Receptionist/Clerk - Emergency Department

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A local healthcare facility is seeking a Receptionist for its busy Emergency Department in Dorchester. The role involves admitting patients, handling calls, and liaising with medical teams. Candidates should possess strong communication skills and be adaptable to a variety of shifts, including nights and weekends. This permanent position allows full-time (37.5 hours) or part-time options, with additional pay for unsociable hours. A solid background in administration and a commitment to patient care are essential.

Benefits

Enhancements for unsociable hours

Public sector pension scheme

Qualifications

• Good customer service and administrative skills required.
• Flexible approach to working hours.
• Experience in a busy administrative environment preferred.

Responsibilities

• Book in ambulances and walk-in patients.
• Answer phone calls and assist patient relatives.
• Liaise with GP surgeries and specialty services.

Skills

Data entry experience

Effective communication skills

Organizing and prioritizing workload

Ability to work with minimal supervision

Attention to detail

Build and maintain team relationships

Understanding of confidentiality

Ability to handle stressful situations

Education

GCSE level

Further education or training in business or administration

Tools

Microsoft Office

Electronic record systems

Job description

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 28 December 2025

This is an exciting opportunity to work as part of a small friendly team undertaking receptionist and administrative duties in our Emergency Department.

The Emergency Department is a busy, interesting place to work and sees 47,000 patients a year on average and the majority of them are booked in by our ED Receptionist/Clerk Team.

Emergency Department Reception operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you will work as part of a rota.

You will be allocated a mixture of shifts including nights, weekends and some bank holidays.

• Early - 6:30am - 2:30pm
• Double Up - 10:30am - 6:30pm
• Late - 2:30pm - 10:30pm
• Twilight - 6:30pm - 2:30am
• Night - 10:30pm - 6:30am

Rotas are planned 6 weeks in advance, you will have the ability to request certain shifts and days off and enhancements are payable for unsociable hours.

If you have good customer service, communication and administrative skills, are flexible in your approach, reliable and enjoy working in a busy, dynamic environment we would love to hear from you.

The role is permanent and could be worked as either full time (37.5 hours per week) or a part time basis – please include details of your preference when you apply.

Main duties of the job

The role is located within the Emergency Department at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester.

Your role will include:

• Duties associated with the Emergency Department Reception
  • Booking in Ambulances
  • Booking in Walk‑in Patients
  • Assisting Patients Relatives
  • Answering phone calls from other hospital wards
• Duties associated with Bed Bureau
  • Answering calls from GP Surgeries
  • Liaising with speciality services
  • Booking transport for patients

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 work in partnership to provide high quality, compassionate services and to nurture an environment where people can be at their best. Our vision is healthier lives, empowered citizens, thriving 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 some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application materials. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect your own experiences and suitability for this role. Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process. We value honesty and appreciate applications that are genuine and representative of the individual behind them.

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.

Job responsibilities

Our DCHFT Job Description and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.

Please contact us at [e-mail] if you are unable to view or download the attachment.

For all our roles, we are looking for staff who hold our Trust Values of Integrity, Respect Teamwork and Excellence, and who are passionate about providing the best patient care. To read more about our Trust and our Values search Dorset County Hospital online.

Person Specification

Skills & Abilities

• Evidence of data entry experience
• Evidence of effective communication skills, both written and oral
• Evidence of ability to respond quickly to changing priorities, organising and prioritising own workload to meet deadlines
• Evidence of ability to work with minimal supervision
• Evidence of ability to exercise judgement when dealing with patient queries
• Able to demonstrate attention to detail and a high level of accuracy in administrative work
• Ability to build and maintain good working relationships within a team
• An understanding of confidentiality and the requirement for this to be maintained
• Evidence of experience working in an environment with frequent interruptions which may at times be challenging and/or distressing

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience of working with computer systems, to include Microsoft Office
• Experience of working in a busy administrative, receptionist or customer service focused environment
• Experience of working in a clinical environment
• Experience of working with electronic record systems

Education, Qualifications & Training

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent, including English (at Grade C/4 or above)
• Evidence of further education or training, for example an NVQ level 3 in business or administration, A levels, or equivalent experience

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

£24,937 to £26,598 a yearPer Annum (+ enhancements for unsociable hours & bank holidays)