Transport Controller / Planner

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Controller/Planner to join our team based in Stoke-on-Trent. We are looking for enthusiastic, care focused individuals, who are organised and have a passion for excellent customer service.

The Controller/Planner is responsible for planning and coordinating the daily transport of patients to and from outpatient clinics, day care centres, and routine hospital admissions for scheduled appointments.

The role involves efficiently managing Patient Transport Service (PTS) resources to meet the needs of booked patient journeys, as well as collaborating with hospital staff and departments to optimise vehicle and staff utilisation.

This full time position works 40.25 hours per week. Work various shift times, including some weekends (days only) on a 2 week rolling rota.

Some of the benefits you can expect:

• Life Assurance – providing colleagues and their family financial peace of mind and protection to the value of £5,000.
• 24/7 online/telephone GP Consultation and access to prescriptions.
• 2nd opinion medical support following diagnosis or where a colleague is on a treatment pathway.
• Cash‑plan benefits, providing colleagues the option of protecting themselves in case of illness and recuperation, including dental, optical, chiropody.
• Access to mental health consultations.
• Access to physiotherapy consultations.
• Access to legal advice on domestic issues e.g. motoring offences, wills and probate, and personal injury.
• Financial guidance re retirement planning, tax savings and state benefits.
• Long Service Recognition Scheme – recognising colleagues for their continued service after 5 years and at 5‑year intervals with an increase in annual leave.
• Values‑based Internal Recognition Scheme with financial reward, which will lead to an annual recognition event.
• Refer a Friend recruitment incentive scheme with financial rewards.
• The EMED foundation, to provide support to colleagues and our local communities.
• Paid holiday entitlement.
• Pension Scheme.
• Blue Light Card.
• Uniform provided.
• EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) to support a range of health and well‑being requirements.
• Flu vaccination (through an internal campaign in Autumn/Winter).

Main Duties

• Check and plan daily and future bookings within the Cleric controlling system, ensuring resourcing is correct and all sub‑contractors are informed where applicable.
• The main focus of the role will be the dispatch and management of the operational crews to ensure timely and efficient collection and delivery of patients between destinations and achieving contractual targets.
• To receive in an accurate, effective and polite manner, requests for patient transport and queries regarding ambulance journeys, ensuring compliance with relevant service procedures and standing orders.
• Undertake general clerical duties including but not exclusive checking booking lists, data input, completing ad‑hoc forms/invoices as necessary.
• Maintaining and enhancing the performance and quality of service offered to patients and customers.
• Deal promptly, professionally and efficiently with all telephone calls received taking appropriate action on own initiative where required. Liaison with other agencies such as GPs, Nursing Homes, Hospital Clinics and Wards.
• Maintain patient flow across all control areas through effective liaison with colleagues and hospital staff and prompt resolution of urgent problems and appropriate responses to unplanned events.

Successful Candidates Will Have

• Effective communication and interpersonal skills gained from experience of dealing with customers or members of the public.
• The ability to work on your own initiative and problem solve.
• Comfortable using a computer and IT software including route planning (specific training is provided however good computer skills are essential).
• Good organisational skills.

Please note that this role will be subject to several regulatory pre‑employment checks, and you will be asked to provide details of your full employment history should you be invited to an interview. Your HMRC record, available to download from the Government Gateway may help you in preparing this information when required.

Our Values

• Collaborative – we work as one team with a shared purpose to meet the needs of our patients, passengers, colleagues, customers, communities, and the planet.
• Agile – We listen, learn and adapt to improve the business, each other, and ourselves.
• Reliable – We do what we say we will do, we take responsibility and we behave with integrity.
• Empowered – We are confident and committed to taking responsibility to deliver the highest quality service.

About Us

The exciting merger of ERS Medical and E‑Zec Medical has enabled us to rebrand, therefore as a combined business we are now known as EMED Group. We are the largest Patient Transport and Care Partner to the NHS with circa 4,000 colleagues across 60 depots. Our ambition is to continue developing patient care transport services that improve the health and wellbeing for people across our local communities by providing transport that supports patient care, community support, secure mental health and medical courier services.

EMED Group are committed to providing services for our patients, service users, clients, and community and is supported by employees with an increasing variety of backgrounds. To do this effectively it is essential that we promote equality and embrace diversity and inclusion and treat all of our employees, patients, service users and clients with dignity and respect.

EMED Group is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination, with our aim being to be truly representative of all sections of society and our clients, and for each employee to feel respected, valued and able to give their best.

EMED Group are committed to providing equal opportunities and we endeavour to provide an inclusive and safe working culture for all.