Support Secretary - Neurosurgery

To provide a comprehensive support medical secretarial service to an allocated clinical area in an efficient and timely manner. This will be to support our expanding ESP team, as well as supporting the existing secretarial team.

Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

To support the medical secretarial team with:

Responsible to undertake the role of support medical secretary to an allocated clinical team

Ensuring strict adherence and compliance to all Trust Policies and procedures

About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Job responsibilities

Communication

• Communicates complex, sensitive, contentious information with a range of stakeholders, where persuasion or negotiation is required
• Communicates complicated administrative information to staff from other departments, and external contacts such as Devon Referral Support Service and the Clinical Commissioning Group.
• Contribute to changes in departmental policies and procedures for improving patient care.

Knowledge, Training and Experience:

4.Knowledge of secretarial and administrative procedures and systems.

5.Knowledge of procedures and conditions within Neurosurgery to work with external partners to transfer the care of suitable patients.

6.Excellent understanding of RTT rules and codes and how to apply them.

• Co-ordination of speciality waiting lists/PTLs, including Cancer PTL, within the framework of the Trusts Waiting List Policy.
• Work with the service line management team to ensure key performance standards in relation to patient access are met.

Analytical and Judgemental skills:

9.Exercises judgement when dealing with enquiries. Analyses information to resolve problems for patients, carers and staff, eg travel issues, appointment issues.

Planning and Organisation Skills:

10.Organises meetings as and when required for mutual aid.

• Sort and deal with all correspondence, keeping a satisfactory record and filing system
• Required to cover for other colleagues during annual leave/sickness or peak workloads
• Provide other secretarial assistance to the team as required, typing up correspondence, references for junior staff and administration and maintain filing system of this correspondence

For further details please see the attached JD & PS

Person Specification Knowledge & Experience

• Demonstrable experience with patient management systems
• Proven understanding of Primary Target Lists, and waiting list management.
• Proven understanding of local and national access policies

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration or equivalent level of qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience

Aptitude and Abilities

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good communication skills, written and verbal.
• Ability to handle difficult/distressed patients in a sensitive and empathetic manner

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This 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.