Ward Clerk - Mary Seacole Unit

Surrey Downs Health and Care; Epsom; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 32,000; Part time

Job summary

Surrey Downs Health and Care is seeking a Ward Clerk for the Mary Seacole Unit at Epsom General Hospital. The role focuses on essential administrative and clerical support to ensure smooth ward operations from admission through discharge.

You will be the vital link between patients, families, and the medical team, handling records, coordinating admissions, and supporting multidisciplinary colleagues. A caring, organized individual is required for this 15-hour/week post.

Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent in English at grade C or above.
• ECDL.
• NVQ level 2 in Business Administration or Customer Care or equivalent.
• Experience of using a full range of IT/patient administration systems.
• Experience of patient administration work in a healthcare setting.
• Experience of face-to-face customer contact.

Responsibilities

• Efficient Patient Admission and Care Coordination: Ensure patients are admitted, treated, and discharged efficiently, adhering to national guidelines and Trust policies while maintaining accurate and up-to-date records.
• Reception and Administrative Support: Provide a friendly, efficient reception service for patients and visitors, handle telephone enquiries, and support clinical teams with administrative tasks during ward rounds and meetings.
• Patient Record Management: Maintain and update patient records in compliance with the Trust Medical Records Policy, ensuring documentation is accurate, securely stored, and readily available to clinical staff.
• Discharge and Follow-Up Coordination: Facilitate discharge processes by liaising with relatives, carers, and other agencies, and notify GPs of patient outcomes to ensure appropriate follow-up care.
• Bed and Resource Management: Collaborate with the Clinical Site Management Team to manage bed allocation and coordinate specialist equipment and diagnostic tests for patient care.
• Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a key point of contact for patients, families, and stakeholders, using empathetic communication to address concerns and provide information.
• Compliance and Support: Assist ward managers in ensuring compliance with Trust standards, including infection control and data protection, while supporting quality improvement initiatives.
• Translation and Accessibility Services: Arrange translation services as required to ensure all patients have equitable access to care and information.
• Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with clinical teams and departments to maintain efficient systems, processes, and workflows that support patient care and operational needs.
• Administrative Flexibility: Provide cover for colleagues during absences, handle additional tasks as needed, and uphold Trust policies to maintain a high standard of service delivery.

Education

GCSE English

ECDL

NVQ level 2 in Business Administration or Customer Care or equivalent

Job description

Main area Administrative Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract 9 months (Fixed term until 31st July 2027) Hours Part time - 15 hours per week (2 days per week (Thursday-Friday)) Job ref 343-SDH&C-8238161

Employer Surrey Downs Health and Care Employer type Public (Non NHS) Site Epsom General Hospital Town Epsom Salary £30,630 - £32,346 Per Annum inc HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 20/09/2026 23:59

Surrey Downs Health and Care

Ward Clerk - Mary Seacole Unit

NHS AfC: Band 3

Job overview

Surrey Downs Health & Care

Are you an organized, compassionate, and detail-oriented individual looking for a meaningful role in healthcare? Join our team as a Ward Clerk at the Mary Seacole Unit, where your administrative expertise will directly contribute to delivering high-quality patient care in a dynamic and supportive environment.

As a Ward Clerk, you will be the vital link between patients, families, and the medical team. You'll provide essential administrative and clerical support to ensure smooth day-to-day operations within the ward. From admission to discharge, you’ll track and facilitate each patient’s journey, making a real difference to their experience and outcomes.

This role demands a blend of professionalism, customer service skills, and adaptability. You’ll act as the first point of contact for patients and relatives, offering reassurance and clarity while managing a variety of tasks with sensitivity and discretion. Your ability to handle a changing workload and prioritize effectively will be key to ensuring the best use of resources and high standards of care.

If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are passionate about being part of a multidisciplinary team dedicated to patient wellbeing, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Main duties of the job

• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing comprehensive administrative support.
• Ensure patients are admitted efficiently, and investigative treatments, diagnostic procedures, and operations occur within national guidelines and trust policies.
• Attend relevant meetings and provide administrative support as needed.
• Maintain efficient systems and processes for patient attendances and admissions as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Accurately record patient activity using electronic and paper-based systems.
• Ensure all patient records are available to clinical staff in adherence to the Trust Medical Records Policy.
• Provide administrative support to ward managers to streamline processes.
• Facilitate discharge processes to ensure timely and efficient patient transitions.
• Communicate effectively with key stakeholders, including ward staff, the Site Team, Medical Records team, GPs, patients, and their family/carers/visitors.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all administrative and clerical issues related to the patient’s care pathway, tracking and supporting them from admission through treatment and discharge, while optimizing resource utilization

Working for our organisation

Surrey Downs Health and Care deliver care closer to people’s own communities through our Primary Care Networks, Community Hospitals, Specialist Services and our innovative partnership of local NHS organisations.

Surrey Downs Health and Care has a track record of providing person centered care that goes beyond organisational boundaries to do what is best for the individual. This partnership includes:

• The three GP federations GP Health Partners, Dorking Health Care and Surrey Medical Network representing practices that operate in the Surrey Downs area
• Epsom and St Helier’s University Hospitals NHS Trust
• Surrey County Council

Historically, there have been boundary lines between the organisations that provide care to people in their homes, in GP surgeries and in hospitals, but we have always been united in our mission to provide great care to the people who need us.

It’s on those grounds that the Surrey Downs Health and Care was formed – we want local people to receive the care that they need in the right environment. By bringing together our expertise, we can improve patient care and enable local people to access the right support, care and treatment more easily than ever before.

In bringing this partnership together, we are working to the same set of values that will translate into better care for our residents.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Efficient Patient Admission and Care Coordination: Ensure patients are admitted, treated, and discharged efficiently, adhering to national guidelines and Trust policies while maintaining accurate and up-to-date records.
• Reception and Administrative Support: Provide a friendly, efficient reception service for patients and visitors, handle telephone enquiries, and support clinical teams with administrative tasks during ward rounds and meetings.
• Patient Record Management: Maintain and update patient records in compliance with the Trust Medical Records Policy, ensuring documentation is accurate, securely stored, and readily available to clinical staff.
• Discharge and Follow-Up Coordination: Facilitate discharge processes by liaising with relatives, carers, and other agencies, and notify GPs of patient outcomes to ensure appropriate follow-up care.
• Bed and Resource Management: Collaborate with the Clinical Site Management Team to manage bed allocation and coordinate specialist equipment and diagnostic tests for patient care.
• Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a key point of contact for patients, families, and stakeholders, using empathetic communication to address concerns and provide information.
• Compliance and Support: Assist ward managers in ensuring compliance with Trust standards, including infection control and data protection, while supporting quality improvement initiatives.
• Translation and Accessibility Services: Arrange translation services as required to ensure all patients have equitable access to care and information.
• Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with clinical teams and departments to maintain efficient systems, processes, and workflows that support patient care and operational needs.
• Administrative Flexibility: Provide cover for colleagues during absences, handle additional tasks as needed, and uphold Trust policies to maintain a high standard of service delivery.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Good general education with GCSE or equivalent in English at grade C or above
• ECDL
• NVQ level 2 in Business Administration or Customer Care or equivalent

Experience

• Experience of using a full range of IT/patient administration systems
• Experience of patient administration work in a healthcare setting
• Experience of face-to-face customer contact.

Knowledge and skills

• Excellent interpersonal and customer care skills and dealing with complaints
• The ability to prioritise tasks effectively and work without direct supervision
• Computer literate, with experience of using a keyboard
• Knowledge of NHS service provision including the pathway of care
• Knowledge of databases, spreadsheets e.g. PAS, Excel or similar applications

Other

• Willingness to work flexible hours to meet the needs of the service
• Demonstrates good verbal, written and communication skills
• Team player with collegial working style and willingness to share responsibility

Safeguarding and DBS Checks
We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. For roles with direct access to these groups, anEnhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required. All staff are expected to understand and uphold their safeguarding responsibilities as part of their role.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.