Assistant Administrator Apprentice

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; West of England; On-site; GBP 8,000 - 12,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is offering an Administration Assistant apprenticeship within the Wheelchair Team at the Bristol Centre for Enablement. The post is open to apprentices and focuses on delivering a welcoming, professional service to patients and colleagues.

The 15–18 month learning programme leads to a Level 3 Business Administrator qualification, delivered online and at the Learning and Research centre on our Southmead campus, with monthly lessons and 1:1 tutor support.

Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent qualifications.
• IT literate e.g., email, word processing, with experience of inputting data into a computer system.

Responsibilities

• Provide a friendly and professional welcome to visitors, patients, staff and service users.
• Answer the telephone, deal with queries relevant to the service and/or take accurate messages, record details and pass on to the appropriate team/individual.
• Assist colleagues in providing and maintaining efficient day to day operation of the medical records to facilitate optimum accessibility to patient records pertaining to the service.
• Deal with various enquiries via phone, face to face, email or mail from GPs, consultants, specialist nurses, relatives, patients, other medical staff and external organisations in a compassionate and professional manner.
• Liaise with other departments i.e. patient access team, medical records, secretaries etc. developing positive and co-operative working relationships.

Skills

Office administration

Microsoft Office

Customer service

Communication skills

Education

GCSE or equivalent

IT literate

Job description

Education/Training/Qualifications

Essential criteria

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This creates 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. Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job Overview

A fantastic opportunity has recently arisen within the Wheelchair Team at the Bristol Centre for Enablement as we are advertising for an Administration Assistant to join the team. This post is open to apprentices. This team are focused on providing a welcoming and professional service to our patients and play a crucial role in ensuring they receive their equipment in a timely manner. The ideal candidate will need to be able to work in a calm, logical, organised and methodical way whilst being able to multi-task in a busy environment with complex patient pathways. This role also involves working closely with the clinical team. If you would like any more information about this vacancy or to arrange an informal discussion/visit please contact Donna Price via email: [e-mail]

You will complete the Business Administrator apprenticeship which is a 15-18 month learning programme consisting of:

• 15-month training and support to develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviours to gain a Level 3 Business Administrator qualification.
• We are a registered training provider here at Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and as such your learning is delivered in a blended model both online and at our Learning and Research centre on our Southmead campus.
• You will be supported to complete monthly lessons, assignments, skills assessments and 1:1 support with a dedicated tutor/assessor
• You will have access to a workplace mentor to support you to put your learning into practice.
• The End Point Assessment delivered by Innovate Awarding – graded Pass or Distinction

You Must

• Be over the age of 16
• Have lived in the UK/EEA for the past 3 years.
• Have the right to work and reside in the UK.
• Not be currently working towards any other government funded training programme.
• Not hold a qualification in the same subject area at the same level or higher
• Hold GCSE Maths and English at minimum of Grade C/4

Working for our organisation

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston. With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• Provide a friendly and professional welcome to visitors, patients, staff and service users.
• Answer the telephone, deal with queries relevant to the service and/or take accurate messages, record details and pass on to the appropriate team/individual.
• Assist colleagues in providing and maintaining efficient day to day operation of the medical records to facilitate optimum accessibility to patient records pertaining to the service.
• Deal with various enquiries via phone, face to face, email or mail from GPs, consultants, specialist nurses, relatives, patients, other medical staff and external organisations in a compassionate and professional manner.
• Liaise with other departments i.e. patient access team, medical records, secretaries etc. developing positive and co-operative working relationships.
• Be able to respond to emotional members of the public/relatives in a calm and professional manner, understanding limitations of role and how to access support.
• Responsible for scanning documents from the Weston site to Southmead site for urology admissions.
• Act as a supportive and adaptable team member,
• Demonstrate a professional approach in handling sensitive and confidential information in line with the Data Protection Act.
• Take responsibility for own role, identifying any knowledge/skills gaps where additional support/training is needed.
• Responsible for maintaining IT literacy and updating skills in line with the introduction of new systems within the Trust
• Actively participate in the Trust’s annual appraisal process providing evidence to meet the Knowledge Skills Framework requirements of the post.
• Please see job description for further duties and responsibilities

Person specification

Education/Training/Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent qualifications
• IT literate eg, email, word processing, with experience of inputting data into a computer system

Work Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of general office administrative and clerical duties and equipment
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages i.e. Word, Excel, Outlook etc
• Experience of customer services

Desirable criteria

• Previous NHS or healthcare experience including hospital IT systems

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Essential criteria

• Able to deal with day-to-day duties and tasks in a calm and organised approach
• Able to put in place and follow processes and procedures

Personal Qualities/Special Circumstances

Essential criteria

• Good verbal & Written communication skills, with a professional manner
• Work with confidence and sympathy when dealing with patients and carers
• Working with confidential information and able to demonstrate understanding of confidentiality
• Able to work as independently as well as part of a wider team

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
• BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
• Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.