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Medical secretary
Hours
30-40 per week
Starting salary
£15,610 + per year
Medical secretaries provide support to hospitals and doctors. They also support health service managers and medical researchers. If you are interested in health and medicine, and have good office skills, this could be the perfect job for you.
To do this job you will need to have excellent organisational skills. You’ll need to be a good ‘people’ person. You’ll also need to be able to work as part of a team.
To start as a medical secretary you will need good typing and computer skills. Office experience is useful. Employers will expect you to have a good standard of general education, and it may help you if you have some GCSEs.
WorkDesc
The work
As a medical secretary, your duties could include:
- updating patient records
- handling enquiries from patients
- organising a consultant's diary
- managing a consultant's waiting list - making appointments and sending letters to patients
- sending samples for medical testing
- typing patient letters and clinical reports
- making sure that test results are filed with the right patient notes
- acting as personal assistant to a consultant or health service manager
- managing a filing system.
You could work in various settings, including:
- hospitals
- GP surgeries
- community healthcare
- private practices
- universities and research establishments
- pharmaceutical companies.
HoursDesc
Hours
In a full-time job you would normally work standard office hours, Monday to Friday. Part-time work and job sharing are often available.
You would work in an office, but in some jobs you could also spend some time at a reception desk.
IncomeDesc
Income
Full-time salaries in the NHS are between £15,610 and £22,188 a year. Senior medical secretaries with specialist knowledge can earn up to £26,000 a year.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
You will need good typing and computer skills, so office experience and word processing qualifications are useful. Temporary work ('temping') can be a good way of getting office experience. Employers will expect you to have a good standard of general education, and it may help you if you have some GCSEs (A-C) including English. You may find it useful to take a general secretarial or medical secretarial course before you look for work.
If you already work in a healthcare setting (for example, as a medical receptionist or clerical assistant), it may help you move up to a medical secretary role if you take a relevant qualification whilst you are working. Qualifications include:
- City & Guilds/Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR) Level 2 Certificate and Diploma in Medical Administration
- British Society of Medical Secretaries and Administrators (BSMSA) Certificate in Medical Secretarial Studies.
You may be able to start office work through an Apprenticeship scheme. You will need to check which schemes are available in your area. For more information, visit the Apprenticeships website.
Another option for starting out is to gain useful experience through an NHS administrative and clerical work placement. Visit the NHS Professionals website to find out more.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
You will mainly develop your skills on the job. You could also take work-based qualifications such as:
- City & Guilds/Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR) Level 3 Certificate in Medical Administration
- City & Guilds/AMSPAR Level 3 Diploma for Medical Secretaries
- British Society of Medical Secretaries and Administrators (BSMSA) Certificate in Medical Secretarial Studies.
To start the City & Guilds/AMSPAR Level 3 courses, you will need one of the following:
- employment as an administrator in a healthcare setting
- good secretarial skills and experience (from any industry)
- four GCSEs (A-C) including English, if you are a school or college leaver without health administration experience.
You do not need formal qualifications to start the BSMSA Certificate, but you must have good administrative and word processing skills.
City & Guilds/AMSPAR and BSMSA also offer separate qualifications in medical terminology, which would be useful for you.
AMSPAR courses are available part-time at several colleges throughout the UK. You can study BSMSA courses by distance learning. See each organisation's website for full details.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To become a medical secretary, you will need to have:
- excellent organisational skills
- good spoken and written communication skills
- tact and a caring approach
- accuracy and attention to detail
- the ability to work as part of a team and also use your own initiative
- good computer and administration skills
- respect for confidential information
- an interest in health and medical matters.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR) 
Tavistock House North
Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9LN
Tel: 020 7387 6005
www.amspar.com
British Society of Medical Secretaries and Administrators
www.bsmsa.org.uk
Health Learning and Skills Advice Line
Tel: 08000 150850
NHS Careers
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
As well as GP surgeries, health centres and hospitals, you could work for medical schools, pharmaceutical companies or complementary medicine practices. You could also be employed by an agency.
Jobs may be advertised in the local press, Jobcentre Plus offices and on the NHS Jobs website.
With experience, you could become a GP practice manager, a personal assistant or office manager.
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
LMIData
Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
Career paths
Further sources
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