Blood Tissue and Cells

Blood Tissue and Cells

Donor Services Medical Secretary,

FT 9 months (until Aug 2015) 32 hours per week

Band 4 Salary £19,202 - £22,236 per annum pro rata

Medical Secretary

Person Specification

(a description of the ‘ideal person’ to fill the post)

Criteria

Essential

Desirable

Qualifications and Training

• Standard Grade English (or equivalent)

• Secretarial qualification

Experience

• Secretarial experience

• Working within NHS
• Experience as a medical secretary

• Good communication skills using a range of media
• Well organised with good time management skills
• Excellent team working skills
• Computer literacy with knowledge of Word, Access, Excel and/or similar programmes

• Customer care
• Organising meetings and taking minutes

• Receptive warm open manner

• Flexibility in working practice

JOB DESCRIPTION

Donor Services Medical Secretary

• The SNBTS Donor Services Department is responsible for the planning and collection of adequate supplies of safe, high quality blood components for NHS Scotland.

• Donor Services leads, develops, implements and maintains an approved national strategy for the SNBTS blood donor program. The department is responsible for all aspects of donor communication, donor recruitment, publicity, administration and the blood collection and Apheresis programmes to meet the demand for blood.

• The department deals with approximately 250,000 donor attendances per year yielding some 220,000 donations, and ensures the provision of a secure, safe and sufficient blood supply, to appropriate regulatory and legal standards, that meets NHS Scotland requirements.

• The Donor Services medical team comprises a consultant (1 WTE) and 5 specialty doctors (3.2 WTE). The team is split between Glasgow (SNBTS Gartnavel) and Edinburgh (Edinburgh Blood Donor Centre, Lauriston) but functions as a national team to deliver clinical advice to all regions.

• Provide administrative and secretarial support to the Donor Medical Team. Organise, prioritise and alert Donor Medical Team of daily correspondence, incoming medical queries from whole blood and apheresis collection activities and general telephone and on line enquiries, assessing order of importance of workload when presented with conflicting priorities.

• Compile an accurate log of all blood donor complaints received for SNBTS ensuring that each is dealt with in full within the nationally agreed time-scales. Forward monthly report for inclusion in national report. Contribute to, and implement changes to NSS Complaints Procedure Policy.

• Record all incident reports originating from whole blood and apheresis collection activities, preparing and issuing correspondence as directed by Donor Medical Team.

• Answer telephone queries, including donor complaints, dealing sympathetically and courteously with donors and members of the public, ensuring the public image of the Service is maintained at all times. Ensure enquiries are passed to the appropriate manager to allow a quick and efficient response. Deal with straightforward general donor enquiries as appropriate.

• Progress applications for British Bone Marrow Registry, checking donation status of applicants on eProgesa confidential donor records system and arranging required blood tests where necessary. Provide administrative and secretarial support throughout registration process advising SNBTS staff and donor of test results within Europe/Worldwide Bone Marrow Registry.

• As directed by Donor Medical Team, prepare and issue reply letters initiating from incoming whole blood and apheresis collection activities.

• Receiving telephone calls from donors who receive Repeat Reactive letters e.g. false positive and malarial antibody positive letters.

• Manage arrangements, including preparation and circulation of Agenda’s, create/prepare presentations and where necessary attend and take minutes, for meetings and conferences requiring input of Donor Medical Team. Where necessary arrange travel requirement and book accommodation.

• Maintain confidential filing system of activities emanating from all above key action areas ensuring efficient storage and immediate retrieval of correspondence required by Donor Medical Team. Where necessary interrogate external online confidential computer systems and provide Donor Medical Team with required historical record.

• Provide administrative and secretarial assistance to Clinical Director Donors and Manufacturing.

• Place financial orders on behalf of department using financial system to ensure suppliers are paid promptly, with authorisation value of £5,000. Provide ongoing support in general office by ensuring all office equipment is maintained.

• The post-holder attends performance appraisal, (e-KSF) twice a year where performance is reviewed and a personal development plan / objectives are agreed.
• The post-holder will prioritise own workload. Close liaison will be maintained with the medical staff. Medical staff will also be responsible for review of workload.

• The post-holder acts on their initiative / experience in relation to the day to day workload and will work largely unsupervised by direct line manager.

• Expected to follow relevant policies / procedures for the department and to comment, as required, on application of these to the job and on any areas for improvement.

• The post-holder is responsible for implementing administration procedures and will propose changes to administration procedures to facilitate more efficient and effective working practices e.g. propose changes to improve filing systems.

• Judgements made by the post-holder might be around decisions on conflicting priorities and on sourcing and booking travel/accommodation for urgent meetings in the absence of the line manager.

• The post-holder will interface directly with donors on occasions and will deal with them courteously and efficiently at all times establishing excellent customer relations. The post-holder will be expected to maintain the reputation and image of SNBTS at all times with everyone they come into contact with in the course of their duties.

• The post-holder provides advice and instruction or training to staff on areas such as use of Microsoft packages, correct use of photocopier etc.

• Donor Medical Team
• Donor Services Medical Secretary, Glasgow
• Senior Nurse Managers
• Training & Quality Co-ordinator
• Head of Donor Services
• Supply Chain staff
• Team Managers
• Collection Resource Manager
• Finance Department

• Blood Donors
• Bone Marrow Registry Personnel
• Contractors/Suppliers
• General Public
• Blood Donor Association

• To respond effectively, confidentially and quickly to the varied tasks contained within the post.

• To maintain a flexible attitude and ability to prioritise workload.

• Ensure secretarial duties are carried out efficiently, accurately and confidentially, especially when handling sensitive donor enquiries.

• The post-holder is responsible for the electronic/hard copy storage of all Donor correspondence e.g. letters, forms.
• The post-holder will produce, spreadsheets, agenda and minutes of meetings, using Microsoft Packages e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

• Q-Pulse to report quality incidents and append documents relating to the incident.

• eProgesa to update donor’s results and insert donor deferral status.
• Post-holder uses external supplier’s online system to retrieve archived donor records.

• Frequent long periods of physical inactivity whilst working at VDUs and desk, average 5 hours per day.
• Advanced keyboard use. Use of office equipment, photocopiers, laminators, fax etc.
• There is an occasional requirement to exert moderate physical effort for short periods on occasional shifts e.g. organising of filing systems and stores, carrying presentational equipment and materials to and from meetings i.e. laptop, projector, handouts (10-15kilos).
• Car use/public transportation, as required, to attend meetings.

• There is a frequent requirement to concentrate on a number of different tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to manage unpredictable workload to meet the changing needs of Donor Medical Team and other medical staff priorities.

• Dealing with frequent interruptions and having to meet deadlines e.g. reports for meetings.

• Requirement to maintain highest level of customer confidentiality at all times.
• Exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances is rare e.g. Complaints from donors via telephone or typing sensitive donor letters.

• Requires continual use of VDU equipment. Frequent requirement to use photo copier
• Deals, on rare occasions, with difficult behaviour in cases of complaints from donors.

• Education to HND level or equivalent, with proven experience in a secretarial or administrative role within a healthcare or customer-focused environment are essential requirements.
• Knowledge of medical terminology acronyms and abbreviations would be advantageous.
• Advanced keyboard skills and competency in Information Technology packages e.g. Microsoft Packages.
• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills, able to demonstrate initiative, diplomacy and sensitivity.

• Ability to work independently and adapt to an ever changing and unpredictable work pattern.

• Knowledge of a range of office administrative procedure including diary management and able to take accurate minutes.

Summary of Key Terms and Conditions of Post

Division/Department:BTC

Location:Edinburgh

Job Title & AfC Pay Band: Medical Secretary band 4

Salary/Salary Scale:£19,202 - £22,236 per annum pro rata

Conditions of Service:Your terms and conditions of service are in accordance with the Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions Handbook. Agenda for Change comprises a National pay system and job evaluation scheme for the Health Service, a harmonised set of terms and conditions of employment and a Knowledge and Skills Framework.

Hours of Duty:The standard full-time hours for NHS staff are 37.5 hours, exclusive of meal breaks, normally to be worked over 5 days per week. The hours of this post are 32.

Annual Leave:The annual leave arrangements are:

• 27 days (202.5 hours) on commencement
• 29 days (217.5 hours) after 5 years’ service
• 33 days (247.5 hours) after 10 years’ service.

8 public and statutory holidays are also available within the leave year.

Superannuation: All new entrants to NHS National Services Scotland who are aged sixteen but under seventy five will be enrolled

automatically as a member of the NHS Superannuation

Scheme (Scotland). The pension scheme is provided by the

Scottish Public Pensions Agency. This scheme is a

Qualifying pension scheme, which means it meets or exceeds

The government’s new standards. All benefits including life

Insurance and family benefits are explained on the SPPA

Website www.sppa.gov.ukFor further information on

Membership benefits, contributions, or how to opt out of the

Scheme, please refer to the enclosed factsheet “Auto

Enrolement.

Medical Assessment: Appointment to this post will be subject to satisfactory medical clearance. The successful candidate will be required to complete a pre-employment health declaration form and, where appropriate, undergo a health assessment by the Occupational Health Service. Summary of Key Terms and Conditions of Post (cont.)

Knowledge and SkillsThe NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework applies

Framework:to all jobs covered by Agenda for Change. Under the Knowledge and Skills Framework, staff will have annual development reviews, which will result in the production of a personal development plan.

There is equal access to training for all staff.

Equal Opportunities Policy:NSS is an Equal Opportunities employer and the policy applies to all aspects of employment.

Smoking Policy: NSS operates a No Smoking Policy.

Right to Work in the UKIn accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, NHS National Services Scotland has a legal obligation to ensure that it does not employ anyone who has not been granted the relevant permission to work in the UK. We are therefore required to check the entitlement to work in the UK of all prospective employees.

All shortlisted applicants will be asked to produce specific original documentation plus a photocopy when attending interview.

Applications from candidates who require a Tier 2 Certificate of sponsorship will only be considered if no suitable UK or EEA national is identified for this post.

NATIONAL SERVICES SCOTLAND

STAFF BENEFITS PACKAGE

Working for the NHS provides individuals with excellent career prospects and access to a wide range of jobs. NHS National Services Scotland employs approximately 3,500 staff working in a number of locations across Scotland.

Some of the benefits of working for NHS National Services Scotland are:-

• A minimum of 27 days annual leave (pro rata) increasing with service
• Eight public holidays (pro rata) per year
• Access to flexible, family friendly working arrangements
• Membership of the NHS Scotland superannuation scheme. Membership also includes a lump sum death in service benefit.
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Childcare Voucher Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Access to national and local staff discounts and promotions
• Occupational Health Service
• Employee Counselling Service