Job summary As a medical secretary you will provide an empathic and sensitive point of contact for patients/relatives and carers, undertaking work under the direction of the Medical Secretary Supervisor. You will provide secretarial support to Consultants and their teams with particular responsibility for audio typing clinic letters, discharge summaries, general copy typing correspondence, minutes and reports. Main duties, tasks & skills required To touch type from audio and/or copy type from written documentation, this requires an understanding of medical terminology, phraseology and medications. Some documents may be of a complex or distressing nature Arranging patients' appointments as required under direction of the Medical Secretary Supervisor Arranging for patients to be seen for theatre/day case admissions when required and directed by the Medical Secretary Supervisor Ensure that clinic letters and discharge summaries are sent out in accordance with the locally agreed time limits Receiving and dealing with telephone enquiries as appropriate To maintain the Consultant's diaries as required Input and look up patient data on Trust IT systems in accordance with Trust policy To ensure Consultant's post is opened daily and dealt with accordingly Arrange meetings and appointments as necessary To assist colleagues as directed by the Medical Secretary Supervisor in times of pressure of work Obtaining and receiving hospital notes from medical records department using the case note tracking system Co-operate in the introduction of new technology and new working practices to ensure the smooth running of the department Photocopying, scanning letters and documents as required About us We are recognised as one of the leading NHS Foundation Trusts in the UK. Our vision is to Build Healthier Lives, and we recognise that we need incredible staff to do this. Our commitment to our staff is to create the best place for them to work, and we are dedicated to: Investing in the health and wellbeing of our staff, including a commitment of offering flexible working where we can; Offer our staff a wide variety of training and development opportunities, to support their personal and career development objectives. UHB is committed to ensuring that our staff are treated fairly and feel that they belong, by creating a kind and inclusive environment. This is about equity of opportunity; removing all barriers, including discrimination and ensuring each individual member of staff reach their true potential, achieve their ambitions and thrive in their work. This is more than words. We are taking action. Our commitment to an inclusive culture is embedded at all levels of the organisation where every voice is heard, driven by our diverse and active staff networks, and at Board level by the Fairness Taskforce led by our CEO. We nurture a culture which empowers staff to challenge discriminatory behaviours and to enable people to bring their 'whole self' to a kinder, more connected and bold place to work. University Hospitals Birmingham is a Smoke-Free premises hospital. Job description Communication: Provide excellent telephone skills. Accurately record telephone messages and other enquiries and refer as appropriate To provide a point of contact for patients/relatives/carers, GPs and other health care professionals who can be emotional and highly distressed, ensuring that any language or other communication barriers are overcome Provide effective communication and problem solving both face to face and via telephone Be sympathetic and sensitive to the requirements of staff, service users when communicating by telephone or face to face, including dealing with a difficult situation Attend admin team/departmental meetings on a regular basis. Contribute to building effective teamwork in exchanging views, ideas and communicating effectively Analytic and Judgemental Skills/Freedom to Act: Ability to make decisions and take actions within the team relating to routine enquiries, whilst receiving support and supervision Ability to recognise situations that should be referred onto the Supervisor and take prompt and appropriate action Planning and Organisational Skills: To manage and progress results of patient investigations and on receipt, prioritise and action according to clinical need, with guidance from the medical team Organise own day-to-day work tasks showing an ability to prioritise in order to achieve set timescales Undertake work that has been prioritised by the Supervisor/ Line Manager Book, monitor room bookings and arrange meetings as and when required Policy and Service Responsibilities: Work within and keep up to date with National and Trust legislation, guidelines, policies, procedures, protocols and code of conduct relating to own role Participate in and contribute to the effective introduction of new systems and initiatives leading to the improvement and development of patient services Responsibility for Staff: Participate in the induction and training of all new members of staff Demonstrate own activities to new / less experienced staff Responsibility for Information: To liaise with medical records with regard to availability of medical notes for forthcoming clinics, ensuring where possible, all results/correspondence are available for the patient's clinic appointment To develop and maintain an efficient individual filing system on behalf of the team to include correspondence, reports, complaints, research and results Be responsible for confidentiality in line with Trust policy and procedures Accurately input data using a variety of Trust IT systems in a timely way Prepare and scan information onto the Trust IT systems Ensure all information held is kept up to date Be responsible for the quality of information Shred and destroy confidential documentation in line with Trust policy Provide information / produce basic routine reports at an appropriate level under supervision Input staff information into the Electronic Staff Record adhering to confidentiality Research and Development: Undertake surveys and routine audits of own work as and when required Person specification Qualifications Essential English and Maths GCSE, 9-4 or A-C Business Administration NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience in a clerical environment Desirable AMSPAR Certificate/equivalent qualification or equivalent knowledge of medical terminology Experience Essential Experience of dealing with the public/customer service experience Experience of working with a range of Microsoft Office packages Experience of using IT systems Desirable Experience of working in a busy environment Experience of working in a healthcare environment Additional Criteria Essential Good communication / customer care skills both written and verbal demonstrating sympathy and compassion Good organisation skills and ability to multitask Good time management skills Ability to deal professionally with enquiries from staff Ability to pay attention to detail where there are predictable interruptions to the work pattern Ability to deal with stressful situations and sensitive Work effectively and flexibly as part of a team to meet the needs of the services Must be able to demonstrate an understanding of equality and diversity Ability to travel to multiple sites