Job summary Medical Secretary Forest Health Care Forest Health Care is seeking a motivated and organised individual to join our expanding team as a Medical Secretary. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the smooth running of our GP practice and play a vital role in delivering exceptional care to our patients. Whether you have previous experience in a healthcare setting or are looking to develop your career in this field, we welcome applications from individuals with a strong work ethic and a passion for supporting patient care. Key Requirements: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Strong organisational abilities and the capacity to manage a high workload Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 Ability to work independently with minimal supervision NHS secretarial experience is desirable though not essential as training will be required. We offer opportunities for personal development to further enhance your skills in line with the needs of the practice. If you are a proactive and detail-oriented professional looking for a rewarding role, we would love to hear from you. Part-time position, up to 30 hours per week. Availability for an 8:00 AM start and a 6:00 PM finish is required, with flexibility for holiday cover.Applicants are encouraged to detail their preferred work pattern and hours in their application. Applications may close early if we find the right candidate Main duties of the job To be responsible for undertaking a wide range of secretarial and administrative duties and the provision of administrative support to the multidisciplinary team. Duties can include, but are not limited to, the processing of information (electronic and hard copy) in a timely manner, liaising with multidisciplinary team members and external agencies such as secondary care and community service providers in accordance with current policies, including the use of the electronic referral service (ERS) About us Our team includes GP partners, salaried GPs, ANPs, prescribing nurses, a clinical pharmacist, and dedicated clinical and non-clinical teams. We also host an increasing number of Primary Care Network (PCN) roles, including a Mental Health Practitioner, Pharmacy Technicians, and Physiotherapists. Nestled in the stunning Forest of Dean, we care for 11,800 patients across Cinderford and the surrounding rural communities. The area offers beautiful woodland walks, mountain biking, and rich heritage, with excellent transport links to Gloucester, Bristol, Birmingham, and London. Families will benefit from top-rated secondary schools, leisure centres, and thriving sports teams. At Cinderford Surgery, we embrace innovation and collaboration. Our dedicated in-house clinical coding and pharmacy teams help reduce administrative workload, and we hold regular clinical meetings and team-building events to foster a supportive environment. Date posted 06 February 2025 Pay scheme Other Salary Depending on experience Contract Permanent Working pattern Part-time Reference number A4580-25-0002 Job locations Cinderford Medical Centre Valley Road Cinderford Gloucestershire GL14 2NX Job description Job responsibilities Primary Key Responsibilities The following are the core responsibilities of the Medical Secretary. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels: Typing letters, reports and associated documentation as required Liaising with external agencies such as hospitals and community services, ensuring referrals are processed efficiently Managing all enquiries in an effective manner Maintaining an accurate referrals database Actioning all incoming email Processing calling letters as requested Scanning patient related documentation and attaching scanned documents to patients healthcare records Inputting data into the patients healthcare records as necessary Processing referrals using the electronic referral system (ERS) Processing requests for information i.e., SAR, insurance/solicitors letters and DVLA forms Coding data on the clinical IT system Answering incoming phone calls, transferring calls or dealing with the callers request appropriately Managing all administrative queries as necessary Carrying out system searches as requested Maintaining a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times Supporting all clinical staff with general administrative tasks as requested Secondary key Responsibilities In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Medical Secretary may be requested to: Partake in audit as directed by the audit lead Produce meeting agendas and record the minutes of meetings Support reception staff, providing cover during staff absences Complete opening and closing procedures in accordance with the duty rota Generic Responsibilities All staff have a duty to conform to the following: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) A good attitude and positive action towards Equality Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) creates an environment where all individuals can achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do and it is required by law. Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any groundsincluding age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect. Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued, and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect. Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF) This organisation is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities for staff to maintain their health, wellbeing and safety. The post holder is to manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients and monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines. All personnel have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for themselves, their team and others and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. All personnel are to comply with the: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Environmental Protection Act 1990 Environment Act 1995 Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999 Other statutory legislation which may be brought to the post holders attention Confidentiality The organisation is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality. It is essential that, if the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained, all staff must protect patient information and provide a confidential service. Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI) To preserve and improve the quality of this organisations outputs, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work. The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the organisation to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice and to discuss, highlight and work with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care. At this organisation, we continually strive to improve work processes which deliver healthcare with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement where everyone counts, and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care. Staff should interpret national strategies and policies into local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general practice. All staff are to contribute to investigations and root cause analyses whilst participating in serious incident investigations and multidisciplinary case reviews. Induction We will provide a full induction programme and management will support you throughout the process. Learning and development The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake in, and complete mandatory training as directed. It is an expectation for this post holder to assess their own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate The post holder will undertake mentorship for team members and disseminate learning and information gained to other team members to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (e.g., courses and conferences). The post holder will provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning. Collaborative working All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working and understand their own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time. Staff are to prioritise their own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team. Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments and the post holder is to work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working and work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery Effective communication is essential, and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner. All staff should delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence. Plans and outcomes by which to measure success should be agreed. Managing information All staff should use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in the planning, implementation and monitoring of care and presenting and communicating information. Data should be reviewed and processed using accurate SNOMED CT codes to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes. Service delivery Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure. The post holder must adhere to the information contained within the organisations policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are always adhered to. Security The security of the organisation is the responsibility of all personnel. The post holder must ensure they always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager. Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Likewise, password controls are to be maintained and are not to be shared. Professional conduct All staff are required to dress appropriately for their role. Job description Job responsibilities Primary Key Responsibilities The following are the core responsibilities of the Medical Secretary. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels: Typing letters, reports and associated documentation as required Liaising with external agencies such as hospitals and community services, ensuring referrals are processed efficiently Managing all enquiries in an effective manner Maintaining an accurate referrals database Actioning all incoming email Processing calling letters as requested Scanning patient related documentation and attaching scanned documents to patients healthcare records Inputting data into the patients healthcare records as necessary Processing referrals using the electronic referral system (ERS) Processing requests for information i.e., SAR, insurance/solicitors letters and DVLA forms Coding data on the clinical IT system Answering incoming phone calls, transferring calls or dealing with the callers request appropriately Managing all administrative queries as necessary Carrying out system searches as requested Maintaining a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times Supporting all clinical staff with general administrative tasks as requested Secondary key Responsibilities In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Medical Secretary may be requested to: Partake in audit as directed by the audit lead Produce meeting agendas and record the minutes of meetings Support reception staff, providing cover during staff absences Complete opening and closing procedures in accordance with the duty rota Generic Responsibilities All staff have a duty to conform to the following: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) A good attitude and positive action towards Equality Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) creates an environment where all individuals can achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do and it is required by law. Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any groundsincluding age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect. Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued, and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect. Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF) This organisation is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities for staff to maintain their health, wellbeing and safety. The post holder is to manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients and monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines. All personnel have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for themselves, their team and others and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. All personnel are to comply with the: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Environmental Protection Act 1990 Environment Act 1995 Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999 Other statutory legislation which may be brought to the post holders attention Confidentiality The organisation is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality. It is essential that, if the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained, all staff must protect patient information and provide a confidential service. Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI) To preserve and improve the quality of this organisations outputs, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work. The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the organisation to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice and to discuss, highlight and work with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care. At this organisation, we continually strive to improve work processes which deliver healthcare with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement where everyone counts, and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care. Staff should interpret national strategies and policies into local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general practice. All staff are to contribute to investigations and root cause analyses whilst participating in serious incident investigations and multidisciplinary case reviews. Induction We will provide a full induction programme and management will support you throughout the process. Learning and development The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake in, and complete mandatory training as directed. It is an expectation for this post holder to assess their own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate The post holder will undertake mentorship for team members and disseminate learning and information gained to other team members to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (e.g., courses and conferences). The post holder will provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning. Collaborative working All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working and understand their own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time. Staff are to prioritise their own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team. Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments and the post holder is to work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working and work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery Effective communication is essential, and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner. All staff should delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence. Plans and outcomes by which to measure success should be agreed. Managing information All staff should use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in the planning, implementation and monitoring of care and presenting and communicating information. Data should be reviewed and processed using accurate SNOMED CT codes to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes. Service delivery Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure. The post holder must adhere to the information contained within the organisations policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are always adhered to. Security The security of the organisation is the responsibility of all personnel. The post holder must ensure they always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager. Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Likewise, password controls are to be maintained and are not to be shared. Professional conduct All staff are required to dress appropriately for their role. Person Specification Personal Qualities Essential Polite and confident Flexible and cooperative Motivated Forward thinker High levels of integrity and loyalty Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations Ability to work under pressure Skills Essential Excellent communication skills (written and oral) Strong IT skills Clear, polite telephone manner Competent in the use of Office and Outlook Effective time management (planning and organising) Ability to work as a team member and autonomously Good interpersonal skills Problem solving and analytical skills Ability to follow policy and procedure Desirable Clinical IT system user skills Strong audio typing skills Other Requirements Essential Flexibility for an 8:00 AM start and a 6:00 PM finish Flexibility for holiday cover. Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check Qualifications Essential Educated to GCSE in Mathematics and English (C or above) Desirable NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care Level 3 trained in Medical Terminology Experience Essential Experience of working with the general public Desirable Experience of working in a healthcare setting as a medical secretary Experience of administrative duties Person Specification Personal Qualities Essential Polite and confident Flexible and cooperative Motivated Forward thinker High levels of integrity and loyalty Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations Ability to work under pressure Skills Essential Excellent communication skills (written and oral) Strong IT skills Clear, polite telephone manner Competent in the use of Office and Outlook Effective time management (planning and organising) Ability to work as a team member and autonomously Good interpersonal skills Problem solving and analytical skills Ability to follow policy and procedure Desirable Clinical IT system user skills Strong audio typing skills Other Requirements Essential Flexibility for an 8:00 AM start and a 6:00 PM finish Flexibility for holiday cover. Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check Qualifications Essential Educated to GCSE in Mathematics and English (C or above) Desirable NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care Level 3 trained in Medical Terminology Experience Essential Experience of working with the general public Desirable Experience of working in a healthcare setting as a medical secretary Experience of administrative duties Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Employer details Employer name Forest Health Care Address Cinderford Medical Centre Valley Road Cinderford Gloucestershire GL14 2NX Employer's website https://www.foresthealthcentre.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)