Medical Secretary - Basildon | Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

The Medical Secretaries are an important part of a team and are very much in the front line with the patients and their families. To provide a vital link for staff, patients, relatives and outside agencies as required. Your main responsibilities will be to provide comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to the Consultant and their team. Previous medical secretarial experience in a mental health or other NHS setting, or clinical systems knowledge is highly desirable. Audio typing skills and experience in a similar role would be beneficial. Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

Responsibilities

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
• We run recognition awards to recognise staff\’s hard work and dedication. To become an effective member of the Medical Secretariat, developing productive working relationships with other members of the team, developing and demonstrating a sound understanding of the aims and business activities of the Trust. To ensure that all dealings are conducted in a manner that reflects the professional reputation of the Secretariat.
• To work flexibly to provide efficient, high quality secretarial, administrative and support services to the Consultant and their medical colleagues as required and to maintain office cover.
• To produce documents such as clinic letters and discharge summaries. Clinician\’s reports, general correspondence, minutes and presentations, etc., using audio, shorthand or copy typing skills as required. This element of the job requires sustained concentration as it involves understanding the diverse accent and use of English of the doctor and the transcription of dictations that use medical terminologies, medications, abbreviations and local practices. There will be frequent interruptions requiring urgent/immediate response.
• Process case-notes of patients discharged from clinical caseloads; follow through ongoing care plans as indicated in reports. Allocate notes to relevant clinician or ensure that any standard letters are completed as appropriate. Where standard letters have been generated, ascertain from reports whether any supplementary letter/action is required and deal with appropriately.
• To ensure that follow up appointments or referrals to other specialties are arranged where necessary.
• Ensure that discharge summaries and other time-sensitive information are dictated and typed within the designated time limits.
• To manage and prioritise own workload appropriately, frequently under pressure, without supervision.
• To react quickly to urgent situations in order to coordinate an excellent service to patients/their carers, health professionals and other professional bodies.
• Excellent communication skills are vital: good relationships need to be established and maintained with other medical/professional staff (other external doctors) involved in patient care in order to ensure that these personnel engage in taking action where there is an urgent situation requiring their input.
• Excellent telephone skills are required to communicate with patients with neuro-developmental and neuro-disability health conditions. The medical secretary is the first point of contact for these patients. Extreme patience, understanding and sensitivities required in such situations: they can be time-consuming and the patient needs to be reassured that their situation will be attended to and a response given at the earliest opportunity.
• To pass on information received from patients/carers regarding their health condition, medication, problems they are experiencing, etc. to the Consultant and to ensure that this is done in an accurate and timely manner. This role is essential in the smooth running of patients\’ care.
• To relay advice of a clinical nature to patients, carers, GPs and members of the clinical team, acting on the instructions of the Consultant, ensuring that this is done accurately and comprehensively.
• To maintain the upkeep of the Consultant\’s diary, to arrange meetings on their behalf, including the handling of associated administration such as room bookings, hospitality, the preparation and circulation of agendas and related papers as required and act as a point of contact for co‑ordinating and ensuring that necessary details are made available to the Consultants and Speciality Doctors.
• To participate, as required, in the arrangements for training programmes/conferences, ensuring that the relevant documentation is processed and that all necessary practical arrangements are in place for events to run smoothly.
• To provide effective support to the Consultant in the various specialist he/she is involved (e.g. academic, research, arranging conferences, service development, clinical director, SI investigations, dealing with complaints, etc.), in order to provide a smooth and professional service in line with Trust policies.
• To record new patient referrals, ensuring that the information is processed appropriately within the Trust guidelines.
• To act as minute secretary at meetings/case conferences/working groups etc. when required, and to ensure that appropriate administrative follow‑up action is taken.
• Liaise with Reception Administrators for Appointments etc. regarding follow up – appointments and liaise with diagnostic services in arranging or expediting urgent or routine investigations.
• To arrange investigation appointments for patients at the request of the Consultant (e.g. bloods, EEGs, ECGs, X‑rays, MRI scans etc.) and, where appropriate, ensure all results are brought to the attention of the Consultant so that appropriate action can be taken.
• To coordinate actions for patients requiring admission, including liaison with the necessary professionals.
• Work as part of the clinical support team to ensure delivery of a comprehensive and effective administration service to clinical personnel across the directorate.
• Provide advice and demonstrate own activities or workplace routines to new or less experienced employees within the team.
• To maintain confidentiality within the role with clinical changes to pathways across the EPUT.
• To maintain a good understanding of clinical risk and in the absence of the Consultant, take the initiative to sign post the patient in crisis to the appropriate services such as crisis teams/helplines and alert the relevant professionals of the situation.
• To have a good working knowledge of the electronic patient records system used in the team. To participate in the process of updating these records with relevant information such as clinical information, personal data, email, telephone and paper based communications etc. in a timely fashion.
• To provide secretarial cover to other Consultant teams as necessary for colleagues on sick/annual leave and to work flexibly as a team member to ensure smooth and efficient flow of work through the service.
• To process applications for annual leave/study leave, of the doctors within the team ensuring that all relevant team members are aware of forthcoming absences and are advised of the cover arrangements in place.
• To submit invoices for Consultants\’ expenses for work related activities in a timely manner ensuring that payments are processed.
• To ensure that post/email/telephone enquiries are promptly sorted, recorded and actioned as appropriate, filtering them in an efficient manner in order to organise and assist with the workflow of the Team. To exercise initiative where appropriate in responding to incoming mail by drafting responses.
• To co‑operate with others towards maintaining efficient filing, records and bring‑forward systems, properly indexed and cross‑referenced, to ensure that location of all documents and files are properly recorded and that they are readily accessible.
• To be able to access and use the NHS and the Trust information systems, e.g. to retrieve patient care related information.
• To maintain and order stocks of stationery.
• To take responsibility for the care and maintenance of the office equipment supplied to secretaries and the Consultants. To notify the IT Department of any problems with the computers and the other relevant repair services for equipment used.
• To assist with the collection and collation of data and information, including statistical information relevant to the consultant\’s scope of work to assist them to carry out their work efficiently.
• To provide day to day support and assistance to new and temporary members of staff within the team as part of induction and good team working.
• To assist in the induction of trainee doctors new to the Consultant\’s team on a regular rotational basis. Provide them with a package of template letters, including the admission and discharge summaries to help them formulate their correspondence. Provide them with a timetable of activities, clinics, ward rounds etc. Provide directions where appropriate and help organise transport.
• To maintain a system to ensure that the doctors, during the induction, are provided with the available personal safety alarms, Dictaphone, bleeps, and keys. An up-to-date log of these to be maintained to facilitate the retrieval and re‑allocation as the doctors in the team change over.
• To have awareness of and be compliant with performance indicators including patient choice, waiting times, Was Not Bought (WNB) etc. to meet government/star rating targets.
• To adhere to the principles and processes defined within the equal opportunities provision.
• To report any health & safety issues or fire hazards to the Manager and take immediate action to minimise any risk or hazard.
• To fully comply with the GDPR and related policies.
• To recognise the sensitivity of business undertaken and to ensure strict confidentiality.

This challenging position requires someone who is a team player, flexible, organised and is able to work well under pressure. The post holder will provide comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to the Consultant and clinical team. As a medical secretary, you will be the first point of contact for patients, doctors and staff throughout the Trust. This position requires excellent communication skills, dedication to exceptional patient care and service, the ability to meet the demands of working in a busy environment and is able to represent their team and department with due professionalism. A vacancy has arisen for a Medical Secretary in the Mental Health Team for Mid Essex. We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated person who is flexible and has excellent secretarial and communication skills. You must have the ability to work unsupervised and under pressure and be able to deal sympathetically with patients and relatives of people with mental health problems.

Benefits

• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years\’ service.
• Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us.
• Season ticket loans are interest‑free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.
• Work that wraps around your needs.
• Work bank: You can use the opportunity to supplement your income and develop your skills by working bank shifts.
• Flexible working: available from day one for most roles.