Dental Receptionist

NHS Jobs; Chester; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH) is seeking a Dental Receptionist to provide a patient‑facing reception and administration service within the community dental network. You will handle appointments, queries and payments, and support dental clinical teams across multiple sites.

The role requires accurate record keeping with SOEL or similar systems, excellent communication, and the ability to work flexibly with patients of diverse needs.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in an office environment and reception/administration.
• Experience using Microsoft packages (Word, Excel, Access).
• Minute taking experience is desirable and beneficial.
• Experience with Electronic Patient Record and Appointment systems (e.g. SOEL Health/Exact/R4).

Responsibilities

• Provide a first point of contact for enquiries, handling in person, phone or email.
• Coordinate appointments, record management and patient billing processes.
• Maintain confidentiality and adhere to information governance policies.
• Organise interpreters and assist patients with diverse needs and languages.
• Support the dental team and ensure smooth day‑to‑day operations.

Skills

Good Microsoft packages

Excellent keyboard skills

Excellent communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Telephone skills

Teamwork

Self initiative

Workload prioritisation

Education

NVQ level 2 Customer Care

Shorthand

Tools

SOEL Health/Exact/R4

Job description

Go back North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH)

Dental Receptionist

The closing date is 30 September 2026

To Provide and co-ordinate an efficient customer focussed reception and administration service to include a full range of secretarial, clerical and administration duties to support the dental clinical team, and patients and their carers who access the community dental service.

Responsible for all administration duties connected with patients appointments, the efficient running of all electronic appointment and patient records system, including telephone and face to face communications, collection and banking of patient charges and all other duties to ensure the day to day smooth running of the dental service.

Main duties of the job

Provide the first point of contact for all enquiries and deal with general enquires and resolving issues from patients, carers and other health professionals and other external organisations, both in person, phone or email.

To communicate appropriately and sensitively with patients/carers/relatives who may be fearful, anxious, vulnerable, have sensitive concerns, special needs and or so challenging behaviours.

Maintain staff and patient confidentiality at all times adhereto Trust information governance and data protection policies and procedures.

Document direct and indirect contact with patients in the electronic records inline with local policy and procedures.

Monitoring, processing and logging referrals, organising appointments with parents/carers via telephone, letter, SMS and email.

Ensure all cash floats and patient charges/fees are accurately balanced and financial records are kept updated on a daily basis.

Organise and book interpreting services for patients/ carers.

Demonstrate an awareness of the complaints procedure including defusing and resolving potential conflict/complaints situations to avoid escalation when required.

Please see Full Job Description attached.

About us

Flexible working will be considered for all roles.

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM) serves more than one million residents across the Halton and Warrington boroughs and the wider North West region.

Bringing together community and out-of-hospital services (formerly provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare) with inpatient and elective care (formerly Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals) we provide services at two hospital sites and more than 70 community hubs and facilities.

Our mission, vision and values are at the heart of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM).

They underpin everything we do and everything we aspire to be as an organisation.

Our mission

We will be exceptional for our patients, our communities and each other

Our vision

We will be a great organisation providing excellent healthcare and opportunities to work and learn

Our values

• Kind: We are caring, supportive and respectful to everyone
• Open: We are honest, transparent and open to new ways of working
• Fair: We listen, value our differences and are inclusive to all
• One team: We work well together and with our communities

Job responsibilities

To provide and co-ordinate an efficient customer focussed reception and administration service to include a full range of secretarial, clerical and administrative duties to support the dental clinical team, and patients and their carers who access the community dental service.

Responsible for all administration duties connected with patients appointments, the efficient running of electronic appointment and patient records system (SOEL), including telephone and face- to-face communications, collection and banking of patients charges and other duties to ensure the day to day smooth running of the dental service.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Provide the first point of contact function for all enquiries regarding the Service and deal with general enquiries and resolving issues from patients, carers and other health professionals, and other externalorganisations, both in person and by phone, signposting where necessary

To communicate appropriately and sensitively with patients/carers/relatives who may be fearful, anxious, vulnerable, have sensitive concerns, have special needs, and/or show challenging behaviour, i.e.physical and learning disabilities, have visual or hearing impairment,dementia, or where English is not their first language. This list is notexhaustive

Maintain patient and staff confidentiality at all times, adhering to Trust information governance and data protection policiesand procedures

To manage, organise, maintain and co-ordinate electronic clinical appointment and patient record systems ensuring appointments are booked efficiently and comprehensively, maximising the clinical time available, e.g. SOEL electronic patient record system and Chronic electronic appointment systems.

To receive, process and accurately enter patient sensitive/confidential information accurately onto the electronic clinical appointment and patient record systems, ensuring all user fields are completedand updated each visit.

Document direct and indirect contact with patients in the electronic patients records in line with local policy and procedures.

Monitoring, processing and logging referrals,organising appointments directly with patients/carers via telephone and letter.

File, retrieve and archive patients referrals/records/notes.

To be responsible for the archiving of patients records in accordance with Trust policies and procedures

To provide word-processing, photocopying, scanningand faxing of documents. Collating and circulating documents. Drafting and typing of letters and documents for signature and proof reading when required.

Receive and divert telephone calls and record comprehensive and complicated messages from patients, staff and other healthcare professionals, for the dental team and other staff members. Analyse the information received and determine the appropriate action and priority for the attention of clinicians.

On a daily basis identify patients eligible to pay charges/fees revenue for their dental treatment in line with current NHS regulations. Responsibility for collecting/receiving payments from patients or their carers including cash, cheques and credit card payments and issue of receipts.

To ensure all cash floats and patients charges/fees are accurately balanced and financial records are kept updated on a daily basis

Responsibility for banking of patients charge/fees revenue following the Dental patients charge revenue and petty cash standard operating procedure.

Manage and process all incoming and out-going mail, including referrals.

To co-ordinate the sale of dental resources, monitor and maintain stock levels (where applicable).

Monitor and maintain stationery stock and request procurement of resources when required.

Liaise with dental laboratories with regard to dental appliances for patients, which may include collection of and deliveries of appliances and general enquiries.

Organise and book interpreting services for patients and their carers

Demonstrate an awareness of the complaints procedure including defusing and resolving potential conflict/complaints situations to avoid escalation, when required.

To liaise effectively with patients, colleagues, patient representatives and partner agencies at all levels both within the Trust and across the NHS and in other organisations.

To organise and administrate meetings and events when required including:

Booking venues

Progressing any follow up actions

Making accommodation and catering arrangements

To be able to work without direct supervision, prioritising own work load

To ensure the waiting and reception areas are welcoming, clean and tidy.

To ensure patients are safe within the reception area and take appropriate action when necessary

Recognise and assist as part of the team with the management of medical emergencies should they arise.

Work as part of a team; provide assistance and support to colleagues, allocating duties to others if appropriate, providing guidance and advice to new staff and colleagues.

Work with other staff members to identify working environment risks and to report any risks immediately to ensure the environment is safe for everyone

To work within National and Trust Policies and Procedures.

To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of patients and their carers and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.

To liaise with other agencies with regard to orders and invoices

To attend regular meetings and take minutes when required e.g. dental team/staff dental development meetings

To participate in in-service training as appropriate

To assist in the induction and training of new staff

To refer any problem areas to senior members of dental management team

To be flexible, maybe on occasions required to work in other locations within the Dental Network

To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent and reliable attendance

To comply with annual PDR and appraisal system

To participate in personal objective setting and review, including the creation of a personal development plan

Please see full Job Description attached

Person Specification

Experience

• To have proven experience of working within an office environment.
• Previous reception and administration experience
• Proven experience in using Microsoft packages, Word, Excel, Access
• Word Processing/typing skills to RSA 3 or equivalent experience
• Experience of minute taking
• Experience of Electronic Patient Record and Appointment systems, e.g.
• SOEL Health/Exact/R4
• Experience of dealing with a range of health, education and Social Care professionals
• Experience of dealing with patients with a wide range of physical and learning disabilities

Skills and Knowledge

• Good working knowledge of Microsoft packages, e.g. word, excel and access
• Excellent keyboard skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent Telephone skills
• Ability to work flexibly and effectively to ensure achievement of objectives
• Ability to work effectively as a team member
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Ability to prioritise own workload, identify and manage competing pressures

Qualifications

• Good standard of general education
• NVQ LEVEL 2 Customer Care or equivalent, or be working towards
• Shorthand

Job Specific Requirements

• The ability to travel independently across the Trust
• The ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs

Right to Work

• Do you currently have the unrestricted right to work in the UK?
• If appointed, will you require sponsorship under a UK work visa route (now or in the future)?
• Please note that sponsorship is not available for all roles. Sponsorship will only be considered where the post meets the relevant UK immigration requirements and where the organisation determines that sponsorship is appropriate for the role.

Relationships

• If you are related to a director or have a relationship with a director or employee of an appointing organisation, please state the relationship.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH)