Job summary An exciting opportunity as arisen for a Pathology Administration Team Leader to join our Pathology Admin Team. The post holder will act as part of an established team to ensure smooth delivery of the daily workload adhering to all departmental policies and procedures. This will involve prioritising and organising the day-to-day workload distribution for secretaries and ensure that the Bereavement Office is fully supported. The post holder will be expected to work with minimal supervision Main duties of the job The post holder requires strong organisational skills and promotes effective teamwork across both sites (Whiston and Southport Hospital Pathology) to provide a comprehensive service with minimum of supervision. The successful applicant will be able to organise their own workload and co-ordinate/monitor workload within the Secretarial/Bereavement Team. The successful candidate will be flexible, highly motivated individual and strong team player who is fully committed to patient care. The post holder will also deputise in the absence of the ASC Manager. 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: Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018 Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal) National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme Date posted 04 February 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 4 Salary £26,530 to £29,114 a year per annum Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number 409-6909466 Job locations Pathology Department Southport Hospital Kew Road Southport PR8 6PN Job description Job responsibilities KEY DUTIES Supervise the daily/weekly workloads to ensure that workload is distributed according to urgency and maintaining timescales (CQUIN/TAT). Act as point of contact with the Administrative/Bereavement team, resolving issues and problems escalated by team members ensuring communication links are maintained at all times. Ensure sickness/absence and annual leave for administrative/bereavement team is reported on eRoster system. Carry out return to work interviews, escalating trigger points to the Administration Service Co-ordinator in line with the Attendance Management Policy. Undertake appraisal and performance reviews and escalate any issues to the Administration Service Co-ordinator. Ensuring dates are recorded on ESR. Carry out any training and development needs which are required. Ensure all staff are booked onto Mandatory training ensuring dates are recorded on the ESR system. To takes notes/minutes of clinical and administrative meetings as required by Pathology Team. To take notes/minutes for the PTL meetings. To support Bereavement team with arranging hospital funerals. Type dictation from audio transcription of clinical correspondence and documentation from Winscribe/Medisec (SOHT system). Work with Administration Service Co-ordinator to review working practices, ways of working and identify solutions to problems. To ensure all HR policies are communicated widely and implemented. To comply with the local and national policies for safe, secure and confidential processing and storage of patient and other laboratory information. To create and follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs). To participate in the regular review and update of SOPs. To plan and organise their work within the demands of the team. To report any instance or event that may cause service delivery failure, CQUIN/TAT To participate in audit as directed by departmental management. Demonstrate competency in order to work autonomously and maintain expertise necessary to the post. To maintain an awareness of developments and provide suggestions for implementation as appropriate. To maintain good working relations with all members or staff and to promote effective teamwork, promote effective flows in the department to cover leave to ensure the office/bereavement office runs smoothly. Work from initiative and using own judgement, acquired knowledge and tact to deal with queries and resolve situations or referring to appropriate person. Suggest and implement new ways of working where this will improve efficiency and effectiveness. Work very closely with the ASC Manager to provide a single service with the Administrative/Bereavement team across both sites. Gather data and input on to appropriate spreadsheet/reports for reporting at monthly meetings. To deputise in the absence of the ASC Manager. Any other duties required by the ASC Manager To maintain and promote the professional image of the Directorate of Pathology, St. Helens & Knowsley Hospitals. ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBILTIES To liaise with system users within the Trust and the community to accurately identify user/requestor codes and patient information as necessary. To communicate results verbally or by secure email to persons authorised to receive them in a clear and concise manner following appropriate policies and procedures. To communicate any relevant information to laboratory colleagues. To actively participate in departmental meetings, team briefings, educational and audit meetings as appropriate. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILTIES To be responsible for the ordering and maintenance of stock for general Pathology items such as blood tubes and request forms for Trust and community use, Pathology wide maintenance contracts and stationery for Pathology. TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES To provide training in all aspects of the role as necessary to less experienced members of staff. QUALITY To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of UKAS. To comply with good laboratory practices required for the standards Health and Safety. To undertake work file management to ensure that reporting of results are carried out in a timely fashion. Job description Job responsibilities KEY DUTIES Supervise the daily/weekly workloads to ensure that workload is distributed according to urgency and maintaining timescales (CQUIN/TAT). Act as point of contact with the Administrative/Bereavement team, resolving issues and problems escalated by team members ensuring communication links are maintained at all times. Ensure sickness/absence and annual leave for administrative/bereavement team is reported on eRoster system. Carry out return to work interviews, escalating trigger points to the Administration Service Co-ordinator in line with the Attendance Management Policy. Undertake appraisal and performance reviews and escalate any issues to the Administration Service Co-ordinator. Ensuring dates are recorded on ESR. Carry out any training and development needs which are required. Ensure all staff are booked onto Mandatory training ensuring dates are recorded on the ESR system. To takes notes/minutes of clinical and administrative meetings as required by Pathology Team. To take notes/minutes for the PTL meetings. To support Bereavement team with arranging hospital funerals. Type dictation from audio transcription of clinical correspondence and documentation from Winscribe/Medisec (SOHT system). Work with Administration Service Co-ordinator to review working practices, ways of working and identify solutions to problems. To ensure all HR policies are communicated widely and implemented. To comply with the local and national policies for safe, secure and confidential processing and storage of patient and other laboratory information. To create and follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs). To participate in the regular review and update of SOPs. To plan and organise their work within the demands of the team. To report any instance or event that may cause service delivery failure, CQUIN/TAT To participate in audit as directed by departmental management. Demonstrate competency in order to work autonomously and maintain expertise necessary to the post. To maintain an awareness of developments and provide suggestions for implementation as appropriate. To maintain good working relations with all members or staff and to promote effective teamwork, promote effective flows in the department to cover leave to ensure the office/bereavement office runs smoothly. Work from initiative and using own judgement, acquired knowledge and tact to deal with queries and resolve situations or referring to appropriate person. Suggest and implement new ways of working where this will improve efficiency and effectiveness. Work very closely with the ASC Manager to provide a single service with the Administrative/Bereavement team across both sites. Gather data and input on to appropriate spreadsheet/reports for reporting at monthly meetings. To deputise in the absence of the ASC Manager. Any other duties required by the ASC Manager To maintain and promote the professional image of the Directorate of Pathology, St. Helens & Knowsley Hospitals. ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBILTIES To liaise with system users within the Trust and the community to accurately identify user/requestor codes and patient information as necessary. To communicate results verbally or by secure email to persons authorised to receive them in a clear and concise manner following appropriate policies and procedures. To communicate any relevant information to laboratory colleagues. To actively participate in departmental meetings, team briefings, educational and audit meetings as appropriate. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILTIES To be responsible for the ordering and maintenance of stock for general Pathology items such as blood tubes and request forms for Trust and community use, Pathology wide maintenance contracts and stationery for Pathology. TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES To provide training in all aspects of the role as necessary to less experienced members of staff. QUALITY To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of UKAS. To comply with good laboratory practices required for the standards Health and Safety. To undertake work file management to ensure that reporting of results are carried out in a timely fashion. Person Specification Qualifications Essential RSA III or equivalent - typing/word processing RSA III - medical audio typing NVQ Business Administration Level 4 or equivalent experience Desirable Shorthand/speed writing Knowledge & Experience Essential Minute taking Microsoft Office Products Experience Previous Medical Secretary Experience Experience of supervising/motivating a team Desirable Knowledge of Hospital IT systems Skills Essential Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision Ability to manage difficult/sensitive situations Ability to use initiative to solve problems, respond to new challenges and work independently Excellent communication skills Highly developed interpersonal skills Ability to organise workload effectively and prioritise Able to work the hours and duties required by the post Other Essential Understanding of confidential nature of role and awareness of Data Protection Act Person Specification Qualifications Essential RSA III or equivalent - typing/word processing RSA III - medical audio typing NVQ Business Administration Level 4 or equivalent experience Desirable Shorthand/speed writing Knowledge & Experience Essential Minute taking Microsoft Office Products Experience Previous Medical Secretary Experience Experience of supervising/motivating a team Desirable Knowledge of Hospital IT systems Skills Essential Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision Ability to manage difficult/sensitive situations Ability to use initiative to solve problems, respond to new challenges and work independently Excellent communication skills Highly developed interpersonal skills Ability to organise workload effectively and prioritise Able to work the hours and duties required by the post Other Essential Understanding of confidential nature of role and awareness of Data Protection Act 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 Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Address Pathology Department Southport Hospital Kew Road Southport PR8 6PN Employer's website https://www.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)