Senior Trust Medical Secretary

Job overview

Are you looking for a career in the NHS? Are you looking to work in a fast-paced environment and the opportunity to work in a large-multidisciplinary team, where you can make a difference and improve services for our patients? If so, we want to hear from you!

The Medicine Division at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital are looking for a motivated, forward-thinking and compassionate individual, to join the team as Trust Secretary to oversee the Oncology directorate.

As part of this busy and exciting role, you will support the Department by acting as a point of contact for all communications between the Consultant, patients, relatives, all hospital staff, General Practitioners and their staff and outside agencies, maintaining a close working relationship between Consultants and patients as appropriate. Assist in the management of the office administration of the Consultant and designated clinical team. Provide an effective administrative secretarial service, ensuring continuity of service during absences.

Main duties of the job

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Foundation Trust (NNUH) is one of the largest comprehensive cancer centers in the UK. It offers a full range of oncological and surgical cancer treatments that are the envy of hospitals in the UK.

NNUH understands the challenges of cancer management and is committed to meeting that challenge head on using the latest technological, innovative and research tools to provide the best possible service for our cancer patients with kindness and warmth.

We understand and feel very acutely the needs of our patients and how best to provide for those needs in an intelligent, effective and efficient manner.

We would be delighted to receive applications from candidates who are interested in playing an integral role in providing secretarial support in a very busy but friendly department.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced individual who enjoys patient contact and working in a friendly, multi-disciplinary environment. The post-holder will be expected to deliver a high quality service within a performance managed environment. You will work collaboratively to provide a full secretarial and administrative service at a leading Cancer Centre which prides itself on clinical excellence.

At NNUH, we strive to provide our staff with their individual developmental needs to achieve their career aspiration. If your aim is to be the best secretary or aspire to go further in your career, we will ensure that we support you either way.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Deal efficiently and effectively with direct and indirect (i.e. telephone, face to face) enquires from patients, all levels of medical and nursing staff, GPs, Social Services and other health professionals and staff.  Respond to complex 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. To sensitively provide and receive complex information using tact and adapting communication style to meet the needs of individual levels of understanding. Recognise the importance of individual rights in accordance with legislation, policy and procedures.
• Attend to all communications, for example, emails, faxes, investigation results on a daily basis.  Use judgement to undertake a preliminary assessment of content to determine the appropriate course of action and the priority for the consultant’s/clinical team’s attention.
• 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 and ensure accurate patient pathways, investigating and correcting errors as required. 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, diagnostic and waiting lists where relevant.
• Book patients from waiting lists and update associated booking systems (eg ORSOS, ARIA etc) in line with departmental requirements and in line with the Trust RTT Policy.
• Utilise outpatient and inpatient PTLs to track patients through pathway.
• Arrange urgent admissions direct from clinic and ambulatory care areas, contacting the patient and liaising with ward/theatre/clinics as required.

Please see the attached job description for full details.

Please note that 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.