What are the responsibilities and job description for the Dispensary Assistant/ Receptionist position at Freeman Hospital?
Employer heading
Dispensary Assistant/ Receptionist
Band 2
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.
With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, we’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.
As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job Overview
Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking to recruit an enthusiastic, motivated individual to join our fast paced in-patient pharmacy department as a Dispensary Assistant/Receptionist.
We are a busy pharmacy department offering a diverse and complex range of functions and activities including; Dispensary, ward based and clinical activities, logistics, stores and procurement, clinical trials, aseptic preparation and medicines information. We have an automated robotic dispensing and stock supply system.
Main duties of the job
Key to the Receptionist’s role is the organisation of work as it comes into the dispensary, ensuring prescriptions and orders enter the correct workflow stream allowing prioritisation of the workload. The Receptionist will also be responsible for the accurate input of discharge prescription information onto the prescription tracking system and for the filtering of prescriptions and orders into the correct workflow stream for dispensing by our team of dispensing assistants.
If you have experience of working in a busy customer/client focused environment, can remain calm under pressure, have the ability to respond and adapt quickly to changing circumstances and are a good team player this role could be for you.
Whilst experience of working in a pharmacy environment would be advantageous it is not essential as full training will be given.
To discuss this post further or to arrange an informal visit please contact Tracy Bracken / Pippa Rodwell
Working for our organisation
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
KNOWLEDGE
Essential criteria
Essential criteria
Essential criteria
Essential criteria
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
Name Philippa Rodwell Job title Dispensary Manager Email address philippa.rodwell1@nhs.net Telephone number 01912231772
Dispensary Assistant/ Receptionist
Band 2
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.
With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, we’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.
As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job Overview
Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking to recruit an enthusiastic, motivated individual to join our fast paced in-patient pharmacy department as a Dispensary Assistant/Receptionist.
We are a busy pharmacy department offering a diverse and complex range of functions and activities including; Dispensary, ward based and clinical activities, logistics, stores and procurement, clinical trials, aseptic preparation and medicines information. We have an automated robotic dispensing and stock supply system.
- Interview Date: 2 July 2026
- 37 hours 30 minutes/week
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.
Main duties of the job
Key to the Receptionist’s role is the organisation of work as it comes into the dispensary, ensuring prescriptions and orders enter the correct workflow stream allowing prioritisation of the workload. The Receptionist will also be responsible for the accurate input of discharge prescription information onto the prescription tracking system and for the filtering of prescriptions and orders into the correct workflow stream for dispensing by our team of dispensing assistants.
If you have experience of working in a busy customer/client focused environment, can remain calm under pressure, have the ability to respond and adapt quickly to changing circumstances and are a good team player this role could be for you.
Whilst experience of working in a pharmacy environment would be advantageous it is not essential as full training will be given.
To discuss this post further or to arrange an informal visit please contact Tracy Bracken / Pippa Rodwell
Working for our organisation
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:
- Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
- Freeman Hospital
- Newcastle Dental Hospital
- Cramlington Manor Walks
- Urgent treatment centres
- Newcastle Fertility Centre
- Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
- Northern Genetics Service
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
- Undertake reception duties at the staff hatch
- Answer the dispensary telephone
- Ensure inpatient and outpatient prescriptions are entered on the prescription tracking system
- Provide appropriate support as required to dispensary staff
- To assist with general clerical duties e.g. filing and archiving of documentation, data collection, and data input under the direction and supervision of the Dispensary Manager
- Participate in daily stock checks
- Checks off orders received into the dispensary in accordance with procedure
KNOWLEDGE
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of Health and Safety and hygiene in the work place.
- Knowledge of pharmacy stock control systems
- Knowledge of drug names and terminology
- Knowledge of COSHH regulations
- Knowledge of Standard Operating Procedures
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate good oral / written communication
- Ability to accurately record and relay messages to the appropriate individual in a busy environment
- Good computer skills
- Excellent customer care skills
- Excellent telephone manner
- Good listening skills
- Ability to work to a Standard Operating Procedure or protocol
- Ability to follow verbal instructions
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in a customer/client focused environment
- Pharmacy experience gained in a hospital or community setting
- Experience of stock control and stock management
Essential criteria
- Good basic education (e.g. GCSEs or equivalent qualifications / experience
- Evidence of achievement at CSE or GCSE in Maths and English
- NVQ 2 in pharmacy services and the approved underpinning knowledge
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
- JD&PS (PDF, 148.0KB)
- Newcastle Staff Benefits (PDF, 274.4KB)
- Behaviour and Civility Charter (PDF, 93.8KB)
Further details / informal visits contact
Name Philippa Rodwell Job title Dispensary Manager Email address philippa.rodwell1@nhs.net Telephone number 01912231772