Team Medical Secretary (XN03)

NHS; Leeds; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job description

An exciting and rewarding opportunity has arisen to join the Haematology Department, within the Oncology CSU. We are looking for a driven, focused and highly motivated individual to join our team in the role of Medical Secretary. The position is 37.5 hours over 5 days with flexibility within the core hours between 8.00am until 5.30pm. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role as a Medical Secretary for the Thrombosis, VTE and Haemophilia teams and be the backbone of patient care, ensuring timely clinical correspondence, managing workloads efficiently, and supporting a seamless patient journey. Your dedication will contribute to exceeding national standards, improving patient experiences, and upholding our values of being patient-centred, collaborative, fair, accountable, and empowered. Embrace a diverse and inclusive culture, working collaboratively to create a positive impact. As a vital member of our Haematology, Haemophilia, Thrombosis and VTE team, you'll be responsible for typing and proofreading clinical correspondence, using IT skills to support consultants, and actively participating in administrative processes. Your dedication will ensure that patients smoothly progress through their pathways by coordinating follow-up appointments and addressing inquiries. Embrace a proactive approach in collaborating with colleagues and other departments to deliver excellent patient care.

Main duties of the job

This pivotal role involves serving as a crucial link between clinical teams and patients in Leeds, ensuring the seamless flow of medical correspondence and administrative processes. As a medical secretary, you'll be responsible for audio typing/typing and proofreading clinical documents, minute taking, utilising diverse IT skills to support consultants, and managing workloads in alignment with departmental requirements. Your role extends beyond paperwork, as you actively contribute to improving patient experiences by facilitating the movement of patients through their 18-week pathway or other national waiting time standards. Handling patient inquiries and phone calls, you'll play a key role in maintaining effective communication channels between medical teams, patients and external stakeholders.

In addition to clinical correspondence, the position involves maintaining an efficient administration service. You'll collaborate with fellow Team Medical Secretaries to proactively plan workloads, create and manage record systems, and provide guidance. Ensuring the confidentiality and accuracy of health records is paramount, and you'll be responsible for tracking and storing records appropriately. This role also includes accessing information systems, covering for colleagues during absences, and undertaking any other duties deemed necessary by the Trust or Directorates.

About us

Leeds Cancer Centre is one of the most prestigious oncology departments in the UK, providing an ideal infrastructure for high quality multidisciplinary cancer services and ensuring the best outcomes for the catchment population of West Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Cancer Network.

Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts. They have been developed by our staff and set out what we see as important to how we work. Our five values are: Patient-centred, Collaborative, Fair, Accountable and Empowered. All actions and endeavours are underpinned by these values.

The Oncology CSU includes: Medical and Clinical Oncology, Specialist Palliative Medicine, Haematology, as well as Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Thoracic Surgery and Gynaecology Oncology. We are based within the Bexley Wing at St. James Hospital.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

To provide a comprehensive and high quality medical secretarial service to support clinical teams (Consultants, their medical teams e.g. junior medical staff or specialist nursing staff as appropriate) in delivering high quality care to the patients of Leeds and beyond. This role will additionally make a key contribution in improving the patient experience by supporting Directorate teams with the movement of patients through their 18-week pathway or other national waiting time standards as appropriate.

Job Dimensions

The post-holder will:

1. Work as part of a team to ensure that all clinical correspondence is turned around in a timely manner to allow patients to move through their pathway without any delays.
2. Work with Consultants and their medical teams.
3. Manage their workload in line with departmental requirements or as identified by the Senior Medical Secretary.
4. Deal with patient enquiries.
5. Play a key role in ensuring that patients move systematically through their pathways by ensuring that the next steps are in the pipeline.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

Qualifications

• Audio typing/Word Processing Skills (RSA II) or equivalent experience (essential)
• GCSE Grade C or above English and Maths (or equivalent e.g. AMSPAR Level 2 qualification) (essential)

Experience

• Using a variety of Microsoft office packages including word, excel and PowerPoint (essential)
• Using patient information systems such as PAS (essential) and PPM (desirable) or the ability to quickly develop this knowledge in a short time frame. In some specific cases additional system knowledge would be considered desirable e.g. using Mosaic within the Oncology & Physics teams.
• Prioritising and managing workload to meet deadlines (essential)
• Dealing with internal and external enquiries originating from a variety of sources including but not limited to: staff in other Departments, patients, staff in GP surgeries (desirable)
• Secretarial experience (essential)
• Previous secretarial experience in a healthcare setting (desirable)

Skills & Knowledge

• The candidate must demonstrate excellence and ability within the following areas:
• Interpersonal and communication skills (essential)
• Organisational skills and time management (essential)
• Understanding of customer care principles (essential)
• A broad understanding of medical terminology and its use within clinical correspondence (essential)
• Ability to work as part of a team (essential)
• Ability to communicate sensitively with a wide range of people including patients, using tact and diplomacy (essential)
• Ability to deal with sensitive and often emotive information (essential)
• Ability to deal with enquiries in an appropriate and supportive manner (essential)
• Knowledge and application of the Data Protection Act in relation to patient confidentiality and the appropriate care of patient information (essential).
• A good understanding of relevant Trust standards and National Waiting Time Standards e.g. 5-day turnaround of clinical correspondence, 18 week wait for patients (desirable). Training will be offered as part of the role to ensure appointed candidates meet this requirement during the course of their employment.

THE LEEDS WAY VALUES

Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

• Accountable
• Empowered

All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values.

West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT)

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), a collaborative of the NHS hospital trusts from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

By bringing together the wide range of skills and expertise across West Yorkshire and Harrogate we are working differently, innovating and driving forward change to deliver the highest quality care. By working for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust this is your opportunity to be a part of that change.

WYAAT is the acute sector arm of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, one of the largest integrated care systems in the country. The Partnership's ambition is for everyone to have the best possible health and wellbeing, and the work of WYAAT, and each individual trust, supports that ambition.

Core Values & Behaviours

This individual will be expected to work well as part of a team and should be patient focused, professional and flexible in their approach to work.

Core Knowledge and Understanding

See Knowledge/Skills and Experience above.

Principal duties and areas of responsibility

Clinical Correspondence & Support to Clinical Service

• Typing/proofreading clinical correspondence relating to outpatient and inpatient attendances and other patient related correspondence on behalf of the consultant and clinical teams.
• Use a range of IT skills to support the clinical work of the consultant e.g. use of databases and spreadsheets to monitor test results for patients.
• Support administrative process as deemed appropriate by the Senior Medical Secretary and PSC.
• To support the clinical teams in the delivery of excellent patient care by actively working with colleagues and other Departments to ensure that all patients registered within the service are proactively supported through their patient journey (This would include but is not limited to: ensuring that follow-up and/or discharge appointments have been made for patients when required escalating to the Patient Services Co-ordinator where appointments have been booked outside the requested timescales).
• Any other general administrative duties associated with the consultant/clinical team outpatient and inpatient workload.
• Answer phone calls and deal with enquiries relating to patients and clinical work from a variety of sources, directly resolving where possible or transferring to appropriate personnel.
• Liaise with GPs, hospital staff and others on behalf of consultant in relation to clinical workload.
• Maintain appropriate databases (both Trust and Departmental) to support with the delivery of the 18-week pathway or other waiting time standards as appropriate.
• Assist in the coordination of test results, bringing these to the attention of the consultant and taking resulting action as required.
• Together with colleagues to deputise for the Senior Medical Secretary in cases of absence to ensure Departmental standards are maintained.
• In conjunction with other Team Medical Secretaries and under the supervision of the Senior Medical Secretary to work collectively as a team proactively planning workloads to meet different deadlines and timescales.
• Create and maintain appropriate record systems relating to clinical workload e.g. tests and results spreadsheets.
• Provide guidance to clerical support officers as necessary.
• Ensure that health records are tracked on entering and leaving the Department and stored in an appropriate manner in line with Trust Policy and patient confidentiality.
• Ensure that health records are maintained to a high standard at all times. All documentation and investigation results must be securely filed in the correct section in chronological order. Support Data Quality Indicators by ensuring that patient information is accurate and updated on relevant paper and computerized systems.
• Access information systems to obtain clinical information as required by the medical teams including investigation results or other information e.g. from results server, PPM or WinDIP.
• Work as part of the team to ensure that all phone calls are answered within the department during core office hours.
• Provide information to Senior Medical Secretary/PSC/Assistant PSC, as appropriate, relating to workload and work outstanding.
• Provide cover for other team secretaries/clerical staff when on annual leave or sick leave.
• Any other duties that from time to time may be deemed necessary by the Trust/Directorates that are commensurate to the role.

Health and Safety/Risk Management

All staff are responsible for working with their colleagues to maintain and improve the quality of services provided to our patients and other service users. This includes complying at all times with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust policies, including Health and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed safe working procedures, and reporting incidents using the Trust Incident Reporting System.

Infection Control

The jobholder must comply at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Infection Control policies, in particular by practising Universal Infection Control Precaution. Hand hygiene must be performed before and after contact with patients and their environment.

Equality and Diversity

The jobholder must comply with all policies and procedures designed to ensure equality of employment and that services are delivered in ways that meet the individual needs of patients and their families. No person whether they are staff, patient or visitor should receive less favourable treatment because of their gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc.

Patient and Public Involvement

The Trust has a statutory duty to involve patients and public in evaluating and planning services. All staff have a responsibility to listen to the views of patients and to contribute to service improvements based on patient feedback.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Audio typing/Word Processing Skills RSA II or equivalent experience
• GCSE Grade C or above (or equivalent e.g. AMSPAR Level 2) in English and Maths
• ECDL

Other Criteria

• Adaptability and willingness to learn skills associated with the role as may be required

Experience

• Secretarial experience
• Using Microsoft office packages including word, excel and PowerPoint
• Prioritising and managing workload to meet deadlines
• Use of patient information systems, such as PAS.
• Liaising with a variety of sources to provide information when required
• Use of PPM and other department-relevant systems e.g. Mosaic

Skills & Behaviours

• Interpersonal and communication skills.
• A broad understanding of medical terminology and its use within clinical correspondence.
• Organisational skills and time management.
• Understanding of customer care principles.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Knowledge and application of the Data Protection Act in relation to patient confidentiality and the appropriate care of patient information.
• Ability to deal with enquiries in an appropriate and supportive manner.
• Ability to deal with sensitive and emotive information.
• Use of tact, diplomacy and sensitivity with a wide range of people and in various situations.
• Understanding of relevant Trust standards and other NHS waiting time standards e.g. 5-day turnaround of clinical correspondence, 18-week wait for patients.