JOB DESCRIPTION

TITLE OF POST: Gastroenterology Medical Secretary

SALARY BAND: Band 3
LOCATION: Hammersmith Hospital
RESPONSIBLE TO: Business Delivery Manager
ACCOUNTABLE TO: Business Manager
HOURS PER WEEK: 15 hours per week

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Values

We are absolutely committed to ensuring that our patients have the best possible experience within
our hospitals. We are looking for people who are committed to delivering excellent patient care,
whatever their role, and who take pride in what they do. We place a high value on treating all
patients, customers and colleagues with respect and dignity, and seek people who strive for
excellence and innovation in all that they do.

We value all of our staff and aim to provide rewarding careers and benefits, fulfilling work
environments and exciting opportunities.

As an organisation we expect everyone to be


Kind - We are considerate and thoughtful, so you feel respected and included.
Collaborative - We actively seek others’ views and ideas, so we achieve more together.
Expert - We draw on our diverse skills, knowledge and experience, so we provide the best
possible care.
Aspirational - We are receptive and responsive to new thinking, so we never stop learning,
discovering and improving.

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Aim of the Role:
The role of the medical secretary is to provide a full secretarial and administrative service to the
consultants and junior medical staff at Imperial College NHS Trust.

Key Working Relationships:

The postholder is directly responsible to the Business Delivery Manager and works in close liaison
with the consultants and their team. The day-to-day working relationships include face to face,
telephonic and electronic communication other with administrative and clerical staff, all staff groups
within the Trust, numerous outside agencies including patients, their carers and GPs, Medical reps.

Key Result Areas:

1. Forming part of the clinical secretariat service for the Directorate of Medicine.
2. Establishing, maintaining and monitoring excellent office and information system.
3. Ensuring quality and customer care standards are met where relevant.
4. Commitment to Directorate of Trust objectives.

1. Forming part of the clinical secretariat service for the Directorate of Medicine:
1.1 Clinical secretary to departmental nurses and consultants including junior medical staff. This
includes audio typing of clinic letters, or by use of Dictate IT Transcribing service, all non-
clinical correspondence and reports, discharge summaries, transfer and death summaries;
arranging clinic appointments; obtaining test results.
1.2 To act as the representative for the clinical team to gain, convey or gather information from
external agencies, the internet or other departments within the Trust. Providing the information
to the relevant person accurately and within deadlines.
1.3 Proficient use of electronic remote transcription service, proof reading clinical correspondence
and typing in relevant patient information as necessary.
1.4 Close liaison with the Appointments Office/Call Centre making/rearranging appointments for
patients.
1.5 Responsible for liaising with the central booking office and call centre regarding clinic
cancellations on behalf of the clinical team. Ensuring that requests for closures are actioned.
1.6 Responsible for prioritising the secretarial and administrative workload within set deadlines,
accommodating urgent requests as necessary.
1.7 Requesting and collecting medical records, diagnostic test results and maintaining an
accurate record of medical records booked out.
1.8 To support orientation of temporary staff (where necessary) within the department to ensure
minimal disruption to service.
1.9 Responsible for processing all patient transport and courier requests, ensuring all relevant
authorisation signatures are obtained, and follow-up with relevant departments to ensure
action, keeping patients informed of progress.
1.10 Ensuring medical records are signed by Consultant for Legal matters.
1.11 Acting as representative for the consultants in liaising with drug company representatives
and other agencies.
1.12 Liaising with other departments/hospitals regarding specific patient's treatment or care
pathway and ensuring patients notes are kept up to date and accurate. Copying of patient's
medical records and arranging couriers as necessary.
1.13 To provide, as appropriate, and in liaison with Senior Medical Secretary, cover for other
secretaries within the team, including roles that are part of their job descriptions but are not
necessarily listed here.
1.14 Supporting the triaging of E-Referrals using E-Vetting or other trust software.

2. Establishing, maintaining and monitoring excellent office and information systems:

2.1 Maintaining the filing system/handling/sorting of results.
2.2 Ensure all clinical correspondence is effectively stored both electronically (on the
departmental shared drive) and manually to ensure prompt retrieval of information as
requested.
2.3 Responsible for handling all incoming mail for the department, making decisions about
appropriate person to deal with it; follow up items on own initiative where appropriate.

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 2.4 To use the integrated computerised hospital system (Cerner) to determine patients’
information, to check for accuracy of records and to up date as required.
2.5 Maintaining an efficient diary system for a consultant.
2.6 Responsible for assessment and maintenance of equipment and stationary needs and
ensuring that these are provided at sufficient levels for the daily business of the department
with responsibility for checking deliveries are made in a timely fashion.
2.7 Collection and booking out of medical records for clinical matters as necessary, ensuring that
it is always clear which medical records are in the office or where they have been booked out.
2.8 Responsible for keeping record of referrals received to the department.
2.9 To use local database as appropriate.
2.10 Work within guidelines set out by the Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act.
2.11 Acting on information received from line manager regarding any new procedures or
protocols which need to be followed by medical secretaries in the Medical Directorate and make
appropriate changes.

3. Ensuring quality and customer care standards are met where relevant:
3.1 Provide first contact for all queries to the department, either managing the concern directly or
acting as the liaison between the caller and the appropriate member of the clinical team.
3.2 Ensure all enquiries to the department are dealt with politely, courteously, promptly and
professionally.
3.3 Responsible as appropriate, for local resolution of complaints by both internal and external
contacts, ensuring the highest standards of customer care.
3.4 Liaising with PALS or the complaints office regarding queries/complaints, obtaining patient
records and liaising with the doctors concerned.
3.5 Attend customer care courses as appropriate.
3.6 Working with the information department and line manager to ensure that clinic letters and
discharge summaries are received by GP’s within the specified time limits.
3.7 Auditing of Trust quality standards as requested with regard to discharge summaries or any
other part of the service that may be necessary.

4. Commitment to Directorate and Trust objectives:

4.1 Undertake annual IPR and PDP.
4.2 Adopt and implement agreed service developments in line with the Directorate and Trust
objectives.

General Responsibilities

 Any other duties commensurate with the grade of this post, including adherence to appropriate
Trust policies.

Scope and Purpose of Job Description

A job description does not constitute a ‘term and condition of employment’. It is provided only as a
guide to assist the employee in the performance of their job. The Trust is a fast moving organisation
and therefore changes in employees’ duties may be necessary from time to time. The job description
is not intended to be an inflexible or finite list of tasks and may be varied from time to time after
consultation/discussion with the postholder.

Confidentiality
The post-holder must maintain confidentiality of information about staff, patients and health service
business and be aware of the Data Protection Act (1984) and Access to Health Records Act (1990).

Health and Safety

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The post-holder should be aware of the responsibility placed on employees under the Health and
Safety at Work Act (1974) to ensure that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a
safe environment.

Management of a Violent Crime

The Trust has adopted a security policy in order

- to help protect patients, visitors and staff

- to safeguard their property

All employees have a responsibility to ensure that those persons using the Trust and its services are
as secure as possible.

Equal Opportunities
The Trust is aiming to promote equal opportunities. A copy of our policy is available from the Human
Resources Department.

The policy seeks to ensure that no job applicant or employee is discriminated against, harassed or
victimised, either directly or indirectly on the grounds of ethnic origin, race, disability, religion, or
belief, sexual orientation, gender or marital status. The trust commits itself to promote equal
opportunities and will keep under review its policies, procedures and practices.

No Smoking
The Trust operates a non-smoking policy. Anyone who wishes to smoke may do so only in one of the
designated smoking rooms at a time agreed with their Senior Medical Secretary.

Variation
The job description gives a general outline of the duties of the post and is not intended to be an
inflexible or finite list of tasks. It may be varied, from time to time after consultation with the post
holder.

Medical Examinations
All appointments within the National Health Service are subject to pre-employment health screening.

Professional Association/Trade Union Membership

It is the policy of the Trust to support the system of collective bargaining and as an employee in the
Health Service; you are therefore encouraged to join a professional organisation or trade union. You
have the right to belong to a trade union and to take part in its activities at any appropriate time and to
seek and hold office in it. Appropriate time means a time outside working hours.

Terms and Conditions

In adopting Agenda for Change (1 December 2004 unless modified by the Secretary of State and
with terms and conditions backdated to 1 October 2004) the Trust will incorporate terms and
conditions of the new national arrangements and any changes agreed by the NHS Staff Council’s
determinations from time to time – excluding any flexibilities agreed locally between the Trust and its
employee representatives, or any agreements reached on an individual basis between the Trust and
an employee (e.g. where a member of staff prefers to retain an existing Trust contract).

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 PERSON SPECIFICATION

POST: Medical Secretary

DEPARTMENT: Directorate of Medicine

REPONSIBLE TO: Business Support Coordinator

ATTRIBUTE / ESSENTIAL MEASUREMENT

SKILLS
EDUCATION GCSE or equivalent CV
General Application Form
Literate
English – oral & written
Medical terminology

SKILLS / ABILITIES Fast, accurate typing ability Application Form

Word-processing Interview
MS Word
Computer literacy
Excellent communication skills (oral and written)
Good interpersonal skills
Ability to use initiative
Good organisational skills

EXPERIENCE 1 year Secretarial experience (other relevant Application form

experience will also be considered) Interview
References
Administration experience

Team work
COMMUNICATION English – oral & written Application form
SKILLS Customer Care skills Interview
Tact
Diplomacy
Accuracy with sensitive Information
Assertiveness skills
Empathy
PERSONAL QUALITIES Enthusiasm Application form
Good time keeping Interview
Ability to meet deadlines and
Respond to changing priorities
Good interpersonal skills
Team Player
Flexible approach to work
Adaptable
Smart, professional appearance
Able to work under pressure
Self motivated
Use initiative

PHYSICAL QUALITIES

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