Support Secretary - Acute Paediatrics

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals; Preston; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is seeking a dedicated Support Medical Secretary to join the Acute Paediatrics team. You will provide high-quality secretarial and administrative support to consultants and junior medical staff, handling clinic letters, reports and other clinical correspondence.

You will track patient progress along the Diabetes and Endocrine pathway, manage diaries, arrange meetings and maintain confidential records in line with Information Governance policies, ensuring timely

Qualifications

• Strong typing skills, attention to detail and familiarity with medical terminology.
• Experience in healthcare office environment.

Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for patient enquiries and direct queries.
• Provide secretarial and administrative support to consultants and junior medical staff.
• Track patient progress on the Diabetes and Endocrine pathway and liaise with partners to chase information.
• Manage consultant diaries, arrange meetings, prepare agendas and take minutes.
• Maintain filing, bring-forward systems, case-note tracking and data entry on IT systems.
• Ensure patient information is handled securely and in line with IG policies.
• Provide cover for colleagues to maintain continuity.

Skills

Audio typing

Office 365

Medical terminology

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Confidentiality

Education

GCSE English & Mathematics

NVQ 3 Administration or equivalent

ECDL or equivalent

Typing 50 wpm

Tools

Tpro dictation system

Flex

Evolve

Office 365

Job description

We hope to be welcoming you to the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals team soon; we've shown you exactly why we're 'a great place to work', now it's time to see for yourself! Have a look at our current vacancies down below and make the first step to starting a fantastic new career. Need help with your NHS application? We've got you covered! Our brand-new step-by-step NHS Application Help Videowill guide you through the process, making it easier, faster, and stress-free to apply. Additionally, you can check out our helpful Application Guide as well!

You can also look at our recruitment flipbook , an interactive brochure showcasing various entry-level roles. It includes a fun quiz to help you find the right role and links to more information about our hospitals and our fantastic staff.

Corporate Services Roles

For roles in our corporate services departments including – Digital Services (I.T), Recruitment, Employment Services, Temporary Staffing, Rostering, Procurement and Finance, these departments are now part of OneLSC and can be found on the ELHT website: https://elht.nhs.uk/working-us/our-vacancies

We are looking for an organised, motivated and compassionate Support Medical Secretary to join our Acute Paediatrics team. This role is central to supporting the delivery of our Diabetes and Endocrine Service.

Working closely with consultants, junior medical staff, administrative teams, and external agencies, you will provide high-quality secretarial and administrative support. You will be the first point of contact for patients, parents and professionals, helping to maintain excellent communication, timely clinical correspondence, and efficient management of their pathway.

This role requires someone who can work independently, use their initiative, manage competing priorities, and consistently uphold confidentiality and professionalism. You will play an essential part in supporting the team to deliver excellent patient care and meet key performance standards.

Main duties of the job

Act as the first point of contact for all day-to-day patient related enquiries, directing queries appropriately and maintaining a helpful and supportive approach.

Provide comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to consultants and junior medical staff, including audio-typing clinic letters, reports and other clinical correspondence.

Track patient progress on their Diabetes and Endocrine pathway, liaising with internal and external partners to chase outstanding information, elevate delays, and support timely diagnostic decision-making.

Manage consultant diaries, arrange appointments and meetings, prepare agendas and take accurate minutes when required.

Maintain efficient administrative systems including filing, bring-forward systems, case-note tracking and data entry onto relevant IT systems.

Ensure that patient information is handled securely, confidentially and in accordance with Trust Information Governance policies.

Support colleagues during periods of absence to ensure continuity and smooth running of the administrative service.

Working for our organisation

At Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, we take pride in caring for our staff as well as our patients. We recognise that working in a busy environment requires help with a healthy work-life balance. We also believe in ensuring that our staff get the chance to reach their full potential when working with us, which is why we open lots of doors for career progression once you join our team. With us, the sky truly is the limit!

We have 10,000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area and give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire and Cumbria.

Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients and staff, ensuring we keep thriving and delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.

You will have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet inspiring people and do things you’d never have done.

You will make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold and help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing their experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Support Medical Secretary plays a key role in ensuring that the patients pathway operates safely, efficiently and with excellent patient experience.

You will be responsible for providing a full secretarial service to consultants and junior medical staff, including preparing clinic letters, diagnostic summaries and reports using digital dictation systems such as Tpro. This requires strong typing skills, attention to detail and familiarity with medical terminology. You will also prepare paperwork for clinics, manage incoming messages, organise electronic filing, and maintain accurate records to support clinical decision-making.

A core part of the role is pathway coordination. You will track each patient’s progression through their pathway, liaising with families, schools, GPs and other agencies to gather and chase required information. You will identify and elevate delays that could impact diagnostic timeliness or create bottlenecks, helping to ensure the service meets key targets and delivers a smooth patient journey.

You will proactively manage consultant diaries, arrange meetings, prepare agendas, book venues and take minutes as required. Strong organisational skills are essential, as you will maintain bring-forward systems, highlight deadlines, prepare daily briefings, and ensure that relevant files, clinic lists and notes are ready in advance.

The post requires a high level of communication, professionalism and confidentiality. You will support parents and carers by providing updates, addressing enquiries, and signposting appropriately, ensuring families feel informed and supported. Internally, you will work closely with medical staff, administrative teams, operational managers and external partners to ensure the highest standard of coordination and documentation.

You must be able to work independently, using your initiative to prioritise workload, balance competing tasks and maintain high standards of accuracy. Flexibility is also required, as you may be asked to provide cover for colleagues to maintain continuity across the administrative team.

Person specification

Qualfications

• Good Standard of education Minimum GCSE English & Mathematics Grade 4 and above
• Typing speed of 50 wpm
• NVQ 3 Administration or equivalent experience
• ECDL or equivalent experience
• Audio typing experience

Knowledge and Experience

• Efficient in the use of Office 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook etc)
• Able to manage own workload and work autonomsly as part of a team.
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuing personal and professional development
• Experienced and competent minute taking
• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Previous experience in a healthcare office environment
• Ability to work under pressure and completing priorities
• Use of Trust IT packages ie Flex, Evolve, Tpro
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person. Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences. Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by contacting [e-mail]

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one‑off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

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Name Safina Pearce Job title Paediatric Team Leader & Medical Secretary Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01772 523193

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