Medical Secretary - Ophthalmology

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical

1          Audio type written reports and correspondence, using word processing packages, for the Consultants and their teams. These may include outpatient reports, discharge summaries, operation notes and other relevant clinical and non-clinical correspondence.

2          Compose, as required, non-routine letters requiring tact, sympathy and understanding, on behalf of the Consultant or medical staff.

3          Where appropriate, ensure operation note templates are set up on the word processing system for the Consultant in preparation for his/her completion at the time of the patients’ surgical procedures.

4          Following authorisation by the clinician, ensure that clinic and discharge correspondence to GP’s and/or other Consultants are dispatched promptly and efficiently.

5          Following authorisation by the clinician, ensure correspondence to patients is dispatched promptly and efficiently.

6          Check all outgoing correspondence ensuring any instructions in the correspondence are carried out. These may include arranging outpatient clinic appointments, further investigations or surgical procedures. Dispatch the relevant investigation/operation request forms to the appropriate departments once completed by the Consultant or a member of the medical staff.

7          Take the necessary action as instructed by the Consultant with regards to patients who fail to attend clinic appointments, investigations or inpatient procedures.

8          Open and prioritise incoming correspondence (which is often of a highly sensitive and confidential nature) on behalf of the Consultant, ensuring that urgent correspondence receives prompt attention. In the Consultant’s absence, the Medical Secretary is responsible for ascertaining which correspondence requires referral to an appropriate clinician for urgent attention.

9          Manage patients’ investigation results. Check all incoming laboratory/radiology results, ensuring that abnormal results are communicated promptly to the appropriate clinician. Ensure all reports are seen and signed by the clinician prior to filing in case notes. Retrieve investigation results and reports from the Pathology, Radiology (PACS) and ADAMS systems, where applicable. Be responsible for chasing up any missing results.

10        Receive, manage and prioritise telephone and personal enquiries, complaints, messages and information from patients, relatives, GP’s, Consultants and other medical staff and external organisations on behalf of the Consultant and medical team. Deal with enquiries relating to the medical and social welfare of patients and relatives in a sensitive manner, referring to medical staff or other healthcare professionals where appropriate. When responding to enquiries, ensure that relevant guidelines or protocols are followed.

11        Communicate appropriately with anxious patients and bereaved relatives.

12        Communicate appropriately with patients, relatives and healthcare workers who may be aggressive or irate.

13        Respond to enquiries from patients and healthcare personnel as appropriate. Provide empathy and reassurance to patients where necessary. If appropriate, with permission of and instructed by the Consultant, convey clinical/medical information to patients, medical, nursing, pharmacy or other healthcare staff.

14        Ensure GP and Consultant referral letters are made available to the Consultant for prioritising at the earliest possible opportunity.

15        Check referral letters, following prioritisation, for any instructions by the Consultant. Dispatch referral letters to the Appointments Department as soon as possible. Referrals which are inappropriate, sent to the incorrect Consultant or department or require processing by the Waiting List Department, to be recorded on the hospital information system and dispatched accordingly.

16        Liaise with GP’s as appropriate.

17        ArrAnge patients’ clinic appointments as instructed by the Consultant or medical team.

18        Liaise with other Consultants and their medical teams.

19        Liaise with nursing staff and other health care professionals.

20        Liaise with the Multidisciplinary team members, including medical and nursing staff, therapy staff and support staff.

21        Liaise with the Waiting List Department in respect of patients requiring hospital admission, ensuring that all relevant information or instructions are available prior to admission and in particular that any problem with the potential to delay admission/surgery is brought to the urgent attention of the relevant clinician. Where appropriate, liase with Pre-Assessment staff ie Surgical Nurse Practitioners or Anaesthetists to co-ordinate arrangements prior to admission.

22        Maintain RTT pathways using the hospital HISS system.

23        Liaise with patients in regard to admission into hospital for investigations and procedures, if required.

24        Liaise with medical and administration staff from peripheral hospitals with regard to clinics, theatre sessions, patients’ appointments, investigations, admission into hospital and general exchange of information where appropriate.

25        Liaise with diagnostic services in arranging or expediting urgent or routine investigations.

26        Liaise with Medical Records/Appointments Clerks/Reception Staff etc regarding the organisation of outpatient clinics and arranging appointments.

Administrative

27        Cancel and reduce clinics as requested by the Consultant, ensuring that the ‘6-week Rule’ is adhered to whenever possible. Where clinics are cancelled within the 6-week rule, ensure the appropriate forms are completed and dispatched to the appropriate persons.

28        Arrange ad hoc clinics and waiting list initiative clinics.

29        Monitor clinics on a regular basis to ensure efficiency.

30        Maintain an up-to-date diary and timetable of Consultant’s whereabouts (manual and/or electronically based).

31        Ensure duty rota is correct with regards to Consultant’s availability for clinical sessions due to annual/study leave and inform appropriate persons regarding discrepancies.

32        Assist a member of the Consultant staff in ensuring the adequate coverage of duty rotas by members of the junior medical staff.

33        Assist Consultant with related administrative duties such as arrangement of meetings, co- ordination of agenda items, collation of case notes for specialist review meetings.

34        Taking and transcribing minutes of meetings when required.

35        Assist in the training of relief medical secretarial staff.

36        Act as a point of contact with new junior doctors and ensure they are provided with the timetables and any appropriate information regarding the Consultant’s team.

37        Co-operate fully in the collection and input of clinical information into the Resource Management System in use within the Trust.

38        Arrange repair/replacement of office equipment, as necessary.

39        Order stationery and ad hoc items of equipment and supplies for the department.

40        Have up-to-date knowledge of Microsoft Word packages and be efficient in the use of e-mail and Internet.

41        To Cover work of absent secretarial colleagues and be prepared to work flexibly.

42        Be responsible where appropriate for the co-ordination of travel arrangements for the Consultant.

43        Take part in internal audits, if required.

44        Where appropriate carry out administrative duties for the Clinical Director or Clinical/Surgical Tutor.

45        Liaise with outside bodies/agencies ie. Police and Drug Representatives.

General

46        Carry out duties and/or undertake responsibilities relating to health and safety in accordance with Trust and Departmental Safety Policies.

47        Receive and understand fire instructions, precautions and evacuation techniques, attending appropriate lectures once per year.

48        Receive and understand initial moving and handling training.

49        Carry out any requirement within duties applicable to the Data Protection Act 1984.