Switchboard Operator

Job summary

We are recruiting for a Switchboard Operator who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.

The Trust switchboard responds to calls for the Lister, New QEII, Hertford County and Mount Vernon Cancer Centre from a centralised switchboard based at Lister Hospital.

The operator must proficiently work the computer-based switchboard and must be able to make decisions and deal with emergency calls calmly and efficiently in a high-level, fast-moving environment, e.g. dealing with cardiac arrest calls, trauma calls, fire calls, major incidents, bomb threats, medigas gas alarms and lift entrapments.

Staff are frequently required to work under their own initiative and make immediate decisions in the event of problems, especially when working unsupervised or alone. All staff endeavour to meet agreed response times however abnormal fluctuations (emergencies, lone working) can significantly increase pressures on the service.

The post carries considerable responsibility with information being complex/sensitive and extremely confidential where efficiency, accuracy and a caring attitude are always required.

We have 2 full time positions available, you will be required to cover the Switchboard Rota across a 7 day week.

Our Values are Include, Respect and Improve. It is important that you understand and refer to our values during your recruitment process and beyond!

Main duties of the job

To operate as a Telephonist, dealing with incoming calls, both external and internal.

The ability to work unsociable hours on 30 hours shift working pattern i.e. weekends, evenings, nights, and bank holidays, including Christmas.

Monitor progress of calls, routing them elsewhere if the extension is engaged or not responding.

To work a busy switchboard receiving and directing all calls that are presented in an efficient and effective manner. Operators are required to give appropriate assistance and advice being always courteous and helpful whilst maintaining total confidentiality.

Operators must be responsible and have alert and calm communication skills that can defuse hostile situations when handling difficult calls from irate and aggressive callers. They must provide sympathetic support to the elderly, hard of hearing callers, whose first language is not English, distressed, or bereaved callers and those with serious mental health problems especially suicidal patients.

To deal with emergency calls calmly and efficiently (e.g. Cardiac Arrest, Trauma, Fire, Bomb Threats and Major Incidents) following correct procedures and following up on any problems that may arise in these events.

About us

At East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general and specialist services we provide and our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible and innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.

We run the following hospitals:

• The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
• New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
• Hertford County, Hertford
• Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood

We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation and our staff and patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.

We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. This means that any employee is entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns and we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made and considered formally, and will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.

Employer details

Employer name

East and North Herts NHS Trust

Address

Lister Hospital

Coreys Mill Lane

Stevenage

SG1 4AB

Employer's website

https://www.enherts-tr.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

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Employer details

Employer name

East and North Herts NHS Trust

Address

Lister Hospital

Coreys Mill Lane

Stevenage

SG1 4AB

Employer's website

https://www.enherts-tr.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

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