Consultant Secretary / Deputy Administration Lead - Cardiac
As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.
We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £250m estates programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.
In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train.The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.
We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.
We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.
At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.
As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.
Job overview
Are you a very reliable, hardworking, strong person who has high standards and likes to do an excellent job? And are you known for always going the extra mile?
The successful post holder will join another as Band 4 Consultant secretary and together will support a consultant in a busy office along with being deputy admin lead in the admin managers absence. You will be expected to work closely with the allocated Cardiologists and support all associated administrative aspects.Flexibility will be essential to this role with the expectation of cross cover for colleagues according to demand and service requirements e.g. for example during leave.
The successful applicant will have at least RSA III typing or equivalent. We are looking for a motivated individual, who thrives under pressure ideally with previous NHS Consultant secretarial experience. Medical terminology and excellent general secretarial and organisational skills are key.A team player is a vital ingredient in this role with a flexible attitude to work.
The work revolves around- Audio typing of clinic, result letters, clinic preparation
- Telephone queries internal and external
- Any other administration duties as required
- Hands on day to day support for the admin team to ensure day to day work is evenly distributed and organised
- Some line management experience
Interview Date: TBC
Main duties of the job- To provide full comprehensive secretarial service to the Consultants in Cardiology
- Typing of letters using audio typing / digital dictation
- Responsible for the line management of a team of medical secretaries/administration staff
- Organise meetings, type and distribute minutes.
Working for our organisation
Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.
UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.
This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities- Typing clinic/additional letters to GPs, patients, and other Allied Health Professionals.
- Provide a fast, accurate audio typing service using the Trust electronic systems.
- Covering other secretaries during periods of absence.
- Clinic Preparation
- Process referrals and booking appointments.
- Manage Consultant emails/diaries and action where appropriate.
- Undertake any administrative tasks required by Admin Manager
- Relieve the Consultant of administrative tasks not pertaining to clinical work wherever possible.
- Organize meetings and take minutes.
- Provide Line management support of a team of medical secretaries/administration staff, providing professional leadership, supervision and motivation, delivering a high quality service in admin managers absence
- To ensure the values of UHD are maintained and practiced on a daily basis ensuring all patients are treated with dignity and respect to ensure a high standard of service delivery is maintained.
- Ensure that meeting agendas, papers, venues and attendees are prepared sufficiently far in advance. Attend meetings to take minutes.
- Manage telephone enquiries and take appropriate action.
- To be aware of RTT pathways to adjust patient RTT clock according to treatment plan, liaising with validator or service managers as required.
- Deputize for Admin manager on occasion of leave or sickness –
- On occasion line manage and day to day management of medical secretaries and admin team in cardiology.
- Coordinate, maintain and update the middle grade on call rota and Rotawatch, always ensuring appropriate cover. Arrange cover in conjunction with the lead fellow and directorate manager, including advertising and escalating locum shifts on hospital systems.
- Coordinate, approve and manage annual/study/sick leave for Consultant Cardiologists, ensuring that adequate staffing is always available in agreement with the Clinical Director and the Directorate Manager.
- Manage electronic computer diaries.
- Support cardiology with Cardiology Secretaries inbox – ensuring comms are distributed to correct secretary
- Support Cardiology PA with Advice and Guidance queries ensuring that these are responded to by the correct consultants on their scheduled week
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- RSA level III or equivalent touch typing/computer skills
- GCSE in English and Maths or equivalent
- Medical terminology qualification
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience working as an NHS medical secretary
- Significant administration and clerical experience
- Demonstrable experience of managing a team of staff to deliver excellent customer service.
- Experience in customer service and administration duties
- NHS hospital experience
- Leadership experience of managing people
- Experience in an administration/HR function such as bookings, rotas, leave planning or waiting list management.
Technical Skills and Competencies
Essential criteria- Accurate spelling and grammar
- Audio and Digital typing
- Minute taking skills.
- Competent in using Microsoft Office Software particularly Word, Outlook, Excel.
- Excellent communication skills in person, via telephone and written
- Tomcat
- ECAMIS
- EPR
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Understanding of secretarial procedures
- Knowledge of medical terminology
- Knowledge of software programmes including Microsoft Office
- To understand and be able to maintain confidentiality. Knowledge of information governance
- Understanding of National 18 week rules and targets
- Knowledge of waiting list targets, systems and procedures
- Knowledge of local hospital systems
- Experience of workforce processes including recruitment, appraisal, disciplinary procedures and managing attendance.
- Ability to answer patients queries or know where to refer them
other
Essential criteria- Able to organise own and team workload, managing competing demands on your time
- Adaptable - have daily tasks to perform and arrange work around these to meet any deadlines, i.e. consultant daily commitments, consultant correspondence and management of appointments
- People Management skills
- Ability to work as part of a busy team and also using own initiative.
- Ability to deal with emotionally stressful situations and resolve confrontational issues both face to face and via telephone.
- Ability to prioritise own and others workload appropriately and work to deadlines.
- Team member
Please note:
Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.
This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.
COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.
Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.