Job overview
A vacancy for a full time medical secretary in the Respiratory department based at Scunthorpe.
The post holder will be the point of contact for all administrative issues relating to patients’ pathway of care. The post holder will work as part of a team and will provide expertise in the proactive management of the patient pathway from referral to treatment, ensuring the entire pathway is managed smoothly.
The post holder will ensure high levels of patient and clinician satisfaction by being an accessible, customer focused and knowledgeable point of contact. They will provide a consistent approach across the Trust, using Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure that functions of the role are carried out correctly within given timescales.
Main duties of the job
Outpatient Pathway
1. Process and log all referrals, including paper and Choose and Book, in line with Trust Access Policy and specialty SOP.
2. Schedule new and follow up appointments with patients with the most appropriate clinician, ensuring that capacity is proactively and efficiently used, and supervising other staff to ensure this is done. Offering choice wherever is possible.
3. Ensure any diagnostic and investigations that are required as part of the patient pathway have been requested, including those carried out at other Trusts and are available before clinic day.
4. Co-ordinate appointments and procedures at other hospitals and organisations, where required.
5. Ensure clinic outcomes are recorded accurately on PAS, including those for offsite clinics.
6. Lead on the completion of clinic cancellation forms and process according to SOP.
7. Reschedule outpatient clinics as requested, in line with waiting time targets
8. Use the Trust’s medical transcription system and ensure that urgent letters are processed in accordance with SOP.
9. Liaise with patient records staff, ward clerks and other organisations to ensure all medical notes, referral letters, results and discharge summaries are available for outpatient appointments and consultations, delegating work to other members of the team if/where necessary.
10. Recognise when patients are on cancer pathways and, liaise with Cancer Trackers to ensure patients are handed over appropriately.
Working for our organisation
NLAG is part of one of the largest acute and community Group arrangements in the NHS, seeing well over one million patients every year and managing a budget of over £1.3 billion.
Made up of two Trusts - Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG) and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) - our Group has significant ambitions and is committed to delivering world-class hospital and community services for the 1.65 million people we serve.
Together we employ nearly 20,000 staff. Our five main hospital sites are Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Scunthorpe General Hospital and Goole and District Hospital, for NLAG and Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital for HUTH.
As Teaching Hospitals working with the Hull York Medical School, we both lead and contribute to research in many areas - biomedical research, primary care, palliative medicine, cardiovascular and respiratory medicine, vascular surgery, cancer surgery and oncology.
We believe that by developing a diverse, inclusive, innovative, skilled and caring workforce, we can deliver excellent care to our patients and a great future for our employees, our Group and our community.
Should we receive a high volume of applications the advert may be closed earlier than stated.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For more detailed information, please read the job description linked below.
As a Trust we are keen to offer and encourage flexible working opportunities to address health and wellbeing and work-life balance for our employees, this will have a positive impact on the care we provide.
Flexible working is part of a wider commitment to improve the quality and experience of working life and we recognise that it is a key contributor for the recruitment and retention of our employees.
We therefore support and encourage open conversations around a specific working pattern to suit your work-life balance or a multi-role career, if it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.
Local flexible working arrangements are developed in partnership between the line manager and employee in order to ensure equality of access to flexible working, as far as practicable, regardless of role, shift pattern, team or pay, based on: patient/service user and staff experience, service delivery and work-life balance of colleagues.
We are committed to creating and maintaining a fair and supportive working environment and culture, where contributions are fully recognised and valued by all and staff feel empowered to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities. As employers we are committed to promoting and protecting the physical and mental health and well-being of all our staff. This underpins our values as set out in the NHS Constitution, supports us to be an Employer of Choice and ultimately enables our employees to support the effective care of our patients.
We strongly value the different perspectives and ideas a diverse workforce brings to deliver better outcomes for our patients. We welcome applications irrespective of people’s age, disability, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances.
In line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Recruitment & Workforce team will use and hold your personal data for the intended purpose and in line with the Recruitment & Workforce Privacy Statement.
“We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children/vulnerable adults and expect the same commitment from all staff and volunteers”.
Please be aware that all new employees starting work with us will be charged for the cost of their DBS check, if it is required for their role.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. RSA III or equivalent
2. GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths, grades A-C or equivalent experience
3. NVQ level II in business administration/customer care or acquired equivalent experience
Desirable criteria
4. Audio Tape Typing Experience
5. Experience on System One
Occupational Experience
Essential criteria
6. Experience of using full range of IT systems and patient data systems
7. Experience of using Microsoft Office,
8. Experience of scheduling appointments
9. Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
10. Customer Care experience
Desirable criteria
11. Experience of working in the NHS
12. Experience of using digital dictation systems
13. Conflict resolution skills
14. Experience of working in a healthcare setting
15. Experience of handling patient complaints
Employer certification / accreditation badges