Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Receptionist/Clerk - Emergency Department

The closing date is 28 December 2025

Job summary

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.

Date posted

11 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

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

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

405-25-AC573EMER

Job locations

Dorset County Hospital

Williams Avenue

Dorchester

DT1 2JY

Job description

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 atRecruitment@dchft.nhs.ukif 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.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please contact us atRecruitment@dchft.nhs.ukif you are unable to view or download the attachment.

Person Specification

Skills & Abilities

Essential

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

Desirable

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

Essential

Experience of working with computer systems, to include Microsoft Office

Desirable

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

Essential

Educated to GCSE level or equivalent, including English (at Grade C/4 or above)

Desirable

Evidence of further education or training, for example an NVQ level 3 in business or administration, A levels, or equivalent experience

Person Specification

Skills & Abilities

Essential

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

Desirable

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

Essential

Experience of working with computer systems, to include Microsoft Office

Desirable

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

Essential

Educated to GCSE level or equivalent, including English (at Grade C/4 or above)

Desirable

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 details

Employer name

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Dorset County Hospital

Williams Avenue

Dorchester

DT1 2JY

Employer's website

https://www.dchft.nhs.uk/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Dorset County Hospital

Williams Avenue

Dorchester

DT1 2JY

Employer's website

https://www.dchft.nhs.uk/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)