Ward Clerk – Swinley Ward
The Ward Clerk plays a vital administrative and coordination role on Swinley Ward, a busy 26‑beded surgical ward, supporting the multidisciplinary team to ensure the smooth day‑to‑day running of the ward and associated GAU. Working 12‑hour shifts, Monday to Sunday, including bank holidays, the post holder acts as a key point of contact for patients, relatives, and staff, helping to maintain high standards of patient care and safety in a fast‑paced clinical environment.
The closing date is 05 June 2026
Main duties of the job
- Provide comprehensive administrative support to the surgical ward and gynaecology clinic
- Act as the first point of contact for patients, relatives, visitors, and external departments
- Manage patient admissions, discharges, and transfers on electronic systems
- Maintain accurate patient records, notes, and documentation in line with confidentiality and data protection policies
- Coordinate communication between nursing staff, medical teams, theatres, diagnostics, and outpatient services
- Support clinic activity, including appointment coordination, patient flow, and clinic preparation
- Answer telephone and face‑to‑face enquiries promptly and professionally
- Order and maintain ward stationery and non‑clinical supplies
- Assist with bed management and escalation processes during periods of high activity
- Ensure compliance with hospital policies, procedures, and infection prevention standards
About us
Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) provides acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan borough and surrounding areas. We place the patient at the heart of everything we do and value our staff, believing that happy staff makes for happy patients.
Job responsibilities
- Manage patient admissions, discharges, and transfers using Trust electronic systems (HIS, PAS, EPR)
- Prepare, track, and maintain patient notes, ensuring documentation is accurate, complete, and available at all times
- Ensure patient demographic details are correct and updated promptly
- Coordinate discharge paperwork and support timely patient flow in liaison with nursing and medical staff
- Facilitate effective communication between ward staff, medical teams, diagnostics, theatres, pharmacy, outpatient departments, and external agencies
- Provide general clerical support including filing, photocopying, scanning, emailing, and data entry
- Maintain ward lists, admission boards, and electronic trackers to reflect real‑time activity
- Support bed management processes and alert senior staff to capacity pressures
- Order and monitor non‑clinical ward supplies, stationery, and equipment as required
- Ensure all work is carried out in line with data protection, confidentiality, and Caldicott principles
- Report incidents, concerns, or errors using appropriate reporting systems (e.g. Datix)
- Adhere to Trust policies relating to health and safety, infection prevention and control, and risk management
- Participate in mandatory training and updates as required
- Prioritise workload effectively in a demanding environment and respond flexibly to changing service needs
- Support new staff, students, and temporary staff by providing guidance on ward administrative processes
- Participate in service improvement initiatives and audits as required
Working Conditions
- Based on a busy acute inpatient ward
- Frequent interruptions and competing priorities
- Regular use of computer systems and telephone
Person Specification
- Must be able to work flexibly and cover annual leave or sickness where appropriate
- Speak English to an appropriate standard, with confidence, accuracy, and correct sentence structure
Knowledge
- Good understanding of customer care practices within the workplace
- Good knowledge of clerical/admin skills
- Experience using NHS electronic systems
Skills
- Excellent communication and organisational skills
- Previous clerical experience
- Experience working within the NHS
Experience
- Experience working in a busy, pressurised environment dealing with frequent interruptions
- Ability to work within a team or independently
Qualifications
- Educated to GCSE or equivalent level in English and Maths
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and will require a Disclosure and Barring Service check for any previous convictions.
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