Telephonist/Receptionist

NHS; Stoke-on-Trent; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

A regional healthcare trust in Stoke-on-Trent is seeking a part-time Telephonist/Receptionist to join the front of house team. Responsibilities include managing calls, providing reception support, and covering for team absences. Candidates should possess good communication and organizational skills. A calm demeanor and experience in a busy office are essential. This role offers flexibility and contributes to service transformation in healthcare.

Benefits

Wellness opportunities

Flexible working

Commitment to diversity and inclusion

Qualifications

• Experience in operating a computerised switchboard is essential.
• Experience of working within a busy office environment.
• Ability to follow Trust procedures and maintain records.

Responsibilities

• Receive telephone calls professionally and redirect them.
• Undertake various front of house reception duties.
• Provide cover for other staff during absences.

Skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Calm disposition

Ability to work under pressure

Flexibility

Job description

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust

Telephonist/Receptionist

The closing date is 18 November 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, self‑motivated individual to join our front of house Reception Team at Harplands Hospital where we provide a 24‑hour 7‑day service.

The post is part time, 24 hours per week, band 2 £24,465 per annum pro rata.

Main duties of the job

• Operate a computerised switchboard.
• Greet and receive visitors, patients and staff to the Hospital.
• Operate and activate the internal bleep system.
• Follow procedures in response to emergency alarms, including Medical Emergencies, Pin point, Fire and Security and out of hours estates maintenance calls.
• Answer routine queries from colleagues, services users, carers, general public and other external organisations.
• Maintain and update on‑call rotas and bleep system.
• Make decisions, which may require consideration of a range of options, such as ability to make judgements on how to deal with enquiries.
• Be responsible for data entry, text processing or storage of data compiled by others.
• Book Taxis.
• Provide a postal service: franking of external mail and sorting incoming post.
• Use VDU equipment for a substantial proportion of time, requiring keyboard skills.
• Provide advice, or demonstrate own activities or workplace routines to new or less experienced employees in own work area.
• Provide cover for annual leave and absences within the team on a 24‑hour rotational basis including all bank holidays.

About us

As a Trust we remain bold and ambitious with plans for both service and system collaborative transformation over the coming years to improve the health and wellbeing of our local people through high quality care.

We pride ourselves on ensuring our team’s wellbeing is put first and provide a range of wellness opportunities including flexible working.

We are committed to the Greener NHS national ambition to becoming the world's first ‘carbon net zero’ national health system by 2045. As part of this, sustainability is embedded in our strategy as one of our four key enablers. In order to deliver on this commitment, we recognise that we need a workforce that is as passionate as we are about achieving these goals, for the benefit of our service users, workforce, local communities and the planet alike. For 2024/2025, we have launched our “Proud to be Green” engagement campaign which is aligned to the targets set out in our Green Plan. As a Trust, you can be assured that we will commit to supporting you in working towards our net zero ambitions, set out in our Green Plan, through our sustainability programme.

The Trust is committed to ensuring that a diverse workforce is representative and inclusive at all levels. We would very much welcome applications from all under‑represented groups including women, people with disabilities, people from global majority backgrounds, and those from the lesbian, gay, bi and trans communities.

Job responsibilities

You will be responsible for receiving telephone calls in a professional, polite manner and redirecting calls to respective departments and undertaking various front of house reception duties.

You must have a calm disposition, be well organised, have a flexible approach, ability to work on your own and be a team player with excellent communication skills. The ability to work under pressure and use your own initiative is essential.

Experience in operating a computerised switchboard, the ability to follow Trust procedures and maintain records is essential.

You will be expected to provide cover for other staff for annual leave and other absences.

Person Specification

• Experience of working within a busy office environment

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.

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust