Modern Apprenticeship – Medical Secretaries

Job Title: Modern Apprenticeship – Medical Secretaries – Western General Hospital

Grade: Band 3 – Annex 21 Training Post

Contract Duration: Permanent

Hours: Full Time       

Closing Date: Friday 18th November 2022

We are excited to announce that the Western General Hospital is actively recruiting for a number of Medical Secretary positions within our Medical and Surgical services.  If you are interested in one of these positions and in participating in a modern apprenticeship programme to learn new skills and gain experience, we would be delighted to receive an application from you.

Since these are trainee positions, you will be paid under NHS Scotland Annex 21 policy.  During your MA, you will be paid the Scottish National Living Wage, and after successfully completing it, you will advance to the full payment for the B3 role.

Interested?  Here is some more information on these fantastic opportunities:

Some of your daily duties will involve:

• Acting as the first point of contact for clinicians and other members of a multi-disciplinary team, responsible for managing mail, telephone calls, face-to-face and electronic communications from clinical and non-clinical staff, patients, relatives, carers and external agencies, responding where appropriate; prioritising and redirecting or escalating as required to clinicians or line manager to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.
• Produce accurate clinical correspondence for inpatients and outpatients using audio typing, copy typing and speech recognition transcription (where available), including operation notes, discharge letters, outpatient letters, and departmental specific/legislative and Tribunal reports.
• General administrative duties include filing, photocopying, ordering stationery, and booking meetings and rooms.
• Access and use the required patient information management systems for recording, storing and retrieving patient information as required by members of the MDT.
• Organise and/or attend department meetings as required to discuss work issues, take minutes specifying decisions made, and follow-up actions necessary for subsequent approval by a senior member of the group.
• Set up / maintain office administration systems as required to assist in the smooth running of the department.
• Adhere to all confidential and sensitive information as per the Data Protection Legislation and NHS Lothian policies.​​​​​​​

You will be supported in your role, and you will have the opportunity to learn and gain the following:

• An SVQ Level 2 Business and Administration and embed the learnings into practice.  The underpinning knowledge units include Digital Skills, Minute Taking, Office 365 Software Skills, Effective Email and Template Creation, and Medical Terminology.
• Embed essential employability skills to support career development.
• Effective planning and organisational skills
• Enhance your Administrative and IT skills within a busy healthcare environment
• Understanding of working in a healthcare environment
• Working alongside multiple teams to support the delivery of high-quality patient care
• Increase confidence in dealing with the public and effective communication skills in the workplace
• How to establish a report with a multi-disciplinary team and gain the confidence of patients and relatives
• How to address the equality and diversity needs of patients, relatives and staff
• Support to develop further on successful completion of the Modern Apprenticeship through an established career pathway (see attached document for more information on the opportunities that may be available)

What you need to apply:

• Candidates must be between 16-24yrs of age (or the age of 29 if you have a disability or have lived experience of the care system) 
• Have gained a National 4 or above in English and Mathematics or core skills at level 4 at grade C or above, which were achieved within another qualification.   
• Alternatively, if you have completed a Foundation Apprenticeship in Business Skills, Financial Services or Accountancy
• Align to the NHS Lothian Values and work to these every day.
• Evidence of working as part of a team could have been gained from Prior work experience, within education, any volunteering you may have done or if you have completed any awards such as Duke of Edinburgh.
• Have a passion for working within a healthcare setting and making a real difference in people’s lives.
• You are committed to doing your best and completing the Modern Apprenticeship with a positive attitude to the programme.

To successfully progress to the next stage of the recruitment process, your application form must evidence all of the above and the additional information detailed in the attachments below.  The answers to our Assessment Questions within the application are crucial and should reflect how you feel; you match our desire for enthusiastic and dynamic people who demonstrate a can-do attitude.  Please note that your CV will not be considered part of the application process.

Please read all attachments to this advert in full.  This gives you helpful information on completing the application form and what is expected within a Modern Apprenticeship Role.

If you believe you have the potential to help us deliver world-class healthcare and want to start to develop your career, we would love you to apply.

The recruitment process will consist of various stages, all of which are mandatory and will all be undertaken online and via MSTeams:​​​​​​

Candidates who are successful in interview will be expected to start in NHS Lothian on Monday 9th January 2023 and we are not able to alter this date.