Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Specialty Administrator Assistant - Ophthalmology

The closing date is 08 March 2026

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Specialty Administrator Assistant to join our friendly and supportive Orthoptic team within the Ophthalmology Department at Musgrove Park Hospital. You will be part of a collaborative team committed to delivering excellent patient care to our patients and supporting our clinical colleagues. This post is for 15 hours per week, ideally spread across three or four days, however we are open to considering alternative days or hours.

As an Administrator, you will play an integral role in supporting our secretarial team and ensuring the smooth running of administrative processes.

Key duties include:

  • Working with Excel spreadsheets and other hospital systems
  • Communicating with patients, colleagues and external contacts
  • Managing incoming and outgoing correspondence
  • Providing general administrative support to the team

If you think you are the right person for this role, we would love to hear from you!

Main duties of the job

  • Communicate with colleagues, internal and external contacts in a courteous, professional and timely manner at all times by various methods, i.e. telephone, written, face to face
  • Provide non-clinical advice to patients, carers and relatives about appointments, clinics and wait listings where there maybe barriers to understanding e.g
  • Receive telephone calls and enquiries, taking appropriate action, or, where necessary, re-direct or accept a message on behalf of members of the specialty team
  • Working within set work patterns of specialty, prioritise own work efficiently and effectively to ensure all administrative duties are met, highlighting any issues to the Administrative Team Leader.

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.

Details

Date posted

26 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£24,465 to £24,465 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

184-OL-OR-4046

Job locations

Musgrove Park Hospital

Musgrove Road

Taunton

Somerset

TA1 5DA


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached Job Description & Person Specification for further details of duties and responsibilities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached Job Description & Person Specification for further details of duties and responsibilities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good standard of general education

Desirable

  • Typing qualifications

Experience

Essential

  • Confident working knowledge of MIcrosoft Word and Excel
  • Minimum one year admin experience in a workplace setting

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a healthcare setting/previous NHS experience

Additional Criteria

Essential

  • Able to prioritise workloads, good time management
  • Be able to work unsupervised as well as part of a team

Desirable

  • Audio/touch typing
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good standard of general education

Desirable

  • Typing qualifications

Experience

Essential

  • Confident working knowledge of MIcrosoft Word and Excel
  • Minimum one year admin experience in a workplace setting

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a healthcare setting/previous NHS experience

Additional Criteria

Essential

  • Able to prioritise workloads, good time management
  • Be able to work unsupervised as well as part of a team

Desirable

  • Audio/touch typing

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Musgrove Park Hospital

Musgrove Road

Taunton

Somerset

TA1 5DA


Employer's website

https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Musgrove Park Hospital

Musgrove Road

Taunton

Somerset

TA1 5DA


Employer's website

https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Hiring Manager

Kerry Arnsdorf

kerry.arnsdorf@somersetft.nhs.uk

01823343094

Details

Date posted

26 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£24,465 to £24,465 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

184-OL-OR-4046

Job locations

Musgrove Park Hospital

Musgrove Road

Taunton

Somerset

TA1 5DA


Supporting documents

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