Job overview
We are recruiting for a Medical Secretary in Gastroenterology/Endoscopy who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.
To be responsible for the provision of an efficient, comprehensive personal assistant and administrative support service to the Consultant/s and any other members of their team/s.
You will be required to work independently using their own initiative and must apply a high degree of confidentiality to all aspects of their work.
To undertake these duties without direct supervision, working within broad procedural guidelines.
Our Values are Include, Respect and Improve. It is important that you understand and refer to our values during your recruitment process and beyond!
Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for being the first point of reference for the Consultant/s and their team/s
Deal efficiently with all patient enquiries by phone, letter or personal appearance, exercising initiative and tact with regard to action necessary. Ensure that all messages are relayed as quickly as possible to the consultant/s and their medical team/s.
To deal with patients and relatives, exercising common sense and good judgement to analyse complex or antagonistic situations.
To maintain the Consultant/s diary. Booking appointments and organising meetings. Meet and greet visiting personnel to the department(s)/consultant(s) or their team/s.
Working for our organisation
At East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general & specialist services we provide & our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible & innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.
We run the following hospitals:
* The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
* New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
* Hertford County, Hertford
* Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood
We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation; our staff & patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.
We understand that finding and starting a new job is an important life decision. If you need reasonable adjustments for a disability, or a life event, such as menopause - so that we can consider your application fairly & to get the best out of you during the selection process, please let us know.
We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. Employees are entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns & we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made & considered formally, & will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Person specification
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
* Demonstrable secretarial and administrative experience
* Managing appointments and diaries Handling telephone enquiries
* Handling telephone enquiries
Desirable criteria
* NHS experience
* Patient administration experience
* Recent medical secretary experience
Skills
Essential criteria
* Excellent communication and presentation skills
* Excellent verbal/written and interpersonal skills
* Excellent typing, keyboard and audiotyping skills
* Ability to work independently and as part of a team
* Methodical and able to prioritise own workload
* Ability to adapt to change
* Ability to work well under pressure
* Confidentiality and sensitivity of approach
* Enthusiasm, Initiative and Flexibility
* Awareness of limitations of experience and role
Desirable criteria
* Comprehensive understanding of patient needs
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Computer literacy including Word, Excel, Access & Email Internet literacy including research tools and outsourcing Medical terminology
Desirable criteria
* Organisational structures Lorenzo CIPTS or database knowledge
Qualifications / Training
Essential criteria
* Educated to minimum GCSE level or equivalent
* RSA III Pitman or equivalent secretarial qualification
* In absence of AMSPAR, equivalent experience
Desirable criteria
* Evidence of continuing development AMSPAR Medical Secretary Diploma
Our values
We want our staff to believe in, demonstrate and live our values in everything we do.
Include
We value the diversity and experience of our community colleagues and partners, creating relationships and climates that provide an opportunity to share, collaborate and grow together.
Respect
We create a safe environment where we are curious of the lived experience of others, seek out best practice and are open to listening and hearing new ideas.
Improve
We are committed to consistently delivering excellent services and continuously looking to improve through a creative workforce that feels empowered to act in service of our shared purpose.
Committed to our Community
East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for all job applicants, staff, patients and the wider community. We want to create a workforce which represents the communities we serve. We are on a journey to become a more inclusive organisation and we welcome applications from everyone regardless of their background. In particular we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities, and candidates from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are currently under-represented in various parts of our workforce .
We understand the importance of balancing work and home life. We are committed to support flexible working for our staff wherever possible and all our employees are given the opportunity to discuss potential for flexible working.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and achieved our status in 2019.
We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact us by emailing resourcing.enh-tr@nhs.net
We are also proud to support our UK armed forces by supporting Reservists, Cadet Instructors, Veterans and military spouses/partners into employment and offering supportive policies that value their contribution to the community and to our Trust.
We are committed to being a carer-friendly environment, addressing the complex needs of families with caring responsibilities. In partnership with Carers in Hertfordshire, all our working carers have access to support from recruitment. We are also a member of Carers UK, providing resources to make balancing work and caring easier. Our approach is inclusive, recognizing diverse challenges and creating a supportive environment where carers feel valued.