Accepting the award, Julie said:
'I’m thrilled to have even been considered, but to have won is amazing. I enjoy both my ‘day job’ at Noble’s and the additional private secretarial work I undertake for Mr Crerand. In both roles I simply focus on making sure that we provide the very best possible service for patients and that their needs are always put first. I have a keen interest in Mr Crerand’s field of work and find my role extremely rewarding.'
Being particularly interested in the speciality of Orthopaedics, Julie decided to study for a diploma in the subject through the University of Dundee. She felt that the knowledge gained through doing this Home Study Course would enable her to give more information to patients wanting to know about their surgery and therefore improve the function of the Practice.
Mr Sean Crerand said:
'Julie has been my private secretary for over 15 years and during that time has proven to be the most competent and committed secretary I could hope to have. She is dedicated to our patients. She is lucky to have an eidetic memory and can remember small details about patients who may not have been seen for some time – delighting them with her knowledge about them. She has continued her studies, not only obtaining the usual medical secretarial qualifications, but has also been awarded a Diploma in Orthopaedics so that she can understand the procedures and be better placed to give appropriate advice. Her dedication and skill truly deserve to be recognised and I’m delighted that her hard work and talent have been rewarded.'
As well as the title, Julie received a prize consisting of a crystal trophy, a bouquet of flowers, and a cheque for £500, which were presented to Julie by Kingsley Hollis from sponsors DGL Solutions and Hylda Whitehead representing the BSMSA. The BSMSA adjudicated the entries to the award, with Hylda adding that it was a very difficult decision to make as the nominations were of a very high standard, but the judges all veered towards the same result.
Kingsley Hollis from sponsor DGL Solutions said:
'Medical Secretaries are the gatekeepers to the world of private healthcare. They have the responsibility to manage; to administer; to make sure that all of the pieces of the healthcare puzzle are aligned and come together in the right place at the right time. Every good Medical Secretary has a wide range of administrative skills, but it is the combination of these skills with those less-definable human qualities that transform the 'good' Secretary into an 'outstanding' one. Secretaries must be able to communicate between departments, to empathise with patients, and most of all to read the minds of their Consultants!
'We at DGL Solutions know that a large amount of the reputation and respect that consultants enjoy is as a direct result of their secretary's hard work and dedication to running an efficient practice. Often, the most successful practices are those with the very best medical secretary support. DGL Solutions has spent the last 20 years creating products to make the administrative side of the medical secretaries job more efficient, giving them the time and space they need to develop those all-important 'people skills'. Medical secretaries are the unsung heroes of the healthcare industry, which is why it’s a pleasure and an honour for us to be able to sponsor the award and help the BSMSA promote the importance of medical secretaries and help them gain the true recognition they deserve.'
