Dental Receptionist

Job summary 37.5 hours per week. The Dental Receptionist serves as the first point of contact for patients accessing the service and plays a key role in delivering a professional, welcoming, and patient-centred experience.

The post holder is responsible for responding to patient enquiries, providing admin and reception support, and ensuring effective communication between patients and the clinical team. Working with supervisory support when required, the post holder will frequently interact with patients experiencing pain, discomfort, anxiety, or distress.

A compassionate, proactive, and solution focused approach is essential to ensure patient needs are addressed efficiently and sensitively while maintaining high standards of customer service. Act as the first point of contact for patients, carers, visitors, and the public, providing a professional and responsive service.

Receive and manage telephone calls and enquiries for PCDS, including requests for emergency dental treatment and service information Respond to and resolve routine queries, escalating complex issues to clinical or managerial staff when required Liaise effectively with dental teams, healthcare professionals, and external organisations to facilitate patient care and ensure smooth service operation Provide accurate information and support to patients and carers, maintaining confidentiality at all times Contribute to efficient service admin through effective communication and coordination of appointments and patient enquiries.

Main duties of the job Welcome and check in patients, ensuring records are up to date. Process patient payments, issue receipts, and verify NHS exemption eligibility in line with practice procedures. Maintain patient records using Dentally and ensure compliance with GDPR, confidentiality, and practice policies.

Assist patients with registration, medical history forms, and other required documentation. Book, amend, cancel, and arrange follow-up appointments. Manage appointment diaries effectively to maximise utilisation and minimise missed appointments.

Respond to patient enquiries in person, by telephone, and electronically, providing excellent customer service. Receive and document patient calls, including urgent dental concerns, ensuring appropriate referral for clinical triage.

Handle patient concerns and complaints professionally, explaining the practice complaints procedure and escalating issues where necessary.

Provide a professional, empathetic, and patient-centred service, including support for patients with disabilities, additional needs, challenging behaviours, or language barriers, arranging interpreter services when required. Liaise with dentists, hygienists, nurses, managers, and external agencies.

Please note that this role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. Please note that we may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline. All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities.

If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job description

Job

responsibilities

Reception Duties Welcome and check in patients on arrival, ensuring records are accurate and up to date, process patient payments by cash, card, issuing receipts where required. Verify patient eligibility for NHS exemptions and ensure supporting evidence is recorded in accordance with practice procedures.

Maintain strict confidentiality of patient information and comply with GDPR and practice policies. Assist patients in completing medical history forms, patient registration forms, and other required documentation, providing support where necessary.

Arrange follow-up appointments and manage appointment bookings in line with clinical instructions and service protocols.

Explain the practice complaints procedure to patients and provide guidance on how to lodge a complaint if required Liaise effectively with dentists, dental nurses, service managers, and external agencies to support patient care and practice operations.

Provide a professional, empathetic, and patient-focused service when dealing with difficult, distressed, or special needs patients. Respond to patient enquiries in person, by telephone, and electronically, always ensuring a high standard of customer service.

Support the smooth day-to-day running of the reception area and maintain a welcoming environment for patients and visitors. Telephones Accurately enter, update, and maintain patient records using Dentally management software. Receive incoming patient calls, obtain and verify patient details, and document reasons for contact.

Record detailed information for urgent dental concerns and ensure cases are referred appropriately for clinical triage. Verify and process patient exemption status and update records accordingly. Book, amend, and cancel appointments in line with practice protocols and clinician instructions.

Manage appointment diaries efficiently to maximise utilisation and minimise missed appointments. Maintain strict confidentiality of patient information in accordance with GDPR and practice policies. Provide a professional, empathetic, and patient-centred service always.

Communicate effectively with patients, including those with additional needs, disabilities, or challenging behaviours. Arrange interpreter services to facilitate effective communication with patients whose first language is not English. Handle patient enquiries, concerns, and complaints professionally, escalating issues where appropriate.

Liaise with dentists, hygienists, nurses, and other members of the practice team to ensure smooth day-to-day operations. Ensure accurate completion of administrative tasks and maintain high standards of record keeping.

Physical Effort: Frequent sitting & standing. Inputting at a keyboard for most of day, frequent light effort to lift, sort & file case notes. May have to occasionally move presentation equipment and office supplies or clinic consumables.

Mental Effort: Frequent concentration is required when inputting into systems, typing documents, making appointments & processing records with a need to ensure accuracy. The work is usually predictable but there may be interruptions from telephone calls, visitors and staff & occasionally imposed deadlines. 12.

Emotional Effort: There may be some exposure to service users who may exhibit difficult & challenging behaviours.

Working conditions: Exposure to unpleasant conditions is rare/occasional. May be exposed to verbal aggression from patients. Will use VDU for high proportion of time.

The flexible nature of the job may require post holder to move within the team or within the wider organisational setting as required and undertake similar duties.

Key Behaviour Competencies: Working together Be straightforward in our dealings with each other and build relationships Listen to others and explain the decisions we have made Recognise and remove barriers to action Create an open and positive learning culture Learn from mistakes & ask others for support where necessary Be aware of ones own behaviour, values, attitudes, strengths and weaknesses.

Ability to reflect on ones behaviour and change them.

Uphold the values and be proud to be part of the organisation Ensure appearance is professional & name badge visible Act With Integrity Be honest and do what you say you will do Take responsibility and be accountable for your actions Guard and build the organisations reputation Take into account the human and social impact of our work Treat everyone in a friendly, courteous manner; smile & make eye contact Building Success Together Be compassionate and accepting of others.

Be straightforward in our dealings with each other and build relationships Listen to others and explain the decisions we have made Agree on our goals and see them through Treat each other with dignity and respect Learn from each others experiences Understand and recognise each others contributions of being of equal value Be prepared to challenge the status quo Contribute to the organisations success Stretch the boundaries of personal performance Look for better ways of working to achieve improvements Caring for patients Aim to meet the needs of our patients and partners in care Use initiative to enhance care in innovative and imaginative ways Respect individual cultural differences; challenge bias & prejudice Provide a high quality and safe service for patients Maintain privacy and ensure confidential information is kept safe Question poor practice, process & behaviour Health and Safety at Work and Infection Control:

The post holder is required to take reasonable care for his/her own health and safety and that of other persons who may be affected by his/her acts of omissions.

The post holder is also required to ensure that all staff under his/her control adheres to relevant statutory regulations, Livewell Southwest policies, department safety procedures, COSHH.

The post holder is required to conform to Livewell Southwest policies on Health and Safety, Fire procedures and Confidentiality and to attend any training sessions as required. A copy of the Health and Safety Policy is available from the Healthnet or from the Risk Management Department.

The post holder is required to conform to Livewell Southwest policies on HIV/and AIDS. The job description may change as the post develops, but such change will not take place without consultation between the post holder and his/her manager. Livewell Southwest has adopted a NO SMOKING policy for staff which applies to all posts.

Details of the policy are available on request and will be included in the statement of main Terms and Conditions of service of staff appoint.

Livewell Southwest is determined to eradicate healthcare-acquired infection and puts a great deal of emphasis on the responsibility of all staff to ensure their own personal and others compliance with Infection Control (including Hand Washing) Policies.

Risk Management:

In accordance with the Risk Management Policy, employees will participate, whenever required, with the risk management process.

They will support line managers by attending mandatory and statutory training, completing incident/accident forms for every adverse event or near miss that occurs, report all defects and complaints, and communicate any dangerous situation to individuals potentially at risk.

Safeguarding Children and Adults All employees have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults and are required to act in such a way that at all times saf