Job summary
WHISTON HOSPITAL
hours per week
Band 4
The Surgical Care Group is looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated member of staff to ensure the smooth running of the office environment by providing comprehensive, efficient and high quality administrative and leadership services.
A full job description and person specification listing duties and responsibilities for this role is attached.
Main duties of the job
To ensure the smooth running of the office environment by providing comprehensive, efficient and high quality secretarial and administrative services. This will involve prioritising and organising the day-to-day workload distribution for the secretaries. Supervise daily time sheets and ensure cross cover working where appropriate. It is essential that you should exercise initiative commensurate with the role and it is vital that confidentiality is maintained at all times.
The Surgical / Medical Care Group provides a full range of acute in-patient, out-patient, day case and emergency services to the local communities of St Helens, Knowsley and Halton and out of area patients.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
o Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
o Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
o National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
1. Supervise the daily/weekly workloads to ensure that workload is distributed according to urgency and maintaining timescales. Monitoring the system daily to ensure typing is completed in chronological order.
2. Oversee time keeping/signing in sheets from Secretaries and report any flexible working requests to Administration Services Co-ordinator on a weekly basis.
3. Ensure sickness/absence and annual leave for secretaries is reported on ESR system.
4. Carry out return to work interviews, escalating trigger points to the Administration Services Co-ordinator in line with the Attendance Management Policy.
5. Undertake appraisal and performance reviews and escalate any issues to the Administration Services Co-ordinator. Ensuring dates are recorded on the ESR System.
6. Carry out any training and development needs which are required.
7. To support staff undertaking apprenticeships, to fulfil their learner responsibilities,, MWL Learning & Development Support Agreement, off-the-job requirements, and Apprenticeship learning plans.
8. To fully train, support and develop the Medical Secretary Apprentice posts completion of Medical Business Administration Level 3 Apprenticeship qualification (annex 21). Supporting the off the job requirements and ensuring they are fully trained and have competency frameworks to be a fully competent Medical Secretary.
9. Keeping administrative staff personal files up to date.
10. Ensure all staff are booked on Mandatory Training ensuring dates are recorded on the ESR System.
11. Meet regularly with Administration Services Co-ordinator to discuss any performance issues with staff that require managing and also refer any formal conduct / behavioural issues accordingly to the Administration Services Co-ordinator.
12. To take notes/minutes of clinical and administrative meetings as required by the team and to take forward actions arising from the notes/minutes.
13. Inform Administration Services Co-ordinator of any staff requesting a revision of contractual changes, request of change in days/hours or resignation, therefore enable to correct paperwork to be completed.
14. To regularly audit letters typed from dictation to ensure that high level of quality is being adhered to and ensure that correct information is included, GP name and medical centre.
15. Complete any Tertiary Referrals to external Trusts and ensure these are completed on PAS system. Keep track of referrals to ensure patient is reviewed promptly. Check that follow up appointments are arranged in conjunction with Referral To Treat (RTT) patient pathway.
16. Type dictation from audio transcription of clinical correspondence and documentation from WinScribe and type discharge summaries as appropriate.
17. Check against clinical letters to ensure appropriate follow up arrangements/investigations are in place or arrange if required.
18. Accurate use of patient information using the Patient Administration System (PAS), including registration screen to check patient details are correct.
19. Work with Administration Services Co-ordinator to review working practices, ways of working and identify solutions to problems.
20. To ensure all HR policies are communicated widely and implemented.
21. Implements general Trust policies within the Administrative teams.
22. Work from initiative using own judgment, acquired knowledge and tact to deal with queries and resolve situations or referring to appropriate person.
23. Deal appropriately with concerns from staff in line with Trust policy
24. To answer the telephone promptly and politely, telephoning patients where appropriate using tact, discretion and empathy in all situations.
25. Any other duties required by Line Manager
Safeguarding Responsibilities
26. Comply with Trust Safeguarding Children Policy and standard operating procedures to safeguard vulnerable children up to 18 years throughout the Trust, this includes the Protocol for Children who Do Not Attend Clinics, fulfilling your role as defined in these documents.
27. Liaise with all relevant professionals (Police, Social Services) in relation to safeguarding work undertaken by your Consultant. Type any medical reports for child protection cases as requested by the Consultant, nurse or junior medical staff. Arrange multi-professional meetings regarding child protection/child in need cases. Minute multi-professional meetings as necessary.
28. Provide administrative support for the Named Consultant and Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children
29. Know about the range of physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and sexual abuse.
30. Be able to recognise signs of abuse appropriate to role and what action to take.
31. Know what to do if concerned that a child is being abused.
32. Know about the Trusts local policies/procedures.
33. Understand the importance of sharing information, how it can help and the dangers of not sharing information.
34. Be able to recognise signs of child abuse as this relates to their role. observe inappropriate parenting, an unusually quiet and withdrawn child etc.
35. Be able to seek advice and report concerns, ensuring that they are listened to.
LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
36. As documented within Key Duties.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
37. RSA III - Medical Audio Typing
38. Shorthand / Speed Writing
39. NVQ Business Administration Level 3
Desirable
40. RSA III or equivalent- Typing / Word Processing
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
41. Microsoft Office Products Experience
42. 2 years' experience in a similar role or equivalent knowledge
43. Previous Medical Secretary Experience
Desirable
44. Experience of supervising and motivating a team
45. Minute Taking
46. Knowledge of Hospital IT systems
47. Medical Terminology
Skills & Abilities
Essential
48. Excellent IT Skills
49. Ability to maintain control and manage difficult/sensitive situations
50. Excellent organisational skills
51. Good English Language Skills
52. Ability to communicate professionally at all levels
53. Ability to organise workload effectively and prioritise
54. Ability to maintain computerised and manual documentation systems
55. Ability to use initiative to solve problems, respond to new challenges and work independently
56. Self motivated and able to work with limited supervision
Desirable
57. Highly developed interpersonal skills
Qualities
Essential
58. Capability to adapt to most situations
59. Reliable and conscientious
Other
Essential
60. Comply with Trust policies and procedures at all times
61. Ability and willingness to undergo further training for the post
Desirable
62. Good understanding of Trust Internal policies as appropriate