Job summaryIf you relish a challenge and have a passion for helping others, an exciting opportunity has arisen for a Surgical Secretary within the Upper GI Surgery team at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This is a permanent post, 37.5 hours per week, working Monday to Friday. The successful candidate should be able to work proficiently in a fast paced environment and have exceptional organisational skills with the ability to effectively manage their own workload. We are looking for someone to provide a comprehensive administrative service to a busy consultant surgeon(s) and our patients. This post is part of a professional multi-skilled team working within the GI Surgery division. Applicants must be flexible to meet the needs of the service and have a positive approach to their work. A strong commitment to personal and professional development is desired.Main duties of the jobAs a surgical secretary, you will provide a comprehensive secretarial service to our consultant surgeons. This includes, but is not limited to, diary management, correspondence, referrals, phone calls, email management and general day-to-day office administration. The ideal candidate needs to have a high level of attention to detail and be able to work well under time constraints to ensure that local and national targets are met with regards to patient pathways.You will be the first point of contact for patients, our multi-professional colleagues and outside sources with queries and you will need to exercise initiative and judgment when dealing with these enquiries to ensure they are dealt with efficiently and appropriately. These contacts are made in a variety of ways therefore excellent communication skills on all levels are essential.You will also be responsible for managing and overseeing the elective surgery waiting list as well as planning and co-ordinating surgical admissions for our patients.As part of the secretarial service, you will be required to touch type from audio dictation a variety of documents. The role requires a certain level of understanding of medical terminology.As a secretary you will be dealing with a lot of confidential and sensitive information and our ideal candidate will understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality when dealing with personal information.About usGloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the largest employer in the county and with over 8,000 staff, we are one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK. We offer a generous annual leave allowance, excellent bank rates, access to the excellent NHS Pension Scheme, discounts for local shops, restaurants and services, access to our health and well-being hub, access to our two on-site nurseries, flexible working options, discounted public transport, reward and recognition schemes, exercise and activity classes and membership to our popular hospital choir.Job descriptionJob responsibilitiesKNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCEEducated to GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in English & MathsIT experience of Microsoft Office packagesIT capable to ensure proficient use of hospital computer systemsAn excellent, professional telephone manner to minimise conflict, resolve queries and maintain the reputation of the organisation when dealing with all callsProven organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and ability to work to deadlines in line with Trust targetsGood written and verbal communication skills with a good command and understanding of English, punctuation and grammarGood interpersonal skills for dealing with people internal and external to the organisationAbility to work flexibly within a teamAbility to work quickly and accuratelyAbility to use own judgement and initiative as appropriateGENERAL DUTIESProviding a comprehensive secretarial support to a busy consultant surgeon whilst being the first point of call for patients, GPs, family members and other professional colleagues and organisations.Typing correspondence to patients, GPs, medical staff and any other required addressee following clinical attendance or other patient contacts as directed by the Secretarial Supervisor.Tracking of results/ appointments and highlighting to the clinical team members any results, correspondence or patient queries that need response and taking action e.g. booking investigations, transcription, etc, to ensure that RTT guidelines are achieved for patients.Overseeing and managing elective waiting lists for inpatient and outpatient care alongside the utilisation of theatre lists.Checking of clinic outcomes to ensure accuracyTo work with the Central Booking Office to ensure that clinics are utilised to capacity.SPECIALITY SPECIFIC SUPPORTRegularly informing the secretarial supervisor about progress and flagging up as a matter of urgency any issues, for example, capacity or delays due to internal or external factors, difficult queries from patients, etcDiary management, including making appointments, booking meeting dates and venues, organising and distributing paperwork as required by the clinical team/supervisor.Supporting consultant staff with their additional responsibilities, such as clinical governance, Clinical Tutor role, etc. This may include setting up training days, teaching sessions, organising visitors, etc.Liaising with external organisations for the benefit and progress of patient care, such as Social Services, other hospitals etcSERVICE IMPROVEMENTUsing speciality databases for recording patient information/clinic activity for audit/survey purposes, as well as sending out any associated paperwork. Regular audit of data is undertaken and decisions can then be made by the department/team as to appropriate service improvements.Support the development of improvements to working practices and processes and contribute to service reviews and the implementation of new arrangements.As directed, support the resolution of complaints or concerns from patients/carers by helping to collate information and work with the supervisor to respond or escalate appropriately.TEAM WORKINGTo work cohesively with colleagues to ensure that administrative work is shared out equally and performed to excellent, efficient and safe standardsTo cover colleagues during absences/annual/sick leave as directed by lead management. You may also be required to undertake job rotation for cross cover as well as for development and training purposes.Undertaking routine office duties including electronic note tracking, photocopying, faxing, and filing of correspondence and results and maintenance of recordsAssist in the training and induction for new and existing colleaguesTake the initiative as and when required as well as working flexibly and adapting to the demands of the department/team as appropriateLiaise with relevant team members to ensure that any process changes run smoothly and efficiently.Undertake any other appropriate duties commensurate with the role, as required at the request of your line manager.COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPSMedical staff both junior and senior including consultantsNursing staffPatients, carers and relativesOther medical secretaries/ward clerksOutpatient staffHealth RecordsPathologyRadiologyGPs and GP practicesManagement, including Lead Co-ordinator and General Management teamOther NHS organisationsExternal bodies, such as solicitor practices, DVLA, social services, police, coroner's office etcPERSONAL DEVELOPMENTFully participate in the Trusts appraisal system review and personal development planning process on an annual basis (for an apprentice this may be more often)Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with line manager as part of the personal development planning processAchieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescalesContribute positively to the effectiveness and efficiency of the teams in which he/she worksContribute to a healthy and safe working environment by adhering to health and safety regulations and Trust policiesPHYSICAL EFFORT & WORKINGMovement of medical notes on a daily basis (Manual Handling Training Provided). This can range from one set of notes to bags weighing up to 15kgExposure to occasional unpleasant working conditions due to extremes of office temperatures and ward odours.Use of Visual Display Unit (VDU) on a daily basis (Workstation assessments undertaken), will be sitting at the desk all day.Dealing with sensitive and confidential informationThe work pattern may be unpredictable due to interruptions. High levels of concentration are also required when audio-typing. Priorities can change during the day.NBThis job description is not intended to form part of the contract of employment or to be a complete list of duties and responsibilities, but is a good guide for information to the job. It will be periodically reviewed in the light of developing work requirements in the department. The officer in the post will be expected to contribute to that review.Person SpecificationQualificationsEssentialGCSE English and Maths at Grade C or above, or equivalentDesirableTypewriting / word processing RSA Level 3 or equivalent practical experienceExperienceEssentialPrevious experience of dealing with members of the publicExperience of using own initiative, prioritising workload and utilising organisational skillsDesirablePrevious experience working in a busy officePrevious medical secretary/hospital/NHS service experienceExperience of data entry, maintaining databases and data validation of electronic recordsKnowledge / SkillsEssentialExcellent verbal skills and good command and understanding of English, punctuation and grammarProven organisational skillsEffective, fast and accurate keyboard skillsGood computer skills with working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, Outlook/Diary managementExcellent and accurate attention to detailDisclosure and Barring Service CheckThis post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.Employer detailsEmployer nameGloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustAddressTrustwideGloucester, CheltenhamGL1 3NNEmployer's websitehttps://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)