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 I’m worried that if I said this (either at interview or if and when I’m offered the job) the offer would be withdrawn.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.

As an nhs manager I wouldn’t consider if I’d offered you a full time and could in theory refuse a request for part time after several months in post. To get jobs out to advert we have to jump through hoops at the moment so it’s clear the department needs full time so any request of reducing hours may not be approved

I would tell them before the interview that you are limited to the hours you can work, the issue is that filling a day or two a week to jobshare is impossible a lot of the time, and the cost of employing someone includes training and that cost is doubled by having two people in post.

They will be in a position to be choosy though. Jobs like this are highly sought after and my guess is that they will offer the position to the candidate who can work the hours that are required.

As a recently retired med sec, I agree with this. We had over 200 applicants for my job. Some didn't even have med sec experience so were screened out straight away. If you have an interview you've done well to get this far.

Out of interest, what band are they pitching it at?

Then you have to call them before you put your application in and ask them if this would be considered.

They might need cover every day. If they've advertised it over 5 days, then they want someone over the 5 days. If they are at all flexible they would usually advertise that in the job advert.

They haven’t stated the working pattern. I already said this. Made no mention of it at all.

It’s less than a full-time post.

It’s close to minimum wage.

Shocking. Shocking and sad that the job is so devalued.

I can’t imagine that, in this area, there is a large pool of good administrators with medical and (fast) audio-typing secretarial experience who would work full time for minimum wage. Many would be curtailed by, for example, school chucking-out times.

Indeed. I was genuinely shocked when I looked at the hourly rates that match up with the bands.

I would be shocked if you couldn't do 32 hours over 4 days.

If they stated 32 & FT, maybe there's two posts?

Good luck!