What Does A Healthcare Administrative Assistant do? 

If you’re good with computers, enjoy helping people and want to work in health and social care, a career as a healthcare administrative assistant may be a good fit for you.  Healthcare administrative assistants perform many clerical duties to keep hospitals, doctors’ offices and other medical facilities running efficiently.  

Natalie Chard is our Telford recruitment agency Branch Manager and explains what the role and responsibilities of being a healthcare administrative assistant are. 

What education and training are required to become a healthcare administrative assistant? 

Whilst having a Bachelor’s degree is encouraging for potential employers to see, they’re not always necessary in the hiring process, with some companies happily accepting a high school diploma or GED and evidence of previous experience in the sector. 

If you’re looking for hands-on experience opportunities through internships and volunteer work, contact us to discuss your options.

What skills are necessary for the job? 

Working in administration often means working at a computer and so being able to proficiently utilise software such as Microsoft Office is required for most positions.  Generally, as with any administrative role, organisation and muti-tasking are highly sought-after skills, as are being friendly and reliant.  A top employee is one who the employer can leave confidently to get on with tasks: in this case, keeping charge of office supplies, answering the phone, scheduling appointments, maintaining records for staff and responsibly performing other assigned duties with ease. 

A non-negotiable skill when being in the healthcare industry is a positive attitude. Especially when dealing with patients or other people who come into contact with your office on a daily basis, you want people to walk away feeling like they were treated well by someone who clearly cared about them and their needs. Having compassion and understanding for someone else in this line of work will never go unnoticed. 

Think about what kind of experience each patient should have during their visit to the clinic (or hospital).  What does this person need?  How can you make sure that happens?  You might be surprised at how many seemingly minor details go into making someone’s experience positive or negative! 

How much does a healthcare administrative assistant make?

Although this can vary significantly depending on the setting and location, the average salary across the UK is £18,000 – £22,000 per year (according to Indeed.)

The average salaries for this role in each of our office locations are as follows:

Safehands Cheltenham: £20,158

Safehands Telford: £18,933

Safehands Hereford: £19,844

Safehands Cardiff: £20,582

Safehands Bristol: £20,475

Safehands Worcester: £19,949

Safehands Staffordshire: £20,145

With offices across the UK, Safehands are perfectly situated to help you find a healthcare assistant job near you.

Where do healthcare admin assistants work? 

Usually, healthcare administrative assistants work in an office, whether that’s in a hospital, a clinic or a private practice.  This can sometimes affect how duties are delegated and shared with employees due to the size and scope of the healthcare setting you might find yourself in.  For instance, if you’re an administrative assistant in a large hospital or clinic that offers several different services (for example, surgery and radiology), then it’s likely that your responsibilities will include assisting with all aspects of patient care at some level. 

Even though you may not be directly in the clinical environment, this does not undermine the fact that you must be up to scratch on medical terminology.  This is to ensure clear communication on any possible matter between doctors, nurses, practitioners, patients and you, the administrative assistant – the first point of contact.

Considering a career as a Healthcare administrative assistant?

Healthcare administrative assistants are often heroes behind the scenes, helping to keep hospitals and other healthcare facilities running smoothly.  The job is now indeed an integral part of the healthcare industry, allowing professionals to focus on what they were trained for – providing quality care – rather than spending time managing records and paperwork.

If you’re considering a career as a healthcare administrative assistant, take some time to explore the various health care job opportunities we have at Safehands Recruitment.

Contact us if you have any questions about becoming a professional healthcare administrative assistant.  We’re here to help you every step of the way!