Job overview
The Receptionist role is responsible for providing an effective and welcoming reception service for Haematology & Oncology patients, relatives and other visitors attending the Fernhurst Centre for both the Day Unit and Outpatient areas.
They will manage patient flow by attending patients and preparing paperwork for future clinics. The post holder will work as part of the wider Haematology and Oncology Teams to support and contribute to a caring and efficient service.
Please note: This role does not meet the minimum criteria for visa sponsorship under the current UK immigration rules, which set specific salary and skill thresholds. As such, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. Applicants will therefore need to already have the right to work in the UK to be considered. We include this information at the outset to provide clarity and avoid unnecessary inconvenience for applicants.
If you do not meet the sponsorship requirements, and you are applying using a Graduate visa as your right to work, you must have a minimum of 18 months remaining on your visa at time of application.
Main duties of the job
Welcoming patients
Booking them in
Preparing clinic paperwork
along with other ad-hoc administrative duties.
Please note that if you currently work for another NHS Trust or UHSussex and you are applying to accept this position as a secondment opportunity, before applying you must seek agreement and authorisation from your current Trust/Manager. Secondments can’t be agreed without this approval. If you are unable to gain approval, you should refrain from applying unless you wish to take this role as a fixed term position.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication
· To receive, admit and discharge patients using the patient administration system .
· To receive and make telephone calls on behalf of the unit referring these as appropriate.
· To collect essential information and communicate with the appropriate member of staff.
· To participate in the use of IT and electronic clinical systems within the department keeping computer based information up to date and amended as necessary.
· Order supplies and equipment using Integra at the direction of the unit Manager.
· Daily interactions with patients at all levels, face to face, letter or via the telephone.
· Deal with telephone enquiries, arranging appointments with patients.
· Dealing with difficult situations where patients or visitors may be worried or distressed.
Service Delivery and Improvement
· Workload is supervised.
· To undertake clerical duties relating to documentation for patients
· Make further follow up appointments and transport arrangements as directed by the nursing/medical staff.
· To undertake any other clerical duties which may be delegated by the nurse in charge of the unit, e.g. photocopying, scanning and sending emails.
· Resolve patient queries relating to appointments, patient transport or anything relevant to the unit.
· Ensure all patient details are up to date, checking against the current IT system and paper records for accuracy.
· Maintain confidentiality of information about patients, staff and other health service business.
· Participate in Improvement Huddles to identify potential improvements to service delivery
· To report all incidents/accidents involving patients and staff to the RN and to assist in any enquiries. Completing required incident report/Datix
People Management and Development
· Support trainees, apprentices and learners
· There is no responsibility for line management
Patient Care Delivery
· Provide a caring, efficient and helpful service to the patients and visitors.
· Assist with investigations into complaints.
Learning and Development
· Attend mandatory training updates as required.
· Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.
· Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
· Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager
· Participate in the Trust’s appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service.
This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department and the organisation.
Person specification
Skills and Experience
Essential criteria
1. Dealing with people/patients
2. Experience of multiple IT systems
Desirable criteria
3. Administrative Experience
4. Experience in a Healthcare setting
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria
5. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role
6. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications