The Starling HIV Service (also known as The Starling Clinic) at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton is a free and confidential NHS outpatient service providing comprehensive care, treatment, and support for individuals living with HIV across Somerset. Known for delivering high-quality clinical care, the service offers a full range of support including HIV diagnosis, routine follow-up, antiretroviral therapy, PrEP access, and health monitoring. The team works in close partnership with SWISH (Somerset-Wide Integrated Sexual Health Service) and the Eddystone Trust to provide seamless integration between clinical and psychosocial care.
We are looking for a highly organised and professional Receptionist/Administrator to join this supportive team. This is a rewarding opportunity to contribute to an inclusive and compassionate service that supports some of the most vulnerable individuals in our community. A key focus of this role will be supporting the digitisation of patient records, helping modernise our systems and improve care access across the county.
Join us in providing compassionate and inclusive care for people living with HIV across Somerset. If you're ready to play a key part in a dynamic and modernising healthcare service, we'd love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
This role involves providing professional and courteous communication with patients, colleagues, and external contacts via telephone, written correspondence, and face-to-face interactions. You will manage daily correspondence, respond to queries, take messages for the specialty team, and ensure timely follow-up. A key responsibility is liaising with multidisciplinary teams to coordinate and maintain accessible patient information. You will also manage clinic bookings, communicate directly with patients regarding appointments and follow-ups, and ensure accurate scheduling using the clinic template.
Administrative duties include prioritising your workload, attending team and Trust meetings, and supporting the wider Sexual Health admin team to meet targets. You'll handle patient-related documents, escalate urgent items to clinicians, and maintain accurate filing. Additional tasks include preparing agendas, taking and circulating meeting minutes, and ensuring the timely flow of patient information. Maintaining confidentiality and assisting with patient check-in and check-out are essential to delivering a high-quality service.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
* Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
* NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
* Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
* A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job responsibilities
As the Receptionist/Administrator, you will act as a vital point of contact for patients and professionals, ensuring that the administrative functions of the service run smoothly and efficiently. You will:
* Organise and prioritise your own workload to meet service targets.
* Ensure the timely arrival, retrieval, and filing of patient information to support uninterrupted care delivery.
* Liaise with internal and external partners including the SWISH service, the Eddystone Trust, and other departments across the Trust.
* Maintain confidentiality and uphold GDPR standards in handling all patient records and communication.
* Input, update, and retrieve data from local databases and appointment systems to support governance and audit processes.
* Assist in the service's relocation activities and future developments across different sites.
You will play an important role in shaping the patient experience and contributing to the continued improvement and accessibility of the Starling HIV Service. As we move toward a fully digital records system, your attention to detail, adaptability, and team spirit will be essential.
Please see the attached job description for further details of this role. We always welcome informal visits or discussions before formal applications if you would like to find out more about what this role can offer you. Please get in touch with Shona Wyeth, 01823 428338.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Good standard of general education
* RSA/OCR III WP/Typing or equivalent
* AMSPAR or British Medical Secretary Diploma (includes medical terminology) or equivalent knowledge
* ECDL or equivalent
Experience
* Working knowledge of Microsoft office suite
* Medical audio typing
* Knowledge of medical terminology
* Working knowledge of in-house hospital systems
* Knowledge of patient notes / retrieval and related tasks/medical records procedure
Additional Criteria
* Must be able to communicate in English Language, excellent communication skills both written and verbally, appropriate to the post
* Car driver with a valid driving licence or have access to transport with appropriate business insurance in order to travel to other sites to meet needs of the service
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.
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