Bank Receptionist - Kendal (Out of Hours)

Cumbria Health are seeking a reliable and professional Receptionist to join our Kendal team on a bank contract basis. You will play a vital role in ensuring the efficient operation of the reception area at Westmorland General Hospital. This is a flexible role requiring availability to cover shifts on an as-needed basis, including evenings, weekends, bank holidays, and during staff absences such as sickness or annual leave.

Why Work with Us?

• A flexible work-life balance
• Access to high-quality training and professional development opportunities
• The opportunity to make a real difference in your community by supporting essential healthcare services.

Main duties of the job

• Welcoming patients and managing the reception area
• Booking and coordinating appointments and contacting patients
• Processing referrals and handling confidential patient information
• Monitoring waiting areas and escalating concerns appropriately
• Liaising with clinicians, drivers, control room teams and external agencies
• Using clinical systems such as Adastra, EMIS and Outlook
• Working flexibly to support service delivery during busy periods

All staff are expected to work to Cumbria Health (CH) Values:

• Clinically Focused: Everything every one of us does is for the patient
• Responsive: We listen and we respond quickly in a patient focused way
• One Team: We work together to provide a high quality service which is organised and consistent, and in partnership with both the local Acute and Community Trusts
• High Standards: We provide skilled professionals working to the highest standards who are passionate about improving patient care
• Growth & Sustainability: With our strong roots we will continue to thrive and grow
• Communities: Connecting and engaging to meet local needs

About us

Cumbria Health places the patient, their family and their community at the heart of everything we do. We are an award-winning organisation, the first out-of-hours organisation in the country to be rated as outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We provide primary health care services, both in and out of hours, across Cumbria. We are values-driven and place great emphasis on inclusivity and the wellbeing and development of our staff, while striving to provide a consistently high-quality service.

Job responsibilities

This list of duties and responsibilities represents the broad range of tasks which may be required to be undertaken either routinely or periodically. This list is not exhaustive, and the role may include additional duties which are not listed here.

• Be the initial point of contact for professionals referred to Primary Medical care Out of Hours.
• Contact patients with appointment times and be the first point of contact for patients arriving at the Treatment Centre.
• Process confidential patient information to pass to Clinicians.
• Keep a watchful eye on patients waiting to be seen and alert a relevant professional in case of worsening symptoms.
• Work autonomously, managing own workload effectively referring to Control Room Supervisor when necessary.
• Liaise with and follow advice, guidance and requests from the Control Room Supervisor on shift to ensure the smooth running of the service.
• Alert Emergency Services in the event of an emergency and/or gain help from within the department.
• Carry out equipment checks and report issues to the Control Room Supervisor.
• Adhere to all Cumbria Health Policies and Procedures.
• Maintain a high level of confidentiality and comply with the Data Protection Act.
• Use a variety of computerised systems to record patient details.
• Participate and ensure own ongoing development, maintaining compliance for mandatory training.
• Undertake any other activities deemed appropriate and necessary by the organisation.
• Be flexible and adaptable with regards to shifts to support your team in rota cover, particularly over busy periods such as Christmas and New Year.

Person Specification

• GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent)
• IT or system training qualification
• NVQ Business Administration

Skills and Aptitudes

• Excellent oral and written communication skills including exceptional telephone manner
• Ability to prioritise & manage own workload
• Friendly, helpful and can-do approach
• Ability to carry out work accurately to specified deadlines
• Close attention to detail and ability to log information accurately and in a timely manner
• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Able to work under pressure whilst remaining calm
• Able to maintain a high level of confidentiality

Personal Circumstances

• Positive and a good team player
• Confident
• Well organised with excellent time keeping
• Ability to build rapport and effective relationships at all levels
• Ability to maintain workload in a sometimes busy and demanding environment

Other requirements

• Willingness to undertake further training
• Flexible approach with the ability to work at short notice to support your team

Experience

• Experience of working with various I.T. systems
• Confidence to adapt to new technologies
• Experience of interacting with the public in a customer facing environment
• Previous experience working within the NHS
• Previous experience in a similar role

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.