Secretary / Administrator MSKAPS, Band 3

NHS; Cheltenham; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare employer in the UK is seeking a Secretary / Administrator for the MSKAPS team. This role involves providing efficient secretarial support, managing referrals, and ensuring smooth clinic operations across two hospital sites. The successful candidate should possess strong audio-typing and communication skills, with substantial experience in an office environment. This challenging role requires excellent organizational abilities in a busy healthcare setting, offering a competitive annual salary and various NHS benefits.

Benefits

Generous annual leave allowance

NHS pension scheme

Flexible working opportunities

Discounts at local shops and restaurants

Qualifications

• Proficient audio-typing skills, minimum 60 wpm.
• Substantial experience in a hospital or office environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English.

Responsibilities

• Provide secretarial and administrative support to MSKAPS.
• Organize and manage appointments and clinic bookings.
• Communicate effectively with patients and healthcare professionals.

Skills

Audio-typing skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Knowledge of medical terminology

Education

GCSE grade C or above in literacy or numeracy

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Secretary / Administrator MSKAPS, Band 3

The closing date is 05 January 2026

Our Service has the opportunity for an Administrator / Secretary to support the Physiotherapy led MSK Specialist Triage and Advanced Practitioner Service. This will incorporate a single point of referral for GPs accessing both Orthopaedic and Musculoskeletal Advanced Practitioner Services.

We are looking to recruit a flexible candidate who is able to work between the Trust's two hospital sites, Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General Hospitals.

Main duties of the job

To provide an efficient, confidential and professional secretarial and administrative support to MSKAPS, working as part of a Trust wide team.

To provide effective communication with patients, relatives, medical and hospital staff, in order to ensure a proficient high quality service.

The workload is generated by the MSK Advanced Practitioner Team, including the Consultant Physiotherapist and Clinical lead of MSKAPS. The post holder will have no budget or management responsibilities. Supervision and day to day management is provided by the Lead Administrator of MSKAPS.

The successful applicant will not only have broad, proven administrative skills, but a forward thinking mindset and a clear sense of direction regarding personal and service development. Structured induction training and mentorship will enable integration into our friendly and committed team.

As you will be dealing with the general public, this post requires excellent communication skills. This includes the ability to work in a demanding and often pressurised environment whilst maintaining a caring, professional and patient manner. The role requires proficient audio typing and secretarial skills, managing referrals, organising clinics including the booking of appointments, and inputting data accurately. You will also need to be highly organised and will be expected to use your initiative to problem solve on a daily basis. A high degree of computer literacy is vital.

About us

We take pride in placing people at the centre of everything we do, working together as a united team. Driven by a shared ambition to continually grow, develop, and learn, we recognise and value every contribution. By combining our experience and skills, not only support our vibrant, diverse communities, but also support one another.

With a team of over 9,000 employees, we are proud to be the largest employer in Gloucestershire and rank among the top 10 largest Trusts in the South West region. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from an excellent package that includes exclusive benefits, flexible working opportunities and the chance to gain valuable experience in one or both of our innovative hospitals.

As well as generous annual leave allowance, you will have access to the excellent NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, discounts at local shops and restaurants, access to two on‑site nurseries, discounted public transport, reward and recognition and a range of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Job responsibilities

• To ensure timely review of referrals by clinicians and subsequent processing of those referrals. Organise clinics including the booking of appointments, changing and cancelling appointments in negotiation with patients and generate appropriate paperwork. Ensure high utilisation of clinics to maximise capacity. Recording timely and appropriately on the hospital IT system.
• Typing of correspondence following clinic attendance or patient contact as directed by practitioners and subsequent filing in the health record. Typing reports, both for medical use and for regular service reporting.
• Recording appointment and contact outcomes on the hospital system and service databases. Highlighting patient queries, results or correspondence to clinical team member and taking relevant action. To provide reception cover as required.
• Communicate confidently and effectively with key specialists at all levels within and external to the Trust to ensure smooth running of the service. This will include highlighting capacity issues and any potential delays due to internal or external factors.
• To deal with patient and health professional queries using tact and sensitivity and maintaining confidentiality at all times.
• To support the advanced practitioner service by arranging meetings and venues, organising and distributing paperwork as required. Typing of minutes and reports as required.
• To utilise the service databases for recording patient activity and outcomes. Take part in clinical governance activities including implementation of data collection systems to ensure continued service evaluation and compliance with clinical governance. To support and implement service improvements.
• To work as part of the administrative team for MSKAPS taking initiative and working flexibly to ensure an equitable workload across the team and performed to an excellent, efficient and safe standard. To liaise with relevant team members to ensure the smooth running of any process changes/developments. To cover colleagues during absences/annual leave/sick leave. This includes the departmental secretary with response to solicitors/legal services requests for notes and reports in order to fulfil legal obligations, and liaison with the Legal and Complaints department as necessary. To assist in the training and development of colleagues.
• To comply with Trust and Departmental policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), Manual Handling, Data Protection Acts and patient confidentiality at all times. This will include demonstrating compliance with the terms of all safeguarding policies and processes relevant to the safeguarding of adults and children in the care of GHNHSFT and to undergo regular mandatory training concerned with safeguarding matters.
• To communicate effectively with patients and carers potentially complex, sensitive or distressing information; in order to provide patient centred care. Patients may have communication, perceptual or cognitive/understanding difficulties.
• To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with clinical and administration staff across the MSK Service to ensure delivery of a co‑ordinated multidisciplinary service.
• To work and communicate effectively with wider Healthcare communities, including: GP Practices, other departments within the Trust and our community care colleagues.

General Working Conditions

Mental and Emotional effort

• The work pattern and workload are unpredictable and priorities can change daily
• Dealing with difficult situations with people who are distressed or angry
• Ability to adapt to new policies/procedures quickly and effectively

Most Challenging Part of the Job

• Working in a busy environment with frequent interruptions and multi‑tasking
• Working flexibly across sites with prioritising workload efficiently
• Having to think on your feet and problem solve.

Physical Effort and Working Conditions

• The post holder will be expected to sit predominantly at a desk but have frequent interruptions, with the need to move around the Therapy department.
• Use of VDU on a daily basis
• Dealing with sensitive and confidential information
• High levels of concentration are required in an environment of frequent interruptions either by telephone or face to face contacts
• Physical handling of health records on a daily basis. This can range from one set of notes to bags containing multiple sets

Health and Safety

It is the duty of every employee to work in such a way that accidents to themselves and to others are avoided, and to co‑operate in maintaining their place of work in a tidy and safe condition, thereby minimising risk. Employees will, therefore, refer any matters of concern through their respective line managers.

Data Quality

As part of your employment, you may be required to record Patient Information (computerised or on paper). You have a responsibility to ensure that information is entered accurately, completely and consistently. It is particularly important that patients demographic details are kept up to date. Problems should be reported to your manager.

No Smoking Policy

• Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust operates a no smoking policy. Smoking is not permitted anywhere within the buildings and grounds of all Trust sites. These restrictions include all areas up to the boundaries of all sites.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

• Educated to GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in literacy or numeracy
• Proficient and accurate audio-typing skills, minimum 60 wpm (RSA level 3 or equivalent)
• Computer literate in Microsoft Office packagesKnowledge and Skills
• Have a knowledge of medical terminology e.g. relevant experience as a medical secretary or the AMSPAR qualification
• Able to communicate effectively and have a good understanding of English, punctuation and grammar.
• Able to plan, problem solve and prioritise own workload effectively and independently

Experience

• Substantial experience in a hospital or office environment and dealing with the general public

Personal Attributes

• Flexible team worker
• Proactive/takes own initiative
• Committed to personal development

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£24,937 to £26,598 a year(pa pro rata if part-time)