NHS Admin

[deepseaargyllfish]

I have an interview for a support medical secretary job in the week coming.

The issue is, it’s 32 hours per week, probably rising soon after to 37.

I’m in a decent position financially (low outgoings and low mortgage, with no kids to support) but still, I need a stable income. I need some hours each week which are fixed and guaranteed. I have an ad hoc side hustle (exam marking), and need to keep a day or two free for that - as well as for my own peace (I’m not that young).

If I’m offered the job, which obviously hasn’t happened yet, would the offer conversation be the right time to say that I can only do three or 3.5 days, or a 50:50 job share? I’m worried that if I said this (either at interview or if and when I’m offered the job) the offer would be withdrawn.

I could do the near-f/t job for six months, and ask after six months; I’d definitely do this if there was a high chance of them saying yes. But I can’t do near f/t in the medium to long term. So I wouldn’t want to do six months in a post only to have to leave quite quickly.

I live in a remote area with high levels of deprivation; there are vanishingly few opportunities.

If anyone has experience of flexibility working NHS admin, I’d be grateful for any advice. Thank you.

My Manager hasn’t been super flexible, I think it probably comes down to the individuals involved.

Thanks. If I could have three days each week (they needn’t even be consecutive) that would be the dream.

I came unstuck in my last job, because they refused to let me drop from five days to four, so I’m very wary of making a nuisance of myself - especially so early.

I hope some posters with experience of this can give another viewpoint.

I do think my Manager is a little difficult about this ; when I got the full time job I was actually looking for a part time job but this was the only job offer I got and I wanted it. It took me two years to go down to 4 days, then another 2 to go down to 3 which I am currently doing. The trust tells the staff how flexible they are but when it comes down to it haven’t been , in my department, it may be better in others,

id still go ahead if I were you I think, they should put in practice a flexible work option as they state that they do, it is a selling point for working for the NHS especially in light of such low salaries,

Medical secretary jobs in the NHS are super busy so I would bring up at the interview but preferably have a chat with the hiring manager before interview about potential flexibility. That way they can keep a look out for anyone else at interview who may also want part time.
Otherwise they may well be a bit pissed that you’ve wasted their time when you cannot do the hours required.

They want to fill a post of 32 hours a week and you want to work 22.5 hours a week. This isn't the job for you.

NHS admin roles are like the rest of the NHS
very over stretched with a heavy work load due to cut backs and job freezes
if they’ve got a job vacancy signed off ir will be because they have evidenced that the post is needed to support clinical through put -
therefore they will be advertising for at the very least the minimum hours they need -
be upfront and don’t waste their time.

It’s not a question of ‘wasting their time’. There is no work in this area, and I’m not in a position to be choosy. I think I’m realising I’ll have to take it on whatever terms I can get. I haven’t even attended the interview yet.

Be upfront. They may be happy to employ you on 22.5 hours then advertise for someone to fill the remaining hours. Where I work they have difficulty recruiting med secs and would happily consider a job share so just be honest you’ve got nothing to lose. Good luck!

This, as they won’t be able to get a job share wanting 9 1/2 hours a week?! If the advert is 32 hours thats what the team need, so you could do 15 hours a week and they could probably find someone who would want 17!

I would call it a ‘question of wasting time’ if you are applying for and going to accept an interview for a job, but not for the job description as stated -

contact them ahead of submitting an application - if you really are committed to not wasting valuable NHS recruitment time, you’ll be honest and take it from there-

Exactly - that will be the bare minimum of what the team need if they got a job through the vacancy control hoops -

NHS manager here, the hoops we have to jump through to get a vacancy approved for advert are unbelievable. It's a long stretch to think the recruiting manager would reduce the funded hours for you. The workload won't reduce because a candidate doesn't want to work the hours needed.
Don't get your hopes up.

The job has been advertised with two amounts of hours, so I could say I can only do the smaller number of hours .

Well said - exactly this

If they had wanted PT this would have been advertised as such and is the sort of thing you mention at interview and not after being accepted. I know you've not been offered it yet and hope you get it but yes, it will most likely be inconvenient for them to try to navigate another interview process etc.

You should ask before applying I would say. I work in the NHS (at a relatively senior level) and wouldn’t waste anyone’s time if I didn’t want it full time.

I had someone apply for a uni placement year recently, and they asked if they could do the role part time in the interview. They were questionable as to whether I would appoint anyway, but it gave me the impression I’d be getting less than 100% with them focusing their energies elsewhere. I wouldn’t have been able to hire cover for the other part of the role and it’s a fundamental one. Some roles are job shared in the NHS but it’s better to suss them out early.

ETA: I work 4.5 days, or 33.75 hours compressed into four days. When I rang for a chat about the role I asked if they would consider slightly less than full time and they said yes, they wanted the right person for the job. I already had that same contract elsewhere albeit a grade lower, and I wouldn’t have traded it for full time. I don’t ever want to work full time again.

What's the smaller amount of hours?

I work in NHS admin - not as a med sec but in an adjacent role. As others have said, getting approval for job postings and agreed hours is a nightmare. If the advert doesn’t specifically state that it’s open to job-shares or part-time hours, I would check before you go to interview as it will potentially save both you and them the time and hassle of offering you an interview for a job you don’t want.

I have decided I won’t accept (on the off-chance I’m offered it) if the lower of the two amount of hours cant be compressed into four days.

They can then just bounce the offer to their second choice. It doesn’t make sense in my situation to work so many hours for such low pay.

All academic in any case, if I’m not offered it.

Ask before you apply -
it’s likely to be office hours based -
as that is when the majority of NHS admin work is required -

Yes, obviously I’d expect the hours to fall within 8-5. The exact working pattern wasn’t stated in the job advert.

Two differing amounts of hours were given, alongside the usual spiel about being family-friendly / welcoming flexibility. I’ve noticed most larger companies state this, even when they have no intention of honouring any commitment to flexible hours.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable, therefore, to go to the interview and say - at interview - that I would only take the job at the lower of the two amounts of hours across four days. They can then be appraised of that info when making their decision.

I’m with you on not wanting to work a 40-hour week across five days again. Not for very low pay, anyway.

Increasingly, these days, nobody is willing to, because UC kicks in to top up wages at 25 hours (or fewer). It must make recruitment for full-time, low-wage jobs very difficult indeed.

So you would take 32 hours then?

I would , but only across four days.