Trust Medical Secretary - General Surgery

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Norwich; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in Norwich is seeking a Trust Medical Secretary for the General Surgery Department to join a collaborative team. The role involves managing communications, supporting surgeons, and delivering effective secretarial services in a dynamic environment. Ideal candidates will possess strong communication skills, medical secretarial experience, and proficiency in various IT systems. This position offers flexible working hours, a supportive team environment, and numerous employee benefits, ensuring a fulfilling career in healthcare.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service

Discounted gym memberships

Excellent pension scheme

Free parking services

Qualifications

• Experience in medical secretarial or administration roles is required.
• Effective role model demonstrating PRIDE values.
• High attention to detail and accuracy is essential.

Responsibilities

• Manage communication between consultants, patients, and staff.
• Transcribe correspondence using medical terminology.
• Assist in office administration and provide a secretarial service.

Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Ability to work to tight deadlines

Digital/audio typing experience

Working knowledge of Microsoft Office

Education

RSA III or equivalent training

Good general standard of literacy and numeracy

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Job Summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the General Surgery Department. We are recruiting a Trust Medical Secretary to join an established team within Colorectal Surgery, working alongside administrative, medical and nursing teams. The role will support Colorectal surgeons with their day-to-day management of clinics, theatres and provide an effective administration service.

The successful candidate will be expected to have excellent communication and organisational skills. They will have the ability to manage and prioritise workloads accordingly, as well as work as part of the wider team. They should have recent medical secretarial/administration experience. A high level of attention to detail and accuracy and an understanding of patient confidentiality is essential. As well as working experience with in-house I.T systems and programs which enable patient pathway progression.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will act as point of contact for all communication between consultants, patients, relatives and a wide range of multi-disciplinary staff. The team will also work closely with General Practitioners and outside agencies which requires the utmost professionalism. They will assist in the management of office administration and provide an effective secretarial service, ensuring continuity of service across the specialty.

As a department we support the delivery of a high quality, safe and compassionate healthcare service, all staff are expected to act as a role model to others in all aspects of their work and consistently demonstrate NNUH's 'PRIDE' values of People focused, Respect, Dedication, Integrity and Excellence.

About Us

Join us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and be part of a workforce of over 10,000 staff! The NNUH is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, providing first-class acute care for around one million people, living in Norfolk and surrounding areas. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute. We are pleased to work closely with the University of East Anglia, providing teaching opportunities for our staff and placement opportunities for their students. We attract some of the best and leading professionals from across the country and are proud that our workforce represents 94 countries from across the world. We are a friendly, collaborative hospital, working with local services and home to N&N Hospitals Charity.

Benefits

• Flexible working hours
• Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
• Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
• Discounted gym memberships
• Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
• Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
• Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
• Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
• On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
• On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
• Support in career development
• Flexible staff bank
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics

Details

• Date posted: 24 November 2025
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 3
• Salary: £24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
• Reference number: 234-25-J0749-A
• Job locations: Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UY

Job responsibilities

• Deal efficiently and effectively with direct and indirect (i.e. telephone, face to face) enquiries from patients, all levels of medical and nursing staff, GPs, Social Services and other health professionals and staff. Respond to enquiries, providing routine and non-routine information and non-clinical advice, resolving problems where possible. Communicate appropriately with patients who may be fearful, aggressive or have sensitive concerns needing reassurance and who may present difficulties in communication e.g. terminally ill patients, deaf patients, mentally ill patients and elderly confused patients.
• Attend to all communications, for example, emails, faxes, investigation results on a daily basis and prioritising and actioning as required.
• Accurately transcribe all correspondence by touch typing from audio / digital dictation or shorthand using knowledge of medical terminology. Generate routine and non-routine correspondence independently.
• Assist patients and their Carers by arranging translation/interpretation facilities.
• Demonstrate and maintain knowledge and understanding of Trust RTT policy.
• Update RTT in accordance with Trust guidelines. Assist the Administration and Clerical team with data management utilising PAS and other departmental patient databases.
• Complete the Tertiary referral proforma/template for internal/external referrals as per Trust policy
• Promptly action clinical investigations, results and outcomes. Utilise Trust reports to service and administer waiting lists, which may include outpatient, inpatient and waiting lists as required in local work area, escalating to senior staff as required.
• Adding patients to waiting lists as requested taking into account the urgency of the case and the patients preference.
• Arrange urgent admissions direct from clinic and ambulatory care areas, contacting the patient and liaising with ward/theatre/clinics as required.
• Support meetings with minute taking as necessary.
• Maintain diaries as appropriate.

Please see the attached job description for full details.

Note: This advertised position, which is part of occupation code 4211, does not meet the UKVI eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa (this includes if you are already in a sponsored post and looking to change employer). The Trust would not be able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.

Person Specification

Essential - Qualifications

• RSA III or equivalent training or experience
• Maintenance of skills and knowledge base through mandatory training and work experience.
• Good general standard of literacy and numeracy

Essential - Experience

• Previous digital / audio typing experience
• Working knowledge and experience of using Microsoft Office packages, including Word, Excel, Outlook

Essential - Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and maintain concentration in a pressurised working environment

Essential - Attitude, aptitude

• Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH's PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Employer details: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UY. Employer's website: https://teamnnuh.co.uk/.