Theatre Secretary

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and highly organised Band 4 Theatre Secretary to provide comprehensive administrative and secretarial support within the Theatre and Peri-operative Department at The Royal London Hospital. This role is essential in ensuring the smooth operation of the service and supporting the delivery of high-quality patient care.

The post holder will work closely with the Theatres Management Team, senior clinicians, and the wider multidisciplinary workforce. They will be responsible for maintaining efficient administrative systems, managing a complex theatre schedule, and ensuring that all processes meet national and directorate standards.

Applicants must demonstrate strong administrative skills, excellent communication abilities, and a sound working knowledge of medical terminology, Microsoft Office, and Cerner Millennium. The role requires the ability to handle sensitive information, prioritise workload effectively, and work independently within a busy environment.

Main duties of the job

• Administrative support -- Provide high-quality administrative and secretarial support to the Theatres Management Team in line with Band 4 responsibilities.
• PA duties -- Deliver PA support to senior clinical and managerial staff, including diary management and correspondence handling.
• Meeting coordination -- Plan, organise, and service meetings, including agenda preparation, minute-taking, and action tracking.
• Proactive planning -- Anticipate requirements for upcoming meetings and ensure all necessary documentation and reports are prepared.
• Theatre scheduling -- Manage the theatre schedule across multiple specialties and attend weekly scheduling meetings in the absence of the Theatres Data Administrator.
• Reception oversight -- Line manage the Theatres Receptionist and provide cover for the reception desk when required.
• Training compliance -- Monitor and coordinate statutory and mandatory training compliance for the Theatres Management Team.
• Annual leave management -- Process and maintain accurate records of annual leave requests and associated calendar updates.
• Communication handling -- Respond promptly and professionally to telephone, email, and face-to-face enquiries, ensuring confidentiality at all times.
• Service improvement -- Support the implementation of SOPs, administrative systems, and service improvement initiatives, including digital solutions.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledgerequired. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE A level or equivalent standard of education
• ECDL or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

• Proactive with the ability to use own initiative
• Ability to take an active role in agreed learning activities and keep a record of them
• A sound knowledge and demonstrable competence of constitutional targets

Desirable

• NHS experience as Medical Secretary
• Medical secretarial/pathway administration experience

Knowledge

Essential

• Experience of a range of IT packages such as Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
• Supervisory or office management skills equivalent to certificate level