Surgical Secretary, Band 3 - Colorectal Surgery

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 01 July 2026

If you relish a challenge and have a passion for helping others, an exciting opportunity has arisen for a Surgical Secretary within the Colorectal Surgery team at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This is a permanent post, 37.5 hours per week, working Monday to Friday.

The successful candidate should be able to work proficiently in a fast paced environment and have exceptional organisational skills with the ability to effectively manage their own workload. We are looking for someone to provide a comprehensive administrative service to a busy consultant surgeon and our patients. This post is part of a professional multi-skilled team working within the GI Surgery division.

Applicants must be flexible to meet the needs of the service and have a positive approach to their work. A strong commitment to personal and professional development is desired.

As a surgical secretary, you will provide a comprehensive secretarial service to our consultant surgeons. This includes, but is not limited to, diary management, correspondence, referrals, phone calls, email management and general day-to-day office administration. The ideal candidate needs to have a high level of attention to detail and be able to work well under time constraints to ensure that local and national targets are met with regards to patient pathways.

You will be the first point of contact for patients, our multi-professional colleagues and outside sources with queries and you will need to exercise initiative and judgement when dealing with these enquiries to ensure they are dealt with efficiently and appropriately. These contacts are made in a variety of ways therefore excellent communication skills on all levels are essential.

You will also be responsible for managing and overseeing the elective surgery waiting list as well as planning and co-ordinating surgical admissions for our patients.

As part of the secretarial service, you will be required to touch type from audio dictation a variety of documents. The role requires a certain level of understanding of medical terminology.

As a secretary you will be dealing with a lot of confidential and sensitive information and our ideal candidate will understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality when dealing with personal information.

• Educated to GCSE grade C or above in English & Maths (or equivalent)
• IT experience of Microsoft Office packages
• Proficient use of hospital computer systems
• An excellent, professional telephone manner to minimise conflict, resolve queries and maintain the reputation of the organisation
• Proven organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines in line with Trust targets
• Good written and verbal communication skills with correct use of English, punctuation and grammar
• Good interpersonal skills for dealing with people internal and external to the organisation
• Ability to work flexibly within a team
• Ability to work quickly and accurately
• Ability to use own judgement and initiative as appropriate

• Providing comprehensive secretarial support to a busy consultant surgeon and being the first point of call for patients, GPs, family members and other professional colleagues.
• Typing correspondence to patients, GPs, medical staff and any other required addressee following clinical attendance or other patient contacts as directed by the Secretarial Supervisor.
• Tracking results/appointments and highlighting to the clinical team any results, correspondence or patient queries that need response and taking action such as booking investigations, transcription, etc. to ensure that RTT guidelines are achieved for patients.
• Overseeing and managing elective waiting lists for inpatient and outpatient care alongside the utilisation of theatre lists.
• Checking clinic outcomes to ensure accuracy.
• Working with the Central Booking Office to ensure that clinics are utilised to capacity.

• Regularly informing the secretarial…