Medical Secretary

• Processing referrals following requests from GPs and other clinicians.
• Preparing and submitting referrals using appropriate electronic referral systems.
• Ensuring that relevant information and supporting documentation are included.
• Managing referrals that are returned, rejected or require further information.
• Liaising with clinicians where additional information or action is required.
• Liaising with hospitals, community services and other healthcare providers.
• Responding to patient queries regarding the administrative progress of their referral.
• Ensuring referral-related correspondence, actions and outcomes are accurately recorded within the patient record.
• Running regular referral searches to support audit, monitoring and safety-netting.
• Reviewing referral searches to identify outstanding actions, potential delays, rejected or returned referrals and other referrals that may require further review or follow-up.
• Supporting referral audits to help ensure referrals have been processed appropriately and expected actions have been completed.
• Escalating concerns, delays or potential safety-netting issues appropriately.

• Provide day-to-day administrative support to GPs and other members of the clinical team.
• Process administrative requests arising from patient care.
• Obtain and follow up information required by clinicians.
• Liaise with hospitals, community teams and other healthcare organisations on behalf of the clinical team.
• Process correspondence and documentation requiring clinical input.
• Progress appropriate non-clinical actions on behalf of clinicians.
• Ensure outstanding administrative work is followed through appropriately.
• Recognise when an issue requires clinical input and direct this to the appropriate clinician.
• Help reduce avoidable administrative workload for clinicians by taking ownership of appropriate non-clinical tasks.

• Processing death notifications and associated documentation and administrative actions.
• Managing incoming and outgoing correspondence.
• Updating patient records accurately.
• Processing forms, letters and other documentation.
• Following up outstanding information and correspondence.
• Liaising with patients and external organisations.
• Supporting administrative workflows across the practice.
• Identifying outstanding actions and ensuring these are progressed appropriately.
• Escalating potentially urgent issues or concerns to the appropriate person.
• Providing general administrative support to the practice where required.

• Insurance reports and requests.
• Benefits-related reports and supporting information.
• DVLA requests.
• Private letters and reports.
• Travel cancellation documentation.
• Fit-to-fly and other travel-related requests.
• Other private forms, reports and administrative requests.

• Respond to telephone enquiries relating to administrative matters.
• Provide appropriate updates regarding referrals.
• Respond to queries regarding reports, forms, letters, correspondence and other documentation.
• Explain administrative processes and next steps clearly to patients.
• Contact patients when additional information is required.
• Communicate sensitively and professionally, including when dealing with difficult or potentially challenging enquiries.
• Recognise when a query should be passed to reception, a clinician or another appropriate member of the practice team.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the administration team and wider practice.
• Develop effective working relationships with GPs, clinicians, reception colleagues and management.
• Take responsibility for allocated work and follow tasks through to completion.
• Prioritise their workload appropriately, taking account of urgency and patient need.
• Support colleagues during periods of absence or increased workload.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and handle information appropriately at all times.
• Work in accordance with practice policies, procedures and information governance requirements.
• Contribute to the ongoing review and improvement of administrative processes.
• Participate in audit and monitoring activity, including referral searches designed to identify outstanding work and support effective safety-netting.
• Raise concerns or identify areas where administrative processes could be improved.

• Transparency: communicating openly and clearly, keeping patients and colleagues appropriately informed and raising concerns when they arise.
• Kindness: treating patients, colleagues and others with patience, understanding and respect.
• Quality: taking pride in producing accurate, timely and reliable work and contributing to improvements in the service we provide.
• Integrity: acting professionally and honestly, maintaining confidentiality, taking responsibility for our actions and doing the right thing for our patients and the practice.

Essential

• Previous experience working in a busy administrative or secretarial role.
• Experience managing a varied workload and working to deadlines.
• Experience dealing with confidential or sensitive information.
• Experience communicating with members of the public by telephone.

Desirable

• Previous experience working in general practice, primary care or the NHS.
• Previous medical secretarial experience.
• Experience processing or managing patient referrals.
• Experience liaising with hospitals, community services or other healthcare providers.
• Experience processing reports, forms or other private/non-NHS work.
• Experience using a clinical system such as SystmOne.

Essential

• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing accurate work.
• Confident and professional telephone manner.
• Good written communication skills.
• Confident using IT systems and able to learn new systems and processes.
• Ability to take ownership of tasks and follow work through to completion.
• Ability to identify outstanding actions and follow these up appropriately.
• Ability to recognise when an issue or concern needs to be escalated.
• Ability to work independently while also contributing effectively as part of a team.
• Understanding of confidentiality and the importance of appropriately handling patient information.

Desirable

• Knowledge of referral pathways and NHS referral processes.
• Understanding of referral safety-netting and the importance of following up outstanding actions.
• Experience running searches, reports or audits to identify outstanding work.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.