Job Description

We are looking for a capable, supportive, and efficient Medical Secretary to join our welcoming yet fast-paced multi-disciplinary Diabetes Care for You team. This service supports individuals living with diabetes across Brighton and Hove as well as High Weald, Lewes, and Havens.



As part of a small team of medical secretaries, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality secretarial support to our Diabetes Consultants and rotating doctors, ensuring we continue to provide excellent care to our patients. The ideal candidate will possess strong organisational and communication skills, the ability to work independently and under pressure, and a proactive approach to following instructions. Problem-solving skills and an interest in contributing to the development of both administrative and clinical processes are essential, as we strive to improve efficiency and enhance the patient experience.

Please note:

Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules, this role is unlikely to be eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered. Candidates requiring sponsorship should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.



The community diabetes service is a multi-disciplinary team that includes Consultants, Diabetes Specialist Nurses, Dietitians, Podiatrists and Psychotherapists along with administrative and operational teams. Our aim is to help to improve health outcomes for people living with diabetes, and will meet the needs of the growing diabetes population across Brighton and Hove, and High Weald, Lewes and the Havens, both by providing interventions to people with diabetes and increasing the level of skills and knowledge within primary care.



The goal of the service is to enable patients to access education, information, advice and support to enable them to make informed choices about how to manage their condition, so that they can stay as well as possible for as long as possible and reduce their risk of diabetes related complications. Joint care planning and goal setting is a focus of our delivery model with patients in control and empowered to self-manage.



Please see the attached job description and person specification for more details.



We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.



Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.



Why work for us?

Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement Excellent training, development, and research opportunities Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our values -- Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence --guide everything we do.



We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.



This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.



Job overview



a) To provide a comprehensive and effective medical secretarial personal assistant administrative service to medical consultants within Diabetes Care For you, in order to facilitate good health care to patients. The work is confidential, can at times be challenging and complex, requiring compassion, tact, diplomacy and understanding when undertaking all channels of communication with patients, their families and other professionals.



b) Work within a small medical secretary team providing duties which include audio typing medical letters and reports within required time scales with accuracy. To ensure quality and content of data held on spread sheets is accurate and up to date. Manage, develop and initiate systems and procedures within the scope of the medical secretarial team and ensure compliance.



c) To undertake general office duties, including diary management and personal assistant support for the Consultant team, emailing, updating computer systems and ordering of stationery and clinical equipment/medical devices, being alert to financial restraints. Providing training and support to other administrative staff as required.



Communication and working relationships



a) Daily liaison with medical team and administrative colleagues within DCFY. Regular contact with other clinicians within the wider multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and those in partner organisations including GP surgeries, secondary care and local authorities. Exchange information with patients and their families on a variety of matters and procedures as required. Maintain effective working relationships within the small medical secretarial team within DCFY.



b) Undertake telephone calls and email correspondence, both external and internal, including sensitive communications in liaison with internal and external professionals, patients, and their carers and other agencies. Liaise with patients regarding appointments as required, exercise judgement and manage expectations when collaborating to support the needs and journey of the patient. Provides reassurance and advice to callers and passes on medical advice as asked to by the Consultants. Process orders when required using NHS ordering system and adhering to procurement processes.



c) The post holder is required to communicate complex confidential information regularly which may involve explaining complicated administrative processes. Communicates sensitive, contentious information requiring persuasion or negotiation as required. Provides reassurance and advice to callers and passes on medical advice as directed by the Consultants and clinical teams. Analyses information to resolve problems for patients, carers and staff, e.g. on appointments, diary commitments. Communicate with people on day-to-day matters in a form appropriate to then and to the situation.



d) Support the preparation of group materials if required, including the preparation of power point slides, literature handbooks and patient leaflets.



Main tasks



a) Audio-typing of clinics held by the Diabetes Consultants and Doctors on specialist rotation, including medical reports, referral letters and correspondence using medical terminology and confidential medical information. To compose letters as appropriate or directed. Type medical correspondence, documents, forms as required from audio or digital tape. Ensure timely dispatch of this correspondence. Proof-read, format and finish correspondence and medical reports that are visually attractive and have high standard of readability using Microsoft Office software



b) Assist in maintaining appointment systems, considering where improvements can be made. Takes initiative to prioritise appointments and commitments where possible or referring to the diary holder where necessary. Ensure all diary entries include accurate details of appointment with time and venue



c) Under direction of Consultants or line manager organise meetings, training events etc. ensuring venues, equipment and refreshments are available; prepare agendas, quality check papers and to ensure these are disseminated in accordance with required timescales



d) Use various web-based systems including dictations software, Microsoft office suite and SystmOne to support reporting for service delivery such as 18-week report.



e) Manage Medical Secretary generic mailbox to liaise with colleagues in the service, external stakeholders and healthcare professionals to obtain results, updates and reports for patients and ensure incoming clinical correspondence is dealt with quickly.



f) Undertake general office duties including electronic filing, photocopying, post etc. Process orders when required to, using NHS ordering systems and adhering to procurement processes.



g) Regularly review and communicate administrative procedures by attending staff meetings and through group email briefings. Makes judgements and advises others on compliance with procedures where there is any ambiguity.



Main responsibilities



a) Act as the first point of contact for the Diabetes Consultants, providing a comprehensive and efficient personal assistant/medical secretarial service.



b) Responsible for ensuring incoming clinical correspondence is dealt with quickly, ensuring anything urgent is brought to the Consultants' attention. To work with other agencies to obtain results as necessary.



c) Ensure urgent letters are typed first. Maintain concentration in order to check the quality of own work even when experiencing interruptions.



d) Take and transcribe formal and informal minutes as required utilising technology where it is efficient to do so, eg MS Teams recordings and translations.



e) To provide guidance to other secretarial staff within DCFY service.



f) Responsible for managing own workload, maintaining the quality of own work. Working independently and to provide cover for other members of the secretarial team as required.



g) To assist with the recruitment and selection process of administrative and secretarial staff, ensuring all relevant personnel documentation is completed as required. To be part of the shortlisting process and interview panel for the recruitment of staff. To attend necessary training to support this work.