Dispensing Assistant/ Receptionist

Integrated Care System; North East; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Newcastle is looking for a Weekend Dispensing Assistant/Receptionist. The role involves undertaking reception duties, managing prescriptions, and providing excellent customer service in a busy pharmacy department. Ideal candidates will have strong communication skills and the ability to work under pressure. Training will be provided, and the position offers 15 hours of work each week on weekends.

Qualifications

• Experience in a busy customer/client focused environment.
• Knowledge of pharmacy stock control systems.
• Ability to accurately record and relay messages.

Responsibilities

• Undertake reception duties at the staff hatch.
• Answer the dispensary telephone.
• Ensure prescriptions are entered on the prescription tracking system.

Skills

Good communication

Excellent customer care skills

Ability to work under pressure

Education

CSE or GCSE in Maths and English

NVQ 2 in pharmacy services

Tools

Prescription tracking system

Job description

Go back The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dispensing Assistant/ Receptionist

The closing date is 17 August 2025

Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking to recruit an enthusiastic, motivated individual to join our fast paced in-patient pharmacy department as a weekend receptionist.

We are a busy pharmacy department offering a diverse and complex range of functions and activities including; Dispensary, ward based and clinical activities, logistics, stores and procurement, clinical trials, aseptic preparation and medicines information. We have an automated robotic dispensing and stock supply system.

As the role of the receptionist is primarily to attend to users of the service when they present at Pharmacy Reception and to answer the telephone, we are ideally looking for someone with a pleasant disposition who can communicate well, both face to face and over the telephone, with a wide range of people including, staff, colleagues and patients.

• Interview Date: 11th September 2025
• 15 hours/week
• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

Key to the Receptionist's role is the organisation of work as it comes into the dispensary, ensuring prescriptions and orders enter the correct workflow stream allowing prioritisation of the workload. The Receptionist will also be responsible for the accurate input of discharge prescription information onto the prescription tracking system and for the filtering of prescriptions and orders into the correct workflow stream for dispensing by our team of dispensing assistants.

If you have experience of working in a busy customer/client focused environment, can remain calm under pressure, have the ability to respond and adapt quickly to changing circumstances and are a good team player this role could be for you.

Whilst experience of working in a pharmacy environment would be advantageous it is not essential as full training will be given.

To discuss this post further or to arrange an informal visit please contact Tracy Bracken / Pippa Rodwell

This position is 15hrs per week to cover weekend reception duties on a Saturday and Sunday.

About us

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:

o Freeman Hospital

o Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)

o Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)

o Newcastle Dental Hospital

o Newcastle Fertility Centre

o Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria

o Northern Genetics Service

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Job responsibilities

• Undertake reception duties at the staff hatch
• Answer the dispensary telephone
• Ensure inpatient and outpatient prescriptions are entered on the prescription tracking system
• Provide appropriate support as required to dispensary staff
• To assist with general clerical duties e.g. filing and archiving of documentation, data collection, and data input under the direction and supervision of the Dispensary Manager
• Participate in daily stock checks
• Checks off orders received into the dispensary in accordance with procedure

Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of Health and Safety and hygiene in the work place.
• Knowledge of pharmacy stock control systems
• Knowledge of drug names and terminology
• Knowledge of COSHH regulations
• Knowledge of Standard Operating Procedures

SKILLS

• Demonstrate good oral / written communication
• Ability to accurately record and relay messages to the appropriate individual in a busy environment
• Excellent customer care skills
• Excellent telephone manner
• Ability to work to a Standard Operating Procedure or protocol
• Ability to follow verbal instructions

EXPERIENCE

• Experience of working in a customer/client focused environment
• Pharmacy experience gained in a hospital or community setting
• Experience of stock control and stock management

QUALIFICATIONS

• Evidence of achievement at CSE or GCSE in Maths and English
• NVQ 2 in pharmacy services and the approved underpinning knowledge

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.

Employer name

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust