Administrator/Receptionist

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS Trust in London is seeking a dedicated Administrator/Receptionist for a pivotal front-of-house role. The successful candidate will provide professional reception services while offering comprehensive administrative support to clinical teams. Ideal for an individual with excellent customer service skills and the ability to thrive in a busy healthcare environment. Flexible working may be required across different Trust locations.

Benefits

Comprehensive training opportunities

Support for staff wellbeing

Career development programs

Qualifications

• Experience working in the NHS or a similarly large organization.
• Significant secretarial or administrative experience.
• Experience of dealing with internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide a professional front-of-house service at Fairfield House.
• Manage reception services, including booking appointments.
• Deliver a wide range of administrative support to clinical teams.

Skills

Excellent customer service skills

Ability to communicate clearly

Organisational skills

Competent IT skills

Ability to work under pressure

Education

GCSE standard including English Language and Maths

NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience

Tools

IAPTUS/SystemOne

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Overview

We are seeking a motivated and professional Administrator/Receptionist to join our team at Fairfield House in the borough of Brent in London. This is a pivotal role providing a welcoming and efficient front-of-house service for patients, visitors, and staff, while ensuring the effective day-to-day running of the Brent Older People’s and Healthy Ageing (OPHA) team, Talking Therapies, and the Adult Community Mental Health Team (CMHT).

As the first point of contact, you will create a calm, compassionate, and professional environment for those accessing our services. The role combines reception duties with a wide range of administrative support to clinical teams, including managing appointments, maintaining accurate records, and coordinating room bookings. You will liaise with patients, clinical colleagues, managers, and external agencies to ensure services are delivered safely and efficiently.

This role is well-suited to someone who is organised, approachable, and confident in managing competing demands in a busy healthcare setting. You will need excellent communication skills, a strong focus on confidentiality and patient care, and the ability to remain calm under pressure. You will be expected to uphold the Trust’s values and provide flexible support to meet the needs of the service, including occasionally working at other Trust locations.

Main duties of the job

• Provide a professional front-of-house service at Fairfield House, acting as the first point of contact for patients, visitors, and staff.
• Manage reception services, including handling enquiries, monitoring visitor access, booking appointments, and maintaining accurate records.
• Deliver a wide range of administrative support to clinical teams, such as processing referrals when needed, updating clinical systems (IAPTUS/SystemOne), managing correspondence, and coordinating room bookings.
• Ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the site by liaising with Estates and Facilities, escalating issues, and conducting regular safety checks.
• Take on key site responsibilities as Nominated Fire Officer and First Aider, ensuring compliance with health and safety, fire safety, and emergency procedures.
• Manage clinic capacity and appointment scheduling, including monitoring DNAs and rescheduling as needed.
• Oversee procurement and stock control of clinical and administrative supplies.
• Promote Trust values, professionalism, and a safe, supportive environment for both patients and staff, while engaging in personal development and service improvement initiatives.

Working for our organisation

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) is one of the largest and most diverse NHS trusts in the UK, providing physical and mental health services across London, Milton Keynes, Surrey, and beyond. We are proud of our reputation for innovation, quality, and compassionate care. Our staff are our greatest asset, and we are committed to supporting their wellbeing, learning, and development. By joining CNWL, you will become part of a compassionate, inclusive, and forward-thinking organisation that values diversity and is dedicated to improving lives. We offer a wide range of training, career development opportunities, and staff benefits to help you thrive both professionally and personally.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Reception Cover & Administrative Support

• Deliver high-quality reception services, ensuring the environment is welcoming, calm, and professional.
• Act as first point of contact for patients and the public; handle enquiries with sensitivity and discretion.
• Maintain continuity and safety by providing consistent reception staffing amidst frequent turnover.
• Manage appointments, ensuring patients are seen within target times and clinical urgency is prioritised.
• Maintain accurate records, including patient tracking and appointment rescheduling.
• Provide full administrative support to clinical teams, including processing referrals, clinical correspondence, and IAPTUS/SystemOne data input.
• Communicate effectively by telephone and email, handling queries or complaints and escalating appropriately.
• Book and coordinate use of rooms across the site, resolving scheduling conflicts.
• Monitor and investigate patient DNAs (Did Not Attend) and escalate patterns where necessary.
• Support clinic capacity management, including adjustment of clinics in response to leave or absence.
• Oversee and manage room bookings for all teams at Fairfield House, ensuring efficient scheduling and coordination. Maintain oversight of bookings made by other teams to prevent conflicts and ensure optimal use of available spaces.

Person specification

Educational Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to GCSE standard (A – C Grade) or equivalent, including English Language and Maths

Desirable criteria

• NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience

Experience

• Essential criteria: Experience of working in the NHS or a similarly large organisation
• Essential criteria: Significant secretarial or administrative experience
• Essential criteria: Experience of dealing with internal and external stakeholders, managing a range of queries (including non routine)
• Essential criteria: Experience of working in a reception or customer-facing environment
• Desirable criteria: Experience of using electronic patient record systems (e.g. SystmOne, IAPTUS)
• Desirable criteria: Experience of working in a health or social care environment
• Desirable criteria: Knowledge of medical terminology

Skills, Knowledge And Abilities

• Essential criteria: Ability to communicate clearly with patients, relatives, and health professionals both orally and in writing
• Essential criteria: Excellent customer service skills with a welcoming and professional manner
• Essential criteria: Ability to work as an effective team member, building constructive relationships with warmth and empathy
• Essential criteria: Ability to work under pressure, planning own workload and to competing demands
• Essential criteria: Ability to record, maintain, and use databases accurately
• Essential criteria: Competent IT skills, including working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
• Desirable criteria: Familiarity with NHS administrative systems and processes

Other

• Essential criteria: Able to exercise initiative, flexibility, and tact
• Essential criteria: Ability to meet deadlines and manage competing priorities
• Essential criteria: Self-motivated, reliable, enthusiastic, and approachable
• Essential criteria: Commitment to confidentiality, data protection, and information governance
• Essential criteria: Awareness and understanding of Equal Opportunities and a commitment to implement them in practice