What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research Secretary position at Freeman Hospital?
Employer heading
Research Secretary
Band 3
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.
With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, we’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.
As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job Overview
As a Research Secretary within Clinical Research Directorate, you will provide vital administrative and secretarial support to research teams across a range of specialities. The role is central to ensuring the smooth running of research services, managing appointments, coordinating communications, maintaining accurate patient records, handling correspondence, and supporting meetings and clinical activities.
We are looking for an organised, proactive and professional individual with excellent communication, keyboard and IT skills, experience in secretarial procedures, and the ability to work independently while managing competing priorities. Accuracy, discretion, attention to detail and a commitment to patient confidentiality are essential, along with the ability to support patients and colleagues in a busy healthcare environment.
This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge clinical research within a supportive NHS team. You will play a key role in delivering high-quality research services, develop valuable specialist knowledge, and work alongside dedicated professionals whose work helps improve patient care and advance healthcare innovation.
Main duties of the job
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
Person specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential criteria
Essential criteria
Essential criteria
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
Name Jess Stewart Job title Research Secretary Email address jessica.stewart12@nhs.net Telephone number 0191 2824144
Research Secretary
Band 3
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.
With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, we’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.
As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job Overview
As a Research Secretary within Clinical Research Directorate, you will provide vital administrative and secretarial support to research teams across a range of specialities. The role is central to ensuring the smooth running of research services, managing appointments, coordinating communications, maintaining accurate patient records, handling correspondence, and supporting meetings and clinical activities.
We are looking for an organised, proactive and professional individual with excellent communication, keyboard and IT skills, experience in secretarial procedures, and the ability to work independently while managing competing priorities. Accuracy, discretion, attention to detail and a commitment to patient confidentiality are essential, along with the ability to support patients and colleagues in a busy healthcare environment.
This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge clinical research within a supportive NHS team. You will play a key role in delivering high-quality research services, develop valuable specialist knowledge, and work alongside dedicated professionals whose work helps improve patient care and advance healthcare innovation.
- Interview Date: 19 October 2026
- 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy
Main duties of the job
- Managing patient research appointments.
- Acting as a key point of contact for research teams across the Directorate.
- Handling telephone and email enquiries, resolving issues where appropriate and escalating more complex matters.
- Preparing, typing and distributing correspondence, reports, agendas and meeting minutes and other documentation, including audio transcription.
- Maintaining diaries, arranging meetings and coordinating meeting room bookings..
- Managing patient records and data using electronic systems such as eRecord and departmental databases, ensuring confidentiality and accuracy at all times.
- Contributing to service improvement, audits, data collection and departmental procedures, while ensuring compliance with Trust policies and governance requirements.
- Providing cross-site administrative support and cover for colleagues during periods of absence.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:
- Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
- Freeman Hospital
- Newcastle Dental Hospital
- Cramlington Manor Walks
- Urgent treatment centres
- Newcastle Fertility Centre
- Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
- Northern Genetics Service
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
- Working within Clinical Delivery Secretarial Department to provide a comprehensive administrative and secretarial support service across clinical research specialities to Consultants, Medical Staff and other clinical members of their team i.e. Team Lead, Research Nurses etc.
- Communicates with patients regarding appointments and admissions at the request of the clinical l staff.
- Provide cross site cover for Secretarial colleagues during absences as directed by Line Manager as required.
Person specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential criteria
- Appropriate NVQ III Certificate (e.g. Business Administration, Secretarial Support etc) or equivalent level qualifications / relevant experience
- English Language qualification to GCSE level 4 (or above) or equivalent level qualification / relevant experience
- Advanced keyboard skills including a high standard of word processing skills (e.g. OCR / RSA II or equivalent level qualification / experience)
- OCR / RSA III
Essential criteria
- Experience of secretarial procedures
- Audio typing experience
- NHS secretarial experience
- Working Knowledge of NHS Systems e.g. eRecord
- Knowledge of Medical Terminology
Essential criteria
- IT skills to include office software packages
- Advanced keyboard skills including a high standard of word processing skills (e.g. OCR / RSA II or equivalent level qualification / experience)
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to manage time effectively and work on own initiative
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Documents to download
- JD & PS (PDF, 151.5KB)
- Newcastle Staff Benefits (PDF, 274.4KB)
- Behaviour and Civility Charter (PDF, 93.8KB)
Further details / informal visits contact
Name Jess Stewart Job title Research Secretary Email address jessica.stewart12@nhs.net Telephone number 0191 2824144