Medical Secretary

To work as part of a secretarial team to support a defined team of Clinicians.

To provide a comprehensive secretarial and administration support service to the Consultants, medical staff, clinical teams and department on a day-to-day basis

Deal with concerned patients/relatives with tact, patience, and discretion, especially when conveying sensitive information.

On receipt of test/investigation results, retrieve relevant patient notes and alert the Clinical teams of any urgent or abnormal test results ensuring that relevant action is taken.

Open post and prioritise for consultant, dealing with matters not requiring the Consultants attention.

Provide a general administrative service including photocopying, filing, and other office routines.

To provide cover for team members during sickness absence and annual leave.

Participate in audits as required.

Provide support with training new staff where required, demonstrating duties to new starters.

Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

Our Excellence Values

Compassion

Accountability

Respect

Integrity

Courage

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone’s full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.

The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals.

We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.

We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals

Responsible for prioritising own workload and working independently within service needs.

Provide a comprehensive clinical secretarial service to the Clinical Team to enable them to carry out their duties in an effective and efficient manner and ensure efficiency in patient care.

Ensure all correspondence for the Clinical Teams, including clinical letters, discharge summaries, reports and results are typed promptly, and information disseminated within the appropriate time frame and in line with required standards

Receive and take relevant action on telephone calls and other enquiries from key contacts, dealing with internal and external sources to resolve any problems, queries, or complaints, making appointments, and arranging visits and meetings where appropriate.

Deal with telephone and face to face enquiries from patients, relatives’ carers and all staff groups providing information, directing, and prioritising queries as appropriate, to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.

Deal with concerned patients/relatives with tact, patience, and discretion, especially when conveying sensitive information.

On receipt of test/investigation results, retrieve relevant patient notes and alert the Clinical teams of any urgent or abnormal test results ensuring that relevant action is taken.

Always maintain confidentiality.

Oversee the patient pathway and ensuring that all necessary appointments, including outpatients, clinics, waiting list etc. are arranged on time, ensure that clinics are utilised to capacity, diagnostics and tests are processed as requested and that patients receive timely treatment thus meeting the Trust and national standards.

Maintain diaries, assist in scheduling consultant workload, and communicate with other relevant parties concerning the planning and re-scheduling of work as necessary.

Use the relevant Trust databases and patient administration systems and ensure that all data is correct and up to date.

Advise junior medical staff to attend clinical commitments as necessary.

Open post and prioritise for consultant, dealing with matters not requiring the Consultants attention.

Provide a general administrative service including photocopying, filing, and other office routines.

Compile and review office protocols, modifying working practices where necessary, ensuring that protocols are up to date and contain all the relevant procedures to support any relief medical secretaries, clerical staff and new staff who may be required to support the office.

All patients’ notes to be correctly completed with the patient details and accurate copies of investigative reports and correspondence are filed in medical records case notes, following laid down guidelines.

To use the computerised patient management system regarding identification of out-patient, in-patient and waiting list data. Responsible for adding patients to waiting list in line with Trust Waiting List Policy and Procedures. Ensure all clinical coding is accurately completed.

Communicate with other departments concerning case notes for appointments and admissions, ensuring timely availability of patient x-rays, the results of tests and investigations.

To provide cover for team members during sickness absence and annual leave.

Participate in audits as required.

Provide support with training new staff where required, demonstrating duties to new starters.

Maintain up to date personal awareness and knowledge of Trust wide issues and directives, applying knowledge in the workplace, including attending appropriate directorate briefings and meetings.

Any other duties commensurate with the grade and in line with the requirement of the post.

The postholder may be required to carry out other relevant duties as required.