Health records staff

"I like the fact that we’re a small team – if anyone gets too busy, we help one another out until we are through it"

Read Isma's story [1]

Entry requirements, skills and interests

There are no set entry requirements for health records staff. Employers usually expect good literacy, numeracy and IT skills. They may ask for GCSEs or equivalent qualifications. For some jobs, employers may ask for other skills or qualifications such as word processing or data entry. 

Employers often ask for relevant work experience. Even where this is not specified, it would be an advantage if you have worked in an admin or customer service role.

There are often apprenticeships in administrative roles, including some in health records.

Find out more about apprenticeships and traineeships [2]

Personal characteristics

Health records staff need to be: 

• accurate and methodical
• able to work in a team but use their own initiative
• willing to follow instructions and procedures
• able to work with all types of people
• confident using the phone

Skills required

• organisational skills
• IT skills
• customer service skills

Training and development

You will get the training you need to do the job. This includes an introduction to the department, how to use the IT and phone equipment and the procedures to follow. You may also have training in customer care.You may be offered the chance to take qualifications such as NVQs or those from: 

• Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR)  [3]
• British Society of Medical Secretaries and Administrators (BSMSA)  [4]
• Institute of Health Records and Information Management (IHRIM) [5]

Some health records staff become members of AMSPAR, BSMSA or IHRIM. These organisations offer training, online forums and newsletters so health records staff can network with others doing the same type of work.

• Pay and conditions

  Health records staff in the NHS work standard hours of around 37.5 a week. Some may work shifts, which could involve early starts, evenings and weekends. NHS staff working in health records will usually be paid on the Agenda for Change [6] pay system. Health records staff outside of the NHS will have different terms and conditions of service.

• Where the role can lead

  With experience, you could become a team leader, coordinating the work of a team of health records staff. With further experience, you could become a manager, responsible for the work of a health records department.

  Some health records staff move into more specialist roles such as medical secretary or PA [7]. Others move into areas such as finance [8]or HR [9]. You may also have the opportunity to move into informatics [10], specialising in electronic data, or into IT.

• Job market and vacancies

  If you're applying for a role either directly in the NHS or in an organisation that provides NHS services, you'll be asked to show how you think the NHS values apply in your everyday work. Find out more about NHS values. [11]

  Most NHS jobs are advertised on NHS Jobs [12]. Just some of the current vacancies are below. 

  • Health Records Team Lead

    Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, CF14 2TL

    Salary:

    £25,655 - £31,534 per annum

    Type:

    Permanent

    Employer:

    Velindre University NHS Trust

    Apply now on NHS Jobs for Health Records Team Lead job (opens in a new window) [13]

  • Health Records Manager

    Carlisle, CA6 4SN

    Salary:

    £40057.00 to £45839.00 a year 0

    Type:

    Permanent

    Employer:

    North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC)

    Apply now on NHS Jobs for Health Records Manager job (opens in a new window) [14]

  • Band 8a - Head of Health Records

    Watford, WD18 0HB

    Salary:

    £48971.00 to £55064.00 a year pa inc HCA

    Type:

    Permanent

    Employer:

    West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

    Apply now on NHS Jobs for Band 8a - Head of Health Records job (opens in a new window) [15]

  • Health Records Clerical Officer

    Stockport, SK2 7JE

    Salary:

    £18546.00 to £19918.00 a year pro rata per annum

    Type:

    Permanent

    Employer:

    Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

    Apply now on NHS Jobs for Health Records Clerical Officer job (opens in a new window) [16]

  • Health Records Senior Team Leader

    St Georges University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, SW17 0QT

    Salary:

    £27,157 - £29,859 £25,489 - £28,513 pa inc HCAS

    Type:

    Permanent

    Employer:

    St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Apply now on NHS Jobs for Health Records Senior Team Leader job (opens in a new window) [17]

  • Health Records Quality Assurance Officer

    St George's Hospital, Tooting, SW17 0QT

    Salary:

    £24,938 - £26,385 pa. Inclusive of HCAS (Inner)

    Type:

    Permanent

    Employer:

    St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Apply now on NHS Jobs for Health Records Quality Assurance Officer job (opens in a new window) [18]

• Further information

  For more information about a career in health records, please contact:

  • Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists [3]
  • British Society of Medical Secretaries and Administrators [4]
  • Institute of Health Records and Information Management (IHRIM) [19]