Main Receptionist

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Main Receptionist to be the welcoming first point of contact for patients, visitors and staff. You will handle post, deliveries, phone enquiries, and information requests with a professional and courteous approach in a busy healthcare setting.

The role requires GCSE English and Maths and prior reception experience. It emphasises confidentiality, teamwork, and maintaining a neat reception area while supporting a high standard of service.

Qualifications

• GCSE (grade C or above) in English and Maths or equivalent.
• Experience of working in a main reception environment.
• Experience of using a franking machine and handling post.

Responsibilities

• Sort and organise incoming post and frank outgoing mail.
• Receive deliveries and log them in.
• Answer telephone calls politely and direct to the correct staff.
• Provide information to the public and colleagues while respecting confidentiality.
• Maintain cleanliness and tidiness in the reception area.
• Support anxious or distressed visitors with professionalism.

Skills

Communication skills

Calm under pressure

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Education

GCSE English & Maths

Tools

Franking machine

Job description

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Main Receptionist

The closing date is 19 November 2026

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys working with people and delivering outstanding customer service. As the first point of contact for patients, visitors, and staff, you will provide a welcoming, efficient, and professional reception service. The successful candidate will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to remain calm under pressure, and a commitment to delivering a high standard of service in a busy healthcare environment. Teamwork, professionalism, and a positive attitude are essential for this role.

Main duties of the job

You will play a key role in creating a positive experience for everyone who visits our service, while supporting the smooth day-to-day running of the reception area including the process of post using a franking machine. Strong communication, organisational, and teamwork skills are essential, along with the ability to remain calm and professional in a busy environment.

Right to Work in the UK: This role is not available for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to support visa applications for this post in line with UKVI regulations.

About us

At DCHFT, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.

Our Mission is to provide outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them, and our vision is Dorset County Hospital, working with our health and social care partners, will be at the heart of improving the well-being of our communities.

We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate's individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.

Job responsibilities

Sorting and organising all incoming post to the Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to agreed time schedules Franking of outgoing external post and sorting of outgoing internal post according to agreed time schedules. Receiving and recording all external deliveries, Royal Mail and External Postal Couriers. Answering telephone calls to the Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust premises in a polite and friendly manner and forwarding to the correct and relevant members of staff efficiently, in line with laid-down procedures. Providing information in response to internal and external enquiries, including those from the public and complainants. The post holder will be required to review online systems in order to facilitate patient information (PAS). Have respect for patient confidentiality at all times. To maintain high standards of cleanliness and ensure that in all areas of your responsibility remain tidy. The Receptionist potentially will be dealing with anxious/distressed patients/visitors on a daily basis

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

• GCSE (grade C or above) in English and Maths or equivalent

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• Experience of working within a main reception environment
• Experience of setting up and maintaining office systems
• Experience of working with a franking machine
• Experience in managing workload to meet deadlines and standards
• Experience of working with a range of staff at all levels.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Evidence of attention to detail and the ability to work without close supervision within broad procedural guidelines.
• Evidence of ability to make decisions within defined boundaries
• Evidence of ability to work as part of a team.
• Evidence of managing own workload
• An understanding of confidentiality and its place in the NHS
• Evidence of ability to communicate effectively with the general public and colleagues across a range of issues.

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

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust