Bank Switchboard Operator | The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

The Health Records Service has an exciting opportunity for some keen, enthusiastic staff members to join our busy Switchboard Bank on a permanent basis to cover sickness, annual leave and vacancy shifts working days/nights and/or weekends, therefore, flexibility is expected.

This role requires excellent verbal communication skills with staff, patients and relatives on a range of matters, either face to face or by telephone. Typical shift patterns include:

• 6am – 2pm
• 2pm – 10pm
• 8am – 4pm
• 10am – 6pm
• 10pm – 6am (Nights)

You must possess excellent communication skills and be able to deal with situations as they arise in a professional manner. Previous switchboard experience would be advantageous although not essential as full training would be given.

The Switchboard Operator position performs a key and vital role in the smooth running of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust telephony service providing a helpful and professional service for the public and staff. The post holder will be a member of the Switchboard team, providing an efficient 24/7 telephony service to New Cross Hospital, West Park & Cannock Hospital and Community areas.

Calls are handled through a digital board which is windows based and handling on average 100+ calls an hour, prioritising, answering, and co-ordinating emergencies ie cardiac arrests and critical alarms all whilst maintaining professionalism.

To respond promptly to a high volume of calls both internal and external for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and connect the caller with the correct recipient or department required in a timely compassionate, professional and courteous manner in line with the Trust values. Calls are answered via an electronic system from a central point based within New Cross Hospital.

To fully understand and be able to utilise all extensions and switchboard features in the efficient handling of calls and callers. To receive and respond to all alarms promptly and accurately from the Critical Alarm System ensuring that the appropriate members of staff and authorities are contacted in accordance with procedures and respond with the necessary action, including but not limited to Medical Air/Gases, Pathology, Personal Attack, Intruder, Pharmacy, Boiler house and Obstetrics.

To promptly respond to “2222” calls for emergencies including Cardiac Arrest, Flat Baby and Fire, accuracy is vital and will be life dependant. Sensitive information must be relayed quickly. To understand and be fully conversant with all emergency procedures including Major Incident.

Operators must have excellent communications skills, speak clearly and be able to deal with calls in a professional manner. To manage calls daily of a distressing and emotional nature, these can often include abusive callers, whilst always remaining calm and professional.

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands providing primary, acute and community services and we are incredibly proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve. We are building a workforce that can help us to fulfil our values, improve quality of care for patients, and solve the health care problems of tomorrow.

We’re passionate about the value that diversity of thinking and lived experience brings in enabling us to become a learning organisation and leader in delivering compassionate care for our patients. We are delighted that we have been rated as “Good” by CQC. We have achieved numerous awards; The Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020.

The Trust is a supportive working environment committed to creating flexible working arrangements that suit your needs and as such will consider all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.

To operate VDU consoles, incorporating an extensive internal and external directory, in order to manage calls. Ability to communicate with customers, visitors, colleagues and management effectively. Operators will be receiving sensitive and complex information which must be dealt with in an appropriate and sensitive manner.

To receive and process requests for transport out of normal office hours. To initiate pager numbers via the bleeps system when requested, for external and internal calls. In an emergency situation the Page Gate system is used.

To attend staff meetings and other information sharing events as required by departmental managers. To make checks on lone workers across the Trust when requested and if necessary, action as required. To lone work at times to meet the needs of the service.

To provide appropriate medical and non-medical staff with a replacement bleep in the absence of the line manager. To monitor security radio in the event of switchboard assistance. To also use the radio in the event of an emergency.

To provide appropriate medical staff with mobile phones, complete the relevant paperwork and email the relevant department if the mobiles are not returned within 24 hours.

Analysis and Judgement: To understand the facts and the situation of callers in order to make a judgment of where to signpost callers to right department. Responsible for reporting system/equipment failures within the department. Tact, diplomacy and empathy are required when dealing with callers and emergencies, knowledge of available options and an ability to analyse and deal with the situation appropriately.

Planning and Organising: From information received, prepare and update daily “on call” sheets and implement to provide varied support to on-call personnel ensuring that the appropriate members of staff are called for out of hour’s duties. Departments are to be updated of any changes.

In a major incident situation, the Switchboard Operator is expected to carry out the appropriate actions detailed in the Major Incident Plan and on their action cards, to include relaying messages and paging different disciplines by being a central point of contact. To maintain written records of action in the event of an Emergency or Major Emergency and to update contact records for those individually concerned in the Incident.

The workload can be unpredictable at times, the Switchboard Operator is required to remain calm and focused interpreting the on-call rotas and paging. To work as part of a team who deliver an essential 24/7 service and covering each other shifts is essential.

In addition to working irregular shift patterns staff will be required to cover Bank Holiday duties on a rostered basis. Also, staff are required to work overtime, at the Manager’s discretion, subject to the needs of the service, with reasonable notice given whenever possible.

Night staff to cover breaks, when required, by means of taking calls for Bed Bureau ie Palliative care/end of life and district nurses. To take details from the caller and pass onto relevant service within this hour. To work from home, when required, in line with the needs of the service.