To provide an experienced, comprehensive and high-quality medical secretarial service to the Practice, with particular responsibility for the safe, timely and accurate management of patient referrals. The post holder will take ownership of referral administration and patient care journeys, working closely with clinicians, management, colleagues, patients and secondary/community care services to ensure referrals are progressed within required timescales and in accordance with Practice policies and referral pathways.Main Duties and Responsibilities

Confidently review and action all referrals requested by clinical staff, using EMIS and the NHS e-Referral Service (eRS) to complete and progress referrals for patients.
Create clear and appropriate referral letters and complete all required referral forms, ensuring relevant clinical and patient information is included.
Contact patients when referrals have been completed and provide appropriate information about the next steps in their referral journey.
Liaise with patients to obtain missing information required to support or complete a referral.
Review and action rejected, returned or declined referrals through eRS, escalating to the appropriate clinician where clinical input is required.
Monitor and action emails received through the Practice referrals mailbox in a timely manner.
Maintain and update the two-week-wait (2WW) referral spreadsheet accurately and promptly.
Contact patients who have failed to attend appointments relating to urgent/2WW referrals and take appropriate action in line with Practice policy.
Undertake regular audits of 2WW referrals raised by clinicians to ensure patients have been appropriately referred and referrals have been processed within the timescales set out in relevant policies.
Liaise with management regarding audit findings, delays, risks or other matters requiring escalation.
Maintain and manage Advice and Guidance responses received from secondary or community care services.
Take responsibility and ownership for ensuring the patient care journey is completed following the receipt of Advice and Guidance, including arranging appropriate appointments for patients to discuss findings or next steps where required.
Process and manage ADHD and Autism referrals in accordance with local pathways, national guidance, Practice procedures and Right to Choose requirements, ensuring patients receive appropriate information and ongoing support throughout the referral process.
Keep up to date with current referral pathways, service criteria and referral processes, and support colleagues and patients in understanding these pathways.
Liaise with other members of the medical secretarial and wider Practice team to ensure workload is appropriately managed and referrals do not breach policy timescales.
Review and action workflow allocated to the medical secretarial team, ensuring tasks are completed accurately and within appropriate timescales.
Record all referral-related activity, communications and actions undertaken in the patient medical record/journal accurately and contemporaneously.
Prepare and process private referral letters and associated correspondence as required.
Undertake accurate minute taking at clinical and other relevant Practice meetings, producing clear records and actions where required.
Report significant events through TeamNet for review, in accordance with Practice procedures.
Prioritise workload effectively in conjunction with the Team Leader, recognising urgent, time-sensitive and routine work and escalating concerns promptly.
Demonstrate a consistent commitment to high-quality patient care, confidentiality, accuracy and a positive patient experience.
Provide cover and support within the medical secretarial team as required and undertake other reasonable duties appropriate to the role.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Previous experience working as a Medical Secretary, ideally within NHS General Practice, primary care or a comparable healthcare environment.
Confident and competent use of EMIS for reviewing patient records, recording actions and supporting referral administration.
Confident and competent use of the NHS e-Referral Service (eRS), including submitting referrals and managing rejected, returned or declined referrals.
Strong working knowledge of referral processes, including urgent/2WW pathways, referral timescales and the importance of effective safety-netting and follow-up.
Working knowledge of ADHD and Autism assessment and referral pathways, including referral criteria, local commissioning arrangements, Right to Choose pathways, and the appropriate management and progression of neurodevelopmental referrals.
Ability to manage Advice and Guidance responses and maintain oversight of the patient journey through to an appropriate outcome.
Excellent organisational and workload-management skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands, meet deadlines and identify referrals at risk of delay or breach.
High level of accuracy and attention to detail when preparing referral letters, completing forms, updating spreadsheets and recording information in patient records.
Ability to work independently, use initiative, take ownership of tasks and recognise when matters need to be escalated to a clinician, Team Leader or management.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate sensitively, clearly and professionally with patients, clinicians, colleagues and external healthcare providers.
Confidence in contacting patients regarding referrals, missing information, missed appointments and next steps in their care journey.
Ability to audit referral activity, identify discrepancies or delays, document findings and escalate concerns appropriately.
Good IT skills, including email, spreadsheets and electronic workflow/task systems, with the ability to learn and adapt to changing digital processes.
Accurate minute-taking skills and the ability to produce clear, concise records of meetings and agreed actions.
Sound understanding of patient confidentiality, information governance and the need for accurate, contemporaneous record keeping.
Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, share workload appropriately and support colleagues with referral pathways and processes.
Commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care and maintaining a professional, calm and helpful approach, including in difficult or demanding situations.
Willingness and ability to keep knowledge of referral pathways, policies, systems and procedures up to date.