Support Secretary - Head & Neck Services

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is situated on the west coast of Lancashire, with services covering the local authority areas of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. The Trust is part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) supporting a population of around 1.6 million people. We have three main hospitals providing acute services to around 330,000 local residents. The organisation also provides specialist tertiary care for cardiac and haematology services, delivers community health services to over 445,000 residents including those in North Lancashire and hosts the National Artificial Eye Service across England. Plus, we provide urgent and emergency care services to an estimated 18 million people who visit the seaside resort each year. We employ over 7000 people from 68 different countries. We welcome and encourage applications from anyone with protected characteristics, as well as supporting reservists and Veterans who are looking for a rewarding and challenging career within the NHS. Blackpool Teaching Hospitals encourages flexible working in all our roles to support staff in maintaining a healthy home-life balance. Working patterns such as part-time working, self-rostering, compressed hours, annualised hours, term time, reverse term time and flexitime working can be explored.

Job overview: To provide a general clerical/secretarial support for the Head & Neck secretaries and consultants. To facilitate audio-transcription of clinic letters, results and discharge letters, and to provide a general clerical service and support throughout the department. The post holder will be required to work as part of a team providing cross cover during periods of staff absence. The Support Medical Secretary will provide a comprehensive, professional audio/digital transcription service to the Trust, undertaking administrative and clerical duties where required. Working with senior staff to ensure Trust wide and Divisional objectives are met is pivotal to this role.

Main duties of the job:

• Deal with telephone enquiries in an efficient, tactful, and diplomatic manner, ensuring that any messages are passed on quickly.
• Liaise with relevant departments to ensure that any further actions/appointments are requested following transcription of clinical correspondence.
• The post holder will provide medical transcription and administrative support on attachment to clinical teams; guided by standard operating procedures.
• Provide non-clinical advice and information to patients/clients/relatives; exercising judgement when dealing with enquiries, analysing, and resolving appointment/admission schedule issues.
• Bring to the attention of the medical secretaries any investigations, results that are pending and require action following transcription of clinical correspondence.

Working for our organisation: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is ideally situated just a forty-five minute drive from Manchester. The Trust provides services to the 440,000 residents of Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre and North Lancashire, as well as specialist tertiary care for Cardiac and Haematology patients. As one of the United Kingdom’s largest coastal resorts, Blackpool has plenty to offer its residents – it’s not just a good place to work; it’s a great place to live. In addition to its bustling centre and historic seafront, the town is world famous for its many attractions, including the famous Blackpool Tower. Blackpool also offers a number of scenic cycling routes round our local parks and across the surrounding countryside, as well as boasting panoramic views of the coast on its picturesque Promenade. Further afield, Blackpool also benefits from less than three-hour connections via rail to Edinburgh in the north and London in the south.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• Collect and sort incoming mail to be actioned by medical secretary/consultant or other healthcare professionals.
• Undertake routine office duties including electronic case note tracking, photocopying, and filing of correspondence and results and maintenance of records when required.
• Participate in ensuring the effective use of all financial resources in delivering the service.
• Assist in the maintenance and ordering of stationery/stock items within the team.
• Contribute to the design and amendment of new template letters used for clinical communications as required.
• Participate in mentoring arrangements, with designated staff.
• Fully participate in the Trust’s appraisal system and personal development planning process on an annual basis.
• Assist in new staff induction together with the identification and support of their training requirements to include supervision of apprentices demonstrating own duties to less experienced staff.
• Maintain accurate, timely and legible records in accordance with Trust policy when accessing Trust Patient Information Systems to include MAXIMS, NEXUS, G2/Speech Exec and Email.
• Provide cover for the work of absent Medical Secretaries, across all Scheduled Care Departments, when necessary.

General:

• Implement Trust policies and comment on departmental procedures and guidelines.
• Ensure compliance with the Mandatory Training Programme in accordance with Trust policy.
• Compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Information Governance – the post holder is not entitled to use for their own benefit or gain, or to divulge to any persons, firm, or other organization whatsoever, any confidential information belonging to the Trust or relating to the Trust’s affairs or dealings which may come to their knowledge during employment.
• Participate in service development projects undertaking staff surveys or audits as necessary to own work.

Person specification:

• Word processing - Qualified to RSA III/NVQ level 3 or equivalent qualification/demonstrable skills
• ECDL or equivalent qualification/demonstrable skills/experience
• NVQ level 2 business administration
• City and Guilds Certificate in Medical Terminology, or equivalent demonstrable skills/experience

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Programmes
• Experience of successfully working within tight time frames and to deadlines
• Experience of providing secretarial services in a hospital environment
• Experience of using NHS IM&T systems for data entry
• Experience of using digital dictation systems
• Experience of medical audio typing

• Ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner
• Good numerical skills
• Good command and understanding of English, punctuation and grammar

Any invitation to interview will be sent to the email account stated on your application form. If the role you have applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this as part of your pre-employment checks. Please note, you will be required to repay the cost on appointment. This will be collected via a salary deduction. You can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months from your salary or as a one-off payment on commencement in post. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £25.50, Standard DBS check £25.50 and Enhanced DBS check £53.50. You are encouraged where possible, to register for the DBS update service. This is an annual registration fee of £16. By registering for the update service you will not have the additional cost of repeated disclosures. Should you withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. By submitting an application for this vacancy you are confirming your agreement to the above in the event you are successfully appointed. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here. Please ensure that you read the Person Specification attached below as your application will be judged against this. Please note that every effort will be made to keep the vacancy live until the published closing date, though there may be instances where such interest is generated, that for administrative reasons the post may close earlier. Please note that in line with national NHS guidelines this Trust operates a strict non-smoking policy. Members of staff are not permitted to smoke on Trust premises or grounds at any time nor take breaks during working hours for the purposes of smoking. The Trust does not offer interview expenses to shortlisted candidates unless indicated in the advert.