To undertake the typing of clinic letters, operation notes, pre operative notes, ward notes, discharge letters, specialist reports, conference notes and associated correspondence of varied medical terminology, efficiently and accurately through audio word processing or copy typing, distributing as necessary to the relevant healthcare professions with a copy to the patient. This work involves a significant use of the Trusts computer systems, SF4, Lorenzo, EPR, Big Hand, Bluespier and Word Microsoft Office. Ensure all clinical letters are completed and dispatched, where possible, within the 10 day standard as directed by the Trust liaising with medical staff to encourage dictation and signing of letters in a timely fashion. To send and receive confidential patient information, to and from, General Medical Practitioners, hospital personnel, patients, carers and relatives through written and verbal means of communication as directed by medical staff, gathering patient data for Consultant accurately. Manage daily paper based or electronic diaries for the consultant and their team using own judgement to highlight and resolve any conflicts that may occur. To liaise with consultants and their teams regarding the on call rota and make the necessary changes as required. Process incoming mail, date stamping, prioritise and distribute as necessary on a daily basis including processing all miscellaneous mail. Ensure all referral letters or internal referrals are passed to the Appointments Team promptly for registering and Opwaiting to start the Referral to Treatment Process. When referral letters are received back to the consultant for vetting, to prioritise this task and return these back to the Appointments Team promptly for RTT purposes. If referral is marked urgent by referring clinician or red flagged for speciality bring to the prompt attention of the Consultant or Team. This may involve taking the decision to deviate from individual booking rules when necessary. Plan, organise, prioritise and manage own workload on a daily basis and make decisions in the absence of the consultant when required. To work accurately under pressure. Listen, analyse and respond to admin non clinical queries via telephone, e-mail and face to face contact from clinical and non-clinical staff, patients, relatives and the general public in an articulate and sympathetic manner exercising ones own judgement effectively and efficiently as to when action is required and safeguarding patient confidentiality. To record as necessary queries on to the EPR system and pass to Consultant for response. The ability to deal with difficult people and challenging situations. To direct telephone calls appropriately and to provide external callers with the correct information regarding appropriate referral to a named specialist consultant. As first patient point of contact to assist in the deflection of complaints using the correct manner and reassurance skills with the ability to escalate appropriately. To check Lorenzo and Bluespier as a check that patient has been listed as necessary for surgery. To prepare standard letters for appointment booking and non medical admin as draft responses to correspondence letters for the consultant to sign off. To regularly check Big Hand for urgent dictation and miscellaneous dictation found in the wrong section, alerting the necessary staff. Also checking for missing dictations and alerting the Consultant or Team. Develop a detailed expert knowledge and understanding of medical terminology throughout sub-specialities. Check daily the Patient Tracking Lists to help assist with the RTT (Referral to Treatment) pathway. To check daily on the Milestone 2, C-stream and U-stream patient pathways, checking all investigations are being arranged in the appropriate timescale to assist with the RTT process and thus prevent breaches and fines to the Trust. To update the diagnostic waiting list accurately and promptly and where necessary using own judgment to book patients on clinics to prevent breaches as a high priority. Validating patient pathways and liaising with the Validation Team as necessary for possible clock stops. To assist the individual bookings teams with the referral to treatment pathway thus identifying dates for extra clinics or theatre lists as required with the consultant. Complete Inter Provider Transfer forms accurately to effectively coordinate patients pathway with other hospitals. Maintain all patients demographics are up to date and if necessary contacting the patient or GP to ensure demographics are accurate and complete thus meeting information Governance and Data Quality Standards and preventing DNAs. Supervise and mentor trainee medical secretaries/support secretaries, audio typists, bank staff, modern apprentices and work experience placements cascading knowledge and information. To provide guidance and priorities of workload to new staff. The ability to deal with frequent interruptions whilst maintaining a high level of concentration. Deal with Advice and Guidance letters promptly and record the outcome on the Choose and Book system. To coordinate special clinics such as complex and consent clinics ensuring there is adequate consultant representation. To assist junior members of the department with issues/concerns/queries and offer advice on a solution as appropriate. Show sympathy and empathy when dealing with anxious and distressed patients and bereaved families in difficult circumstances. Inform the necessary departments both internal and external of Consultants and their teams annual/study/professional/special leave so clinic space and theatre lists can be utilised by others. Also to liaise with the Medical Workforce Co-ordinator. To complete expense claim forms using the Trusts e-expenses system. Keep a record of all the consultants leave, to ensure the leave is signed off by appropriate personnel, completing all necessary leave forms required. Liaise with the Finance Team, CCG and LHB regarding Individual Patient Funding Requests as required including completing the IPRF forms, tracking and monitoring the outcome so this can be actioned. Schedule meetings and conferences, distribute agendas and relevant documents prior to the meeting and arrange the necessary venue/catering requirements. Transcribing and circulating minutes, and follow-up any actions as requested. Schedule and prepare peripheral clinics which may include registering patients, arranging appointments and ensuring the skinny files, USB stick and Dictaphone are available for the consultant. Requesting external case notes and x-rays via IEP for patients clinic appointments to ensure the Consultant has a comprehensive medical history available to them. Identify and arrange urgent out-patient appointments, admissions and investigations to include multi-departmental scans and biopsies with the consultant and their team. Urgently marked results/information to be brought to the early attention of the Consultant or Team. Ensure all investigations are brought to the notice of the Consultant for signature in a timely fashion and ensuring that any follow-up appointments, admissions and further investigations are arranged as directed by the Consultant. Once actioned to ensure all results and any other documentation is scanned into the correct section of the patients EPR record, performing a quality assurance check for each scanned document. Regular monitoring and maintenance of patients notes pending investigations, results, reports and correspondence ensuring any outstanding investigations are promptly followed up. Liaising with the Radiology Department to ensure requests for imaging have been received. Under instruction of consultant liaise closely with surgical manufacturers and representatives regarding timing of custom made implants and representatives attendance on the day of operation. Communicate with the Implant Office in Theatres when special implant requests are required. This also includes meniscal transplants, liaising with companies and representatives to ensure suitable match. Also cancelling requests if they are no longer required thus reducing unnecessary theatre costs. In some specialities co-ordinate where necessary T & O hospital transfers and follow-up appointments after discharge. Arrange medical admissions. Assist the Appointments Team on clinic forward look to ensure clinics are fully utilised and adjusted by analysing the consultants diary. Assist the waiting list office to ensure theatre lists are fully utilised using Bluespier. Ensure any outstanding outcomes are delivered to the Appointments Team as requested in a timely manner. Maintain all patients case notes to CNST standards until the digital case note project is complete. Sorting out sickness certificates for patients and return to work letters. Monitor stationary supplies within the section and identify faulty equipment notifying appropriate personnel. Assist with the investigation and compilation of responses to complaints within optimum deadlines and ensure any correspondence relating to complaints are not scanned into the patients EPR record and are kept in a separate file. To ensure the consultants permission is obtained before releasing copies of hospital notes or x-rays in conjunction with clinical governance. Following consultants dictation the typing and submitting of papers to journals online and typing of papers for audit purposes.