Secretary / Administrator MSKAPS, Band 3

At Gloucestershire Hospitals, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the county’s largest employer, we are proud to provide high-quality acute, elective, and specialist services to more than 650,000 people across our county. Our care is delivered across Gloucestershire Royal, Cheltenham General and Stroud Maternity Hospital.

We’re investing heavily in innovation, research, and transformation, with more than 100 active clinical studies and major developments underway across our hospitals.

We offer structured development programmes, mentoring and leadership opportunities to help you progress in your career.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from a comprehensive package that includes flexible working opportunities, generous annual leave, the NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, local discounts, access to on-site nurseries, reduced public transport costs, reward and recognition schemes and a wide range of health and wellbeing initiatives.

Be part of Gloucestershire Hospitals, explore your future with us today.

Job overview

Our Service has the opportunity for an Administrator / Secretary to support the Physiotherapy led MSK Specialist Triage and Advanced Practitioner Service. This will incorporates a single point of referral for GPs accessing both Orthopaedic and Musculoskeletal Advanced Practitioner Services.

We are looking to recruit a flexible candidate who is able work between the Trust’s two hospital sites, Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General Hospitals.

Main duties of the job

To provide an efficient, confidential and professional secretarial and administrative support to MSKAPS, working as part of a Trust wide team.

To provide effective communication with patients, relatives, medical and hospital staff, in order to ensure a proficient high quality service.

The workload is generated by the MSK Advanced Practitioner Team, including the Consultant Physiotherapist and Clinical lead of MSKAPS. The post holder will have no budget or management responsibilities.

Supervision and day to day management is provided by the Lead Administrator of MSKAPS.

The successful applicant will not only have broad, proven administrative skills, but a forward thinking mindset and a clear sense of direction regarding personal and service development. Structured induction training and mentorship will enable integration into our friendly and committed team.

A high degree of computer literacy is vital.

Working for our organisation

We take pride in placing people at the centre of everything we do, working together as a united team. Driven by a shared ambition to continually grow, develop, and learn, we recognise and value every contribution. By combining our experience and skills, we not only support our vibrant, diverse communities, but also support one another.

With a team of over 9,000 employees, we are proud to be the largest employer in Gloucestershire and rank among the top 10 largest Trusts in the South West region. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from an excellent package that includes exclusive benefits, flexible working opportunities and the chance to gain valuable experience in one or both of our innovative hospitals.

As well as generous annual leave allowance, you will have access to the excellent NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, discounts at local shops and restaurants, access to two on-site nurseries, discounted public transport, reward and recognition and a range of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

• To ensure timely review of referrals by clinicians and subsequent processing of those referrals. Organise clinics including the booking of appointments, changing and cancelling appointments in negotiation with patients and generate appropriate paperwork. Ensure high utilisation of clinics to maximise capacity. Recording timely and appropriately on the hospital IT system.
• Typing of correspondence following clinic attendance or patient contact as directed by practitioners and subsequent filing in the health record. Typing reports, both for medical use and for regular service reporting.
• Recording appointment and contact outcomes on the hospital system and service databases. Highlighting patient queries, results or correspondence to clinical team member and taking relevant action. To provide reception cover as required.
• Communicate confidently and effectively with key specialists at all levels within and external to the Trust to ensure smooth running of the service.

• To support the advanced practitioner service by arranging meetings and venues, organising and distributing paperwork as required. Typing of minutes and reports as required.
• To utilise the service databases for recording patient activity and outcomes. Take part in clinical governance activities including implementation of data collection systems to ensure continued service evaluation and compliance with clinical governance. To support and implement service improvements.
• To work as part of the administrative team for MSKAPS taking initiative and working flexibly to ensure an equitable workload across the team and performed to an excellent, efficient and safe standard. To liaise with relevant team members to ensure the smooth running of any process changes/developments. To cover colleagues during absences/annual leave/sick leave. This includes the departmental secretary with response to solicitors/legal services requests for notes and reports in order to fulfil legal obligations, and liaison with the Legal and Complaints department as necessary. To assist in the training and development of colleagues.
• To comply with Trust and Departmental policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), Manual Handling, Data Protection Acts and patient confidentiality at all times. This will include demonstrating compliance with the terms of all safeguarding policies and processes relevant to the safeguarding of adults and children in the care of GHNHSFT and to undergo regular mandatory training concerned with safeguarding matters.

To communicate effectively with patients and carers potentially complex, sensitive or distressing information; in order to provide patient centred care. Patients may have communication, perceptual or cognitive/understanding difficulties.

To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with clinical and administration staff across the MSK Service to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service

To work and communicate effectively with wider Healthcare communities, including: GP Practices, other departments within the Trust and our community care colleagues

General Working Conditions

• The work pattern and workload are unpredictable and priorities can change daily
• Dealing with difficult situations with people who are distressed or angry
• Ability to adapt to new policies/procedures quickly and effectively

• Working in a busy environment with frequent interruptions and multi-tasking
• Working flexibly across sites with prioritising workload efficiently
• Having to think on your feet and problem solve.

• The post holder will be expected to sit predominantly at a desk but have frequent interruptions, with the need to move around the Therapy department.
• Use of VDU on a daily basis
• Dealing with sensitive and confidential information
• High levels of concentration are required in an environment of frequent interruptions either by telephone or face to face contacts
• Physical handling of health records on a daily basis. This can range from one set of notes to bags containing multiple sets

• It is the duty of every employee to work in such a way that accidents to themselves and to others are avoided, and to co-operate in maintaining their place of work in a tidy and safe condition, thereby minimising risk. Employees will, therefore, refer any matters of concern through their respective line managers.

• As part of your employment, you may be required to record Patient Information (computerised or on paper). You have a responsibility to ensure that information is entered accurately, completely and consistently. It is particularly important that patients’ demographic details are kept up to date. Problems should be reported to your manager.

• Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust operates a no smoking policy. Smoking is not permitted anywhere within the buildings and grounds of all Trust sites. These restrictions include all areas up to the boundaries of all sites.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Educated to GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in literacy or numeracy

Proficient and accurate audio-typing skills, minimum 60 wpm (RSA level 3 or equivalent)

Knowledge and Skills

Have a knowledge of medical terminology e.g. relevant experience as a medical secretary or the AMSPAR qualification

Able to communicate effectively and have a good understanding of English, punctuation and grammar.

Able to plan, problem solve and prioritise own workload effectively and independently

Experience

Substantial experience in a hospital or office environment and dealing with the general public

Personal Attributes

Flexible team worker

Proactive/takes own initiative

Committed to personal development

Person specification

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in literacy or numeracy

Qualifications

• Proficient and accurate audio-typing skills, minimum 60 wpm (RSA level 3 or equivalent)
• Computer literate in Microsoft Office packages

Experience

• Substantial experience in a hospital or office environment and dealing with the general public

Knowledge and skills

• Have a knowledge of medical terminology e.g. relevant experience as a medical secretary or the AMSPAR qualification
• Able to communicate effectively and have a good understanding of English, punctuation and grammar.
• Able to plan, problem solve and prioritise own workload effectively and independently

Personal Attributes

• Flexible team worker
• Proactive/takes own initiative
• Committed to personal development

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

You will only be contacted by the Recruitment Team via email if you are shortlisted for this post. Please ensure therefore that you check your e-mail account regularly.

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

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