Outpatient Receptionist
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North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) are working towards merging as one organisation from July 2026.
This will create an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.
Should you join NBT as an employee prior to our organisations merging, your employment will be automatically transferred across to UHBW. Should your employment begin after our two Trusts merge, you will be employed directly by UHBW and therefore UHBW terms and conditions of service will apply
Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Considering this, if you are interested in this role, please do apply as soon as you can.
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Job overview
Centralised Outpatient Services at North Bristol NHS Trust support the clinical divisions and specialties to administer their outpatient services. The service comprises our patient-facing Reception Team, our telephone and email-based Patient Contact Centre and our administrative Booking and Referrals Teams.
This is a dynamic service with opportunities for future development for staff who excel in their roles. This is a patient-focused environment, where we are committed to supporting professional growth and career progression.
Main duties of the job
Candidates are invited to join our Reception Team, where we are looking for confident individuals who can bring their customer services and professional communication skills to the workplace.
Attending hospital is often an anxious time for patients, and your calm, friendly and empathetic approach will be essential. You will be required to greet patients, carers and visitors and assist with multiple queries such as hospital transport issues and booking urgent follow-up appointments.
You will also be required to be a competent user of the Information Technology systems.
Working for our organisation
North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities.Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.
North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities- To welcome patients, carers and visitors to various specialty appointments within the Trust.
- To be polite and friendly, dealing with queries in an efficient and timely manner.
- To ensure patient information is kept confidential and not shared with others.
- To respond to queries from patients, carers and visitors.
- To maintain a safe environment for patients and staff, raising concerns promptly if there are any safety or wellbeing issues.
- To keep patients informed if the clinics are overrunning.
- To liaise with and alert a clinician in the event of a patient becoming unwell and requiring prompt/immediate attention.
- To oversee patients awaiting transport, and liaise with the transport department in relation to patients still waiting.
- To hand over the care of patients awaiting transport at the end of the working day to the appropriate team ie, Discharge Lounge or Nurse in Charge.
- To take and action internal calls on the reception desk.
- To assist in quieter times with the packing and posting of letters to patients.
- To follow and adhere to Trust Quick Reference Guides (QRG) or Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guidelines.
- To follow procedure for patients that do not attend (DNA) their appointment and ensure the necessary actions have been carried out on the day.
Person specification
Education/training
Essential criteria- GCSE or equivalent qualifications, to include English Language and Mathematics
- IT literate eg, email, word processing, with experience of inputting data into a computer system
- Have an understanding of outpatient department and/or a fundamental understanding of the NHS
- NVQ 2 Level 2 Customer Service
Work Experience
Essential criteria- Dealing with numerous queries at one time, face to face and over the telephone
- Experience of general office administrative and clerical duties and equipment
- Experience of customer services
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages eg, Word, Outlook etc
- Working knowledge of a hospital PAS system
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
Essential criteria- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Able to deal with day to day duties and tasks in a calm and organised approach
- Able to multitask and work under pressure
- Able to put in place and follow processes and procedures
- Able to undertake, absorb and put into practice training
- Able to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service
- Able to work as independently as well as part of a wider team
Please note that if you apply for a position with North Bristol NHS Trust, you may be contacted via TRAC or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your TRAC Account and email accounts including junk and spam folders.
If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.
Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.
If you feel you meet the requirements of the Disability Act / Two Ticks scheme and require further support/advice, please contact us on tel 0117 414 1151.
North Bristol NHS Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.
At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people.
Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.