Specialty Coordinator -Paediatrics

Job overview

****** THIS POSITION IS ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST EMPLOYEES ******

We are looking for an experienced Secretary to join our Paediatric Team at St Richard's Hospital on a part time permanent contract.

**Previous Applicants need not Apply**

If you have highly effective secretarial and organisational skills there is an exciting opportunity to join the Paediatric Team as a Speciality Co-ordinator supporting the clinical team.

We are seeking a highly motivated and organised individual to join the team on a part time basis of 30 hours per week.

Previous secretarial/administration experience is essential and knowledge of medical terminology is desirable. The role is varied with close working with the clinical team and other support networks as well as providing admin support of the paediatric medical rota.

Main duties of the job

To manage a full administrative service for the Consultants, designated medical staff and Specialist Nurses and provide an efficient and effective secretarial service. To act as first point of contact for all forms of communication for the Consultants and their team. To monitor the timetable of the consultant team, taking an overview of the co-ordination of inpatient and outpatient commitments. To communicate appointment and admission related information to patients and/or carers. To support the administrative pathway ensuring patients are seen within the mandatory waiting time targets. To track patients pathways following referral for diagnostics, to other hospitals and departments.

Working for our organisation

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication

Service Delivery and Improvement

• Required to be versatile and adaptable to the demands of the Paediatrics Team. Work without supervision and take the initiative as and when required.

• To assist the Paediatric Consultants with administration and clerical duties relating to the day to day running of the Paediatric Department, including recording of statutory data, training and rotas.

• Manage and prioritise own workload and to be able to work independently.

• Type complex medical documents.

• Provide advice and assistance to patients, dealing with them in a sensitive, diplomatic and confidential manner.

• Ensure any medical team requested clinic template changes are agreed with appropriate Divisional Manager/Operational Manager and actioned by appropriate department.

• Advise relevant departments of Consultant and team members annual and study leave arrangements to ensure that relevant adjustments are made to clinic templates and theatre schedules.

Patient Care Delivery

• To act as a focal point for both medical and non-medical visitors and telephone enquiries to the department.

• Use the patient administration system and patient management system and all appropriate aspects of Microsoft Office for updating and extracting patient information on a daily basis. To track patient pathways on a daily basis following referral for diagnostics and to other hospitals

• Co-ordinate professional diaries for key staff.

• Co-ordinate multidisciplinary departmental meetings and relevant documentation, arranging sponsorship, travel arrangements etc. Produce presentations as required.

-- Please see Job Description & Person Specs for further info --

Please note: This role does not meet the minimum criteria for visa sponsorship under the current UK immigration rules, which set specific salary and skill thresholds. As such, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. Applicants will therefore need to already have the right to work in the UK to be considered. We include this information at the outset to provide clarity and avoid unnecessary inconvenience for applicants.

Prior to submission of your application for any internal secondment or fixed term post, please ensure that you have discussed this with your line manager to obtain their approval. If you do not have written approval from your current line manager to take this position if successful as an internal secondment opportunity, it would be offered as a fixed term position.

Person specification

Essential and Desirable

Essential criteria

• 5 GCSE A-C grades (or equivalent) including English & Maths
• VRQ Vocational Level 3 or 4 or equivalent qualification
• Office Administration experience
• At least 2 years experience as a Medical Secretary
• Excellent knowledge of a full range of secretarial procedures
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written)
• Proven organisation skills to multitask, prioritise workload and work to deadlines, often dealing with complex activities, programmes and situations
• Self-motivated and ability to work without supervision
• Ability to work to deadlines and meet conflicting demands
• Recognise abnormal results and bring to the attention of the Consultant
• Ability to use own judgement/initiative to problem solve and adapt to changing situations
• Understand the appropriate escalation of problems/concerns to line manager or medical staff
• Aware of the need for confidentiality in accordance with Data Protection Act
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office, including Word, Outlook, Diary Management, Excel, PowerPoint
• Ability to deal with telephone calls/typing letters with a potentially distressing or emotional content

Desirable criteria

• Medical Secretarial qualification, ECDL
• RSA Stage Ill Typing or equivalent
• Previous NHS work experience in an acute setting
• Stationery/stock orders

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Essential criteria

• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).

Important information for applicants:

A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.

Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.

Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.

Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.

DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check . We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.

Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.

UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications