[ref. k02694700] Medical Secretary

As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Click on this link to find out about our values https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/p/about-us/our-trust-values

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated individual to provide an effective and efficient secretarial service to the Paediatric Oncology and Haematology Department at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. The successful candidate should ideally have a range of secretarial/administrative experience and skills.

The department is fast paced due to the nature of the specialty. The successful candidate will need to be able to demonstrate being a team player and working well in a multidisciplinary team.

They will be working in a busy department with other secretaries and will need the ability to work independently and manage their own workload.

As the successful candidate will be dealing with patients, relatives and other healthcare professionals on the phone/via email, applicants must have excellent communication skills and a courteous and empathetic telephone manner.

The successful candidate will need to have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365. They should also have experience of proofreading and editing.

We would welcome applications for those that meet the essential criteria for this role.

• To liaise with and act as a point of contact for clinical and non-clinical staff via telephone and email
• To act as a point of contact for patients, relatives and carers. The post holder should be polite and empathetic to the patient’s needs at all times and be able to communicate effectively when dealing with difficult situations/conversations
• Returning calls promptly and keeping callers updated with information in an effective and efficient way
• Escalate patient queries, capacity problems and general issues to the role’s line manager or relevant clinical staff as appropriate
• To show a caring and professional approach towards patients, relatives and carers. This may require acting with resilience to deal with sometimes distressed patients and relatives in a professional and empathetic manner

Working for our organisation

Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We would welcome applications from those who meet the essential criteria as set out in the person specification. This includes having a qualification (pass or distinction) in audio transcription, word processing or have relevant experience.

For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and person specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

• Educated to GCSE, grade C or above (or equivalent) in English Language and Maths
• Qualified in word processing or audio typing (or equivalent)
• Business and Administration Level 3 NVQ or equivalent experience

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of dealing with the public, both on the telephone and in person

• Clerical / administrative experience
• Previous NHS experience
• Understanding of medical terminology

Skills and Abilities

• Effective and polite manner when dealing with people, both face to face and on the phone
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines whilst maintaining a high standard of accuracy
• Ability to work effectively in a busy team, adjust to change and motivate others
• Ability to work on your own, using your own initiative, if required
• Confidence to handle difficult conversations with patients, relatives and carers
• Ability to adapt to use new computer packages and programmes
• Effective organisational skills
• Good IT skills including Microsoft packages
• Attention to detail

Aptitudes

• Supportive
• Respectful
• Innovative
• Collaborative

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
• UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
• Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

IMPORTANT:

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.