Medical secretary

Faye Nicholls
Medical Secretary, Pain Management Programme Team, joined the Trust in 1996

What is your role?

I am the secretary for the Pain Management Programme (PMP) team at the Wolfson Neurorehabilitation Centre, which is part of St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The PMP team consists of one consultant and four therapists. I am responsible for all secretarial and administration duties for the team including logging all referrals, arranging appointments and admissions, recording all patient details, typing letters and reports, filing, requesting notes, telephone enquiries and maintaining databases. I also assist with communication with other Pain Management services, local GPs and health professionals within the Trust.

What does a typical working day look like?

I start by checking emails and opening the post. During the day I check all referrals and log them before passing them onto the team for screening, answer any telephone messages that have been left, arrange appointments and admission dates for patients and pull together all the relevant notes and paperwork. I then type up any letters that need to be sent out following clinics and reports following admissions.

I also manage the referrals database and admission waiting lists for both inpatients and outpatients coming onto the programme and all patient record entries.

I also liaise with the housekeeper regarding meals for patients attending the programme and arrange transport if needed.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The team I work with are incredibly dedicated and extremely well organised. They are always enthusiastic about everything they do and are always trying to make improvements to the service. Nothing is ever too much trouble and they all do everything they can to make the patient feel that their concerns have been taken seriously and we are doing all we can to try to help them out.

What level of patient contact do you have in your role?

Most of my patient contact is via the telephone but occasionally people pop into the office to ask questions or pass on their thanks if they think we’ve done a good job. Sometimes patients come into reception and I am always willing to go and speak with them if they have a question.

What other members of the healthcare team do you work with?

The Pain Management Programme team consists of a consultant clinical psychologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, nurse and specialist therapy technician. I also work closely with the other secretaries and administration staff within the centre.

What do you like about working for the Trust?

I like feeling that I am making a difference in some small way to people’s lives. The people in the team here are fantastic at what they do and all very friendly. It’s amazing to see the changes that can occur in a relatively short space of time when people come here.

Why did you join the NHS?

I originally joined in 1996 for 3 months to do some admin work in the Occupational Therapy department and have never left! I’ve worked in various departments within the centre and really enjoy my work here.