Receptionist / Administrator

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust; North Bersted; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Living Wage Employer

Training and development opportunities

Disability & Wellbeing networks

Supportive NHS environment

Job summary

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a friendly receptionist/administrator to join our Bognor Hospital team within Sussex MSK Health. You will be the welcoming face, handle enquiries, book appointments, and support our day-to-day operations.

This role requires accuracy, confidentiality and proactive teamwork within a supportive NHS environment. Flexible working options and ongoing training are available to develop your admin and patient-service skills.

Qualifications

• Strong organisation skills and the ability to work independently.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in all tasks.
• Proactive, team-focused approach with good problem solving.
• Clear, professional communication with colleagues and patients.
• Proficiency or quick learning of a range of IT systems.
• Strong written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Reception duties: greet patients and visitors and direct enquiries.
• Handle calls, take messages and support appointment queries.
• Coordinate appointments across services and communicate changes.
• Process referrals, scan documents and maintain electronic records.
• Provide administrative support to clinicians and the team.
• Use IT systems to input data and generate reports.
• Maintain confidentiality and data quality in line with NHS standards.
• Work with colleagues and IT support to ensure smooth service operations.
• Monitor stock and ensure resources for daily operations.

Skills

Organisation

Attention to detail

Initiative / proactive

Teamwork

Communication skills

IT systems proficiency

Tools

IT systems

Job description

Are you organised, proactive and passionate about delivering excellent service? Sussex MSK Health is looking for a motivated individual to join our friendly reception / administrative team at our Bognor Hospital, Centenary Wing unit, helping us provide outstanding support to patients and clinicians across our service. In this vital role, you'll be the welcoming face of our department, ensuring the smooth running of all administrative tasks and supporting the day‑to‑day operations of our reception team. We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays. Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Key Responsibilities

• Reception duties - Provide a professional, welcoming first point of contact for patients, visitors and staff, managing face‑to‑face enquiries and ensuring individuals are directed appropriately within the service.
• Call handling - Answer and route incoming calls promptly, take accurate messages, manage voicemail inboxes and support patients with appointment‑related queries.
• Appointment coordination - Book, amend and confirm appointments across services, ensuring information is recorded accurately and communicated clearly to both patients and clinicians.
• Documentation management - Process referrals, scan and upload documents, maintain electronic patient records, and ensure all paperwork is filed, stored and updated correctly.
• Administrative support - Support clinicians and the wider team with day‑to‑day administrative tasks, including preparing clinic lists, updating spreadsheets, generating letters and maintaining service logs.
• IT system use - Use a range of clinical and administrative systems to input data, retrieve information, run reports and support the smooth flow of patient information across the service.
• Problem-solving - Resolve routine issues independently, escalating more complex problems appropriately, and contributing to improving processes within the reception and admin team.
• Communication and liaison - Work closely with colleagues, clinicians, managers and IT support, ensuring information is shared accurately and professionally at all times.
• Service organisation - Help maintain an organised reception environment, monitor stock levels, order supplies, and ensure equipment and resources are available for daily operations.
• Confidentiality and accuracy - Handle sensitive patient information with discretion, ensuring all data is recorded accurately and in line with service and NHS information‑governance standards.

Benefits

• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part‑time, flexi‑time, annualised hours, and flexi‑retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Accredited Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all our staff
• Cost‑effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust

Our Values

Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence-guide everything we do. We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

Eligibility & Visa

Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules, this role is unlikely to be eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered. Candidates requiring sponsorship should review the eligibility criteria on thegov.uk websitebefore applying to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.

Requirements

• Strong organisation skills and the confidence to work independently
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to use their own initiative
• A proactive, team‑focused attitude with great problem‑solving abilities
• Clear, professional communication and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency - or the ability to quickly learn - a variety of IT systems and applications
• Confident, accurate use of the English language

Join a team that values initiative, accuracy and great communication - and play a key part in delivering a smooth, reliable experience for patients and colleagues. This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.