Ophthalmology Medical Secretary, Band 3

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Ophthalmology Medical Secretary, Band 3

The closing date is 20 January 2026

We have an exciting opportunity for a Medical Secretary role within the Ophthalmology Department. We are a large specialty with clinics at Cheltenham General Hospital, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, and several community hospitals. In addition, we perform ophthalmology surgery in our Day Case Unit at Cheltenham General Hospital.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will provide an efficient, confidential, and professional secretarial service to the specialty teams. This includes administration and secretarial support to enable the provision of patient care and specialty services.

Good communication with patients, relatives, general practitioners, and other hospital staff is essential to ensure a proficient, high-quality service for patients and clinicians. The post-holder will work as part of an Administrative Support Team and report to the Secretary Supervisor.

About us

The Ophthalmology Administration Team is a friendly and collaborative group that thrives on mutual support and open communication. They work with dedication and efficiency, maintaining excellent rapport with clinical and nursing colleagues to ensure smooth patient care pathways. Team members benefit from a positive atmosphere that values professional growth, shared learning, and a healthy work-life balance, making it a rewarding environment to be part of.

Key

Knowledge and Experience

• Educated to GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in literacy and numeracy
• NVQ Level 3 in Administration or equivalent experience
• Appropriate experience in a hospital or office environment
• RSA Level 3 or equivalent proficiency in audio typing (minimum 60 wpm)
• IT experience with Microsoft Office packages and hospital systems
• Excellent professional telephone manner to resolve queries and maintain organisational reputation
• Proven organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with good command of English, punctuation, and grammar
• Good interpersonal skills for dealing with internal and external contacts
• Ability to work flexibly within a team, quickly and accurately
• Ability to use own judgment and initiative as appropriate

Job responsibilities Main Duties and Responsibilities Referrals and Booking

• Book follow-up and post-operative appointments as requested by the clinical team, including negotiating dates with patients and creating correspondence.
• Ensure vacant slots are utilised and inform the Booking Office to maximise capacity.
• Book investigations as requested by the clinical team, negotiating dates with patients and creating correspondence.
• Ensure arrangements meet Trust targets and are updated on IT systems promptly.

Outcomes and Results

• Highlight results, correspondence, or patient queries requiring action and take appropriate steps (e.g., booking investigations, transcription).

Specialty‑Specific Support

• Inform the secretarial supervisor of progress and elevate urgent issues (e.g., capacity delays, complex patient queries).
• Type correspondence to patients, GPs, medical staff, and others following clinical attendance or as directed.
• Type detailed medical reports for legal use when necessary.
• Manage diaries, appointments, meetings, and paperwork for clinical teams.
• Support consultants with administrative tasks, including references and governance responsibilities.
• Provide administrative support for Out‑of‑Hours Eye Emergency patients and triage nurses.
• Liaise with external organisations (e.g., Opticians, Social Services, other hospitals) for patient care.
• File clinical records and consent forms from MediSIGHT into main hospital notes.
• Provide additional administrative support as service needs change.

Service Improvement

• Use specialty databases for patient information and clinic activity for audits and surveys.
• Support service reviews and implementation of new processes.
• Assist with complaint resolution by collating information and escalating appropriately.

Team Working

• Work flexibly within the Administrative Support Team to ensure equitable workload distribution.
• Cover colleagues…