consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.
• Maintaining consistency within standards of patient care.
• Knowledge of medical terminology systems.

Responsibility for Finance

• To be responsible for maintaining an adequate level of stationery, stock, non-stock requisition items and uniforms for the department / staff using SBS.
• Promote effective utilisation of resources.

Responsibility for Human Resources

• To be actively involved in the recruitment and selection of lower grade staff.
• To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and fulfil appropriate dimensions as identified.
• To comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures.
• To maintain own professional development by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments and incorporate them as necessary into your work.
• To be actively involved in the collection of annual and sick leave data and statistics for the use of the MSK CATS Department.
• Ensure compliance with the Mandatory Training Policy in accordance with Trust Policy.

Responsibility for Health & Safety

Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Good general level of education to GCSE level or equivalent in maths and English
• RSA 11 or equivalent
• Evidence of CPD
• ECDL

Skills

• Forward thinking
• Excellent interpersonal skills & telephone manner
• Keyboard & basic typing skills
• Ability to use own initiative and work under direction
• Committed to personal and team development
• Able to work as a team member
• Ability to organise workload independently and adapt to changing priorities
• Commitment to CPD

Knowledge

• Clear vision of role
• Knowledge of how to use Trust patient administration systems (PAS systems, Electronic Patient Records, Digital Dictation systems)
• Knowledge of a broad range of medical terminology
• Knowledge of the Information Governance policy and its application regarding confidential information practice
• Awareness of Musculoskeletal Clinical Assessment Treatment Services
• Knowledge of NHS policies and procedures
• Understanding of 18 week policies, choose & book and patient choice; and the role of the medical secretary in implementing these policies

Experience

• Relevant experience in a secretarial or administrative position
• Experience of audio typing
• Experience of Microsoft Office applications
• Previous experience as a personal secretary

Additional

• Able to work flexibly across all Trust sites
• Ability to travel between sites within a time-frame deemed reasonable by the Trust
• Willing to meet the performance criteria set out in the job description and undertakes personal and professional development
• Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation

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.

Employer name

Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

MSK CATS Department

Boston House (cross-site working required)

Job locations

MSK CATS Department

Boston House (cross-site working required)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Reference number

302-25- 7655669SS

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum, pro rata