Receptionist - Emergency Department (Shift work)

Transformation Unit; Bath; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Part time

Job summary

Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an Emergency Department Receptionist on a part-time basis (30 hours per week) for a 6-month fixed-term or secondment. The role requires flexible shift patterns across 24/7 service hours and a proactive, patient-focused receptionist to support GP referrals, ambulance and self-presentation.

The post involves front-of-house duties, basic triage, and handling sensitive information with discretion.

Qualifications

• Must have NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Customer Service or practical experience.
• Good literacy and numeracy skills.
• Experience with general office equipment (computer, photocopier, scanner, telephone).
• Experience in clerical environment and patient administration systems.
• Previous Emergency Department or hospital receptionist experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide efficient, comprehensive administration and reception service to support the ED clinical teams.
• Deliver front-of-house service to patients and relatives with professionalism and confidentiality.
• Handle ED phone and email queries.
• Book in and direct patients, perform basic triage and alert clinical staff as needed.
• Approach sensitive situations with empathy and support staff under pressure.
• Undertake clerical duties autonomously and use established procedures to prioritise workload.

Skills

Multitasking

Communication

Confidentiality

Stress management

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Customer Service

Tools

Patient Administration systems

General office equipment

Job description

Main area Medicine Grade Band 2 Contract Fixed term: 6 months (Shift work) Hours Part time - 30 hours per week (Shift work) Job ref 427-8256368

Employer Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal United Hospital Bath Town Bath Salary £25,272 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 10/11/2026 23:59

Receptionist - Emergency Department (Shift work)

Band 2

Job overview

Emergency Department Receptionist – Part Time 30 hours per week

This role is offered on a 6 month secondment or fixed term contract.

Are you looking for varied shift work in a fast‑paced environment, with excellent learning opportunities and no two days the same? If so, we would love to hear from you.

We are looking for a motivated and reliable Receptionist to join our Emergency Department Reception Team. This is a busy, 24‑hour service where you will play a vital role in supporting patients arriving via GP referral, ambulance, or self‑presentation.

The Emergency Department operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, including bank holidays. The role therefore requires flexibility to support a range of shift patterns across these service hours.

We are currently offering a part‑time vacancy and provide a supportive and welcoming environment within an enthusiastic and committed team of receptionists and clinical staff. This is an excellent opportunity to develop your skills while working in a dynamic and rewarding setting.

Main duties of the job

• To provide an efficient and comprehensive administration and reception service, supporting the Emergency Departments clinical teams.
• To provide front of house services to patients and relatives in a professional and sensitive manner ensuring confidentiality at all times
• To deal with all Emergency Department telephone and email queries
• Book in and direct all patients who attend the Emergency Department, carrying out a basic triage of patients, taking into account the severity of the complaint, and ensure clinical staff are aware of their arrival as necessary.
• Provide empathy when dealing with highly sensitive areas, such as relations of very poorly or deceased patients, or with sensitive health conditions.
• To undertake any clerical duties as deemed necessary and reasonable, working autonomously and without direct supervision to prioritise and complete the workload, using established practices and procedures, seeking support if appropriate.

Working for our organisation

At the RUH we’re proud to put people at the heart of what we do, working together as one team to make a difference for our patients, each other, and our community. No matter what your role is, we value everyone’s contribution in supporting the exceptional, person‑centred care we pride ourselves on.

We are committed to creating a compassionate and inclusive environment. This can be seen in our growing community of staff networks – celebrating successes and creating opportunities to listen and learn. We value our differences, champion kindness and civility, and truly believe that diversity makes us stronger.

A culture of learning, developing and innovating is the thread that runs throughout our whole organisation. We want to support you to thrive, taking your career to its full potential.

We value staff wellbeing, with a well‑established programme of support. We believe in a holistic approach spanning all aspects of living a healthy life, including physical, emotional, spiritual and financial wellbeing. We’ve even got a pool!

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please find attached to the vacancy a detailed person specification and job description for further information about this role.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Must have understanding and knowledge of general office equipment i.e. computer, photocopier, scanner, telephone system
• Evidence of good literacy skills
• Evidence of good numeracy skills
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Customer Service or evidence of equivalent practical experience

Specific Skills

• Ability to handle several tasks at once with frequent interruptions and prioritise workload
• Evidence of ability to communicate with all levels of staff and members of the public
• An understanding of the meaning of confidentiality and the requirement for this to be maintained
• Ability to deal with the general stresses of working with difficult patients and the distressing circumstances that can arise

Knowledge and experience

• Previous experience within a clerical environment
• Previous experience working with Patient Administration systems
• Previous Emergency Department or Hospital receptionist experience

Please note - Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered unless an alternative right to work solution can be provided. Candidates requiring sponsorship (or will need sponsorship at the end of a current visa e.g. those with graduate visa's) should reviewthe eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying: Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if we receive a high number of applications. We strongly encourage you to complete and submit your application in good time to ensure it can be considered.