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Job summary

Main area
Administration
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Part time - 30 hours per week
Job ref
282-C328
Employer
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Royal Marsden Hospital Sutton
Town
Sutton
Salary
£31,081 - £33,665 per annum pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
11/04/2025 23:59

Employer heading

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust logo

Medical PA

NHS AfC: Band 4

Job overview

The role of the Medical P.A. is key to the efficient management of the consultant firm.  Patient access to healthcare professionals and subsequent treatment planning in the specialist hospital setting relies upon well-co-ordinated organisational and administrative support.  The role of the Medical P.A. has been introduced at the Trust to strengthen the secretarial service, and this job description outlines the responsibilities that the post is likely to encompass.

However, a number of the posts differ in their emphasis depending upon the size of the consultant’s clinical practice and administrative team, and whether he / she also has an Administrative P.A. and / or a Medical Secretary(s).

Main duties of the job

  • To act as the first point of contact for users of the service, and to proactively deal with telephone enquiries from patients, their Carers, GPs and colleagues in other hospitals in a professional manner.
  • To type and distribute clinical and general correspondence for both NHS and private    patients in line with Trust standards.
  • To process new patient referrals within Trust and nationally agreed time frames, enabling compliance with quality standards for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. 

Working for our organisation

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.

At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.

At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification:

The difference between the role of a Medical P.A. and that of a Medical Secretary is the level of responsibility. To undertake a Medical P.A. position, the post holder will need to either:

1. Be the only secretarial member of staff working for the consultant, and hence will be required to cover a wide range of duties incorporating diary management and the co-ordination of all clinical / administrative / academic work.

Or:

2. Take the lead role in the organisation of a consultant’s clinical practice (including the line management of other secretarial staff) where the size of the consultant’s practice justifies more than one member of staff to support it

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Good general education, educated to GCSE level or equivalent
  • Competent at Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook
Desirable criteria
  • Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers and Receptionists (AMSPAR) qualified or equivalent.
  • European Computer Driving License (ECDL) or Equivalent

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Substantial previous medical secretarial experience
  • Experience of diary management.
Desirable criteria
  • Previous experience of training other secretarial staff
  • Previous experience of managing/ supervising staff

Skills Abilities/knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Audio typing skills.
  • Understanding of medical terminology (especially oncology)
  • The ability to communicate effectively in both written and spoken English to a wide range of people
  • Willingness and demonstrable ability to work as part of a team
  • Evidence of ability and initiative to prioritise a busy workload
  • Evidence of ability to work without close supervision
  • Evidence of ability to handle sensitive information without compromising confidentiality
  • Evidence of commitment to delivering high quality customer service

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDApprenticeships logoLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardDisability confident employerCare quality commission - OutstandingStep into health

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Donna Leonard
Job title
Team 13 Lead
Email address
[email protected]

If you have problems applying, contact

Address
Recruitment Support Team
Telephone
01629 690825
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