Medical Secretary

As a Medical Secretary, you will help keep health and care services running smoothly by organising appointments, managing patient records, preparing documents and supporting healthcare professionals. You'll use your communication and organisational skills to help patients receive the right care at the right time.

Medical Secretary is also known as Personal Assistant, Secretary, Administration Assistant,.

Role Characteristics

Organise appointments, meetings and clinics
Prepare letters, reports and medical documents
Manage and update patient records
Answer calls and respond to enquiries
Support doctors and other healthcare professionals
Handle confidential information accurately and securely

Skills

Written communication
Using technology
Attention to detail
Organisation
Customer service
Communication

Day in the life

Watch this video to find out more about the day in the life of a Medical Secretary.

Routes into this role

Here are some example routes that can lead into this role.

GCSEs

BTEC, T-Level or A-Levels

An apprenticeship

Apply directly

Pre-employment Programmes

Volunteering or work experience

How to become

There are several ways to start a career as a Medical Secretary, whether you're leaving education, looking for your first job or changing careers.

Here are some ideas, and you can explore current opportunities in the section below.

Study a course or qualification - useful qualifications include GCSEs in English and Maths, business administration, IT, health and social care-related courses, T Levels and BTECs. These can all help you to develop knowledge, skills and prepare for work.
Build workplace experience - this could be paid work, volunteering, or work experience online or in-person in hospitals, GP practices, community services, offices or customer service environments, helping you to develop skills in communication, organisation, teamwork, customer service and attention to detail.
Complete a pre-employment programme - a short course which supports you to gain confidence, skills and experience helping you prepare for work.
Apprenticeships - you can gain experience in the workplace whilst also studying a qualification in Business Administration, Customer Service or Healthcare Administration.
Applying directly - employers will want you to have good English, maths and IT skills. This doesn't always mean you need a qualification, but you may need to do an assessment or skills test.
Moving from another role - think about how you'll be able to transfer your skills in administration, customer service, reception, retail, hospitality or office-based work into a Medical Secretary role. Communication, organisation and attention to detail are particularly important skills to develop.

Where can this role lead

As a Medical Secretary, there are lots of opportunities to develop your career across health and care. The communication, organisation and administration skills you gain can help you move sideways into roles such as Care Navigator or other healthcare administration positions. If you enjoy supporting patients more directly, you could move into roles such as Healthcare Support Worker, Clinical Support Worker or Care Assistant. You may also progress into leadership opportunities such as Team Leader roles as you gain experience and responsibility

Location

Hospitals
Offices
At Home
Community Settings
Prisons

Working hours

Weekdays
Part Time
Flexible Hours
Full Time
Casual Hours
Overtime

Opportunities

Apprenticeships

Administration Apprenticeship roles

Find out more about Administration apprenticeships across Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust

Organisation: Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust

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Courses

Customer Service Pre-Employment Programme

This is an exciting opportunity for anyone who is looking to take their first step into an administration role within the health and care sector.

Organisation: Leeds Health and Care Talent Hub

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BTECs, T-levels or A-levels

Leeds City College Business and Events courses

Find BTEC, T-Level and A-Level courses in Business and Events at Leeds City College.

Organisation: Leeds City College

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Apprenticeships

Business Administration Courses

This course is delivered using a blended delivery model, our Assessor will deliver this apprenticeship in the workplace with optional study days available at Bradford College.

Organisation: Bradford College

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BTECs, T-levels or A-levels

Management and Administration T Level

This qualification offers learners a fantastic opportunity to learn important theoretical knowledge of how a business operates alongside gaining hands-on experience in the workplace, to ensure they can have a meaningful impact when they progress into the world of work.

Organisation: Leeds City College

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BTECs, T-levels or A-levels

T Level Business (Management & Administration)

This Business T Level study programme provides you with the practical and academic skills and knowledge to progress into a career in Business Support, Team Leadership and Management.

Organisation: Wakefield College

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