Main area Estates and Facilities Grade NHS AfC: Band 2 Contract Permanent: 2 X 25 hour posts available Hours
- Part time
- Flexible working
25 hours per week (OVER 7 DAYS AND REQUIRED TO BE PART OF ON CALL ROTA 1 IN 6. Service is 24/7 / 365 days per year.) Job ref 302-26-7780335E
Site Royal Albert Edward Infirmary Town Wigan Salary £24,465 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 27/02/2026 23:59
Choose Well - Choose WWL
Job overview
We are seeking TWO part-time Telephonist (2 X 25 hours per week) to join our dedicated Switchboard Team, which plays a vital role in ensuring safe, responsive communication across the Trust. This is a 24-hour service, and successful applicants will work rostered shifts with flexibility across day, night, and weekend periods.
As a key point of contact for patients, staff, and emergency services, the Switchboard Team supports critical operations and contributes directly to patient safety and experience.
Working days will follow a 4-week rota pattern and will be discussed at interview. Over 7 days and required to be part of on-call rota 1 in 6. The post holders will be expected to work flexibly to maintain continuous service during peak times and periods of staff absence.
We welcome applications from individuals who can demonstrate adaptability, reliability, and a commitment to supporting a round‑the‑clock service.
Internal and external candidates may apply. Applicants who have previously received feedback indicating they did not meet the essential criteria should only reapply if they can demonstrate how they have strengthened their application since that decision.
Main duties of the job
We are seeking a part-time Telephonist to provide a comprehensive and confidential telephone service supporting the daily operations of the Hospital Trust. This role is central to delivering an efficient and responsive communications service to staff, patients, and external partners.
Applicants must have experience handling telephone queries and delivering high-quality responses to incoming calls from both internal and external sources. Experience in monitoring alarm signals, using bleep systems, and liaising with various departments is advantageous but not essential.
- A flexible and proactive attitude to working hours, including short‑notice cover for colleagues
- A professional and courteous telephone manner
- Desirable experience in a hospital switchboard setting, ideally within an acute care environment
- Basic IT skills, including familiarity with Windows‑based systems
- Confidence in monitoring alarms and responding to emergency situations
Our Switchboard Team operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Flexibility is essential to ensure service continuity, particularly during emergency scenarios. The postholder will also participate in the on‑call rota (1 in 6).
Working for our organisation
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement and living our values.
- People at the Heart
- Listen and Involve
- Kind and Respectful
WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. We are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.
At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key results from the job holder
- Provide a comprehensive Telephone Operator Service to all Trust sites, including Directory Enquiries, across the full range of services for patients, staff and visitors.
- Receive and direct as appropriate all incoming and outgoing calls.
- Receive and accurately pass on messages between callers, other Operators and the Switchboard Supervisors.
- Monitor Alarm Systems requiring action to be initiated by the Operator in accordance with the instructions shown or indicated.
- Respond to any Emergency situation, including Cardiac Arrest, Fire Security, Flood and Major Incident as instructed.
- Reception type duties including dealing with enquiries from Trust staff and Contractors providing service to the Trust.
- Retention of Keys in a secure system, issuing to authorised staff and maintaining appropriate records of issue and return.
- Operation, including test protocols, of internal and external Paging Systems.
Person specification
Qualifications
- Evidence of basic level GCSE qualification in English and Maths or able to demonstrate equivalent.
Experience
- Experience of handling telephone queries within an office environment.
- Able to work within a team.
- Customer Care Awareness.
- Dealing with people, preferable via Telephone.
- Previous Hospital Experience.
Skills
- Good interpersonal skills.
- Ability to function alone on their own initiative.
- Keyboard Skills.
Knowledge
- Understand how to access information.
- Knowledge of Trust and its departments and functions.
Additional
- A flexible approach to working pattern.
- Able to work as a lone worker.
- Adapt well under pressure.
- Pleasant telephone manner.
- Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation.
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Job Applications
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Job Applications
If you choose to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other automated tools to help draft your application, please ensure all content is personalized and an accurate reflection of your own skills, experience and professional judgement. AI may be useful for idea generation, grammar, or formatting, but it must not replace your own supporting statement or be relied on as the sole source of content.
Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust does not advocate reliance on AI during applications and expects applications to be genuine and tailored to the role; over-reliance on AI-generated text may negatively affect your application.
For further information and best practice on using AI when applying for NHS roles, please refer to the attached “Applying for a role in the NHS guidance”.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Job title: Senior Switchboard Supervisor
Email: Ashleigh.miller@wwl.nhs.uk
Telephone: 01942 822040
Additional contact: Cerys Simm Switchboard Team Leader
Switchboard Dept
Telephone: 01942 244000
Email: Cerys.simm@wwl.nhs.uk
If you have problems applying, contact
Address Buckingham Row
Brick Kiln Lane
Wigan
WN1 1XX
Telephone 07786529393
