Job summary
Working Part time : 27 - 30 hours per week (this include shifts during nights and weekends).
We are looking for highly motivated individuals to provide comprehensive switchboard service to The Countess of Chester Hospital, as directed by the Team Leaders. The successful candidate must be able to work using their own initiative, and also as part of a busy team.
You will be required to cover a shift pattern over 7 days a week with evenings, weekends and nights as part of a 24-hour service. Candidates must be flexible to help us achieve a safe, kind and effective service.
Main duties of the job
1. Making and receiving a large number of telephone calls from Staff, Patients, Relatives and other members of the public and connecting them quickly in the most appropriate manner to the person or department they require, using personal knowledge and an electronic telephone directory (equivalent to searching a database).2. Act calmly, quickly and accurately to any emergency call (on average 20 per week) to alert the correct team and take immediate and precise action according to written procedures and knowledge gained over time. This involves being conversant with all emergency procedures for Switchboard, including:
- Cardiac Arrest and Medical Emergency callsMissing child or abducted babyFire and medical gas alarmsPanic alarms or Security requestsMajor IncidentsEvacuation of Switchboard or moving to back up systemsBomb threats
This also involves fast and accurate use of the operator console and hospital bleep system (including using voice over messages) and calls to the emergency services
About us
The Trust's services are provided from three locations: o The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 473 general and acute beds. o Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 60 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility. o Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population. The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust employs 5,964 staff (headcount) to provide care and treatment to a population of over 400,000 people living in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System. Due to its location on the border with North Wales, the Trust also works closely with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust treats patients from England and some parts of Wales. During 2024/2025, there were approximately 643,000 patient attendances (inpatient, A&E, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values. An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.
If a DBS is required for your role, you are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee applies which is payable to the DBS Service.Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
The Trust will not sponsor where the starting salary does not meet immigration rules
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values. An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.
If a DBS is required for your role, you are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee applies which is payable to the DBS Service.Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
The Trust will not sponsor where the starting salary does not meet immigration rules
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person Specification
Qualification
Essential
- A Minimum of 3 GCSE's or equivalent
- Computer Literate
Desirable
- ECDL
- Basic Level CTC (IHRIM)
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Previous Clerical Experience
- Previous Customer Service Experience
- Experience of taking high volumes of calls from the general public
- A period of up to six weeks training is expected, dependent on previous experience before an operator is conversant with the job role. Further knowledge is gained in the role over time.
Desirable
- Previous NHS Clerical Experience
- Knowledge of hospital terminology and departments
- Experience of operating a computerised Switchboard console.
Person Specification
Qualification
Essential
- A Minimum of 3 GCSE's or equivalent
- Computer Literate
Desirable
- ECDL
- Basic Level CTC (IHRIM)
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Previous Clerical Experience
- Previous Customer Service Experience
- Experience of taking high volumes of calls from the general public
- A period of up to six weeks training is expected, dependent on previous experience before an operator is conversant with the job role. Further knowledge is gained in the role over time.
Desirable
- Previous NHS Clerical Experience
- Knowledge of hospital terminology and departments
- Experience of operating a computerised Switchboard console.
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.
