Dental Secretary Employment Contract UK

Responsibilities reflected in the contract

• Prepare correspondence from authorised dictation.
• Manage referrals and clinician diary commitments.
• Verify patient and recipient details before issue.
• Route urgent documents and responses promptly.
• Track outstanding reports and actions.
• Protect confidential clinical information.

A realistic working scenario

A referral names the wrong tooth compared with the note. The secretary flags it to the author and withholds issue until corrected.

Outputs to agree

• accurate correspondence
• tracked referrals
• organised clinician administration

Records and evidence

• Dictation and author.
• Draft approval.
• Referral tracking.
• Correction.
• Work records.
• Handover notes.

Reporting relationship

Typically reports to Line Manager or Department Manager. Confirm the employer's actual reporting structure in the builder.

Authority and escalation

• The secretary may transcribe and format but cannot alter clinical meaning or issue unapproved advice.
• Obtain approval before committing expenditure, changing contractual commitments or making regulated or staffing decisions outside the assigned role.

Tools and systems

• Email.
• Document systems.
• Phone systems.

Workplace context

• Practice reception, clinical administration areas and approved patient-facing areas.

Training and certification

• Complete employer-required safeguarding training.
• Complete employer-required health and safety training.

Contract priorities

• clinical confidentiality
• accuracy
• deadlines
• secure remote access

Information the employer should prepare

• the clinicians and specialties supported
• the dictation and record systems
• the correspondence approval rules
• the referral and tracking processes
• the office or remote arrangement
• the urgent-document escalation route