Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Telecommunications Operator & Admin

The closing date is 26 December 2025

Job summary

JOB SUMMARY:

To provide a fast, friendly and efficient switchboard facility to Bedford Hospital and its' staff, patients and visitors

To provide 24/7 first point of contact within the Telecoms department

The post holder will be located at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust, south wing.

Key working relationships:

Nursing staff

Medical Staff

Patients, families and carers

Visitors

Wider multi-disciplinary teams

Other hospital wards and department

Service providers

Blue light organisations

Local authority

Deaf community

Telecoms department

To work within and maintain the THRIVE protocols

Main duties of the job

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Deal with both patients, public and external contact

Deal with telephone enquires in a polite and courteous manner

Regular contact with multi agencies both internal and external

You will monitor and action any activities relating to emergency calls/emergency services

You will monitor any activities relating to alarm activation and take appropriate action

Announce internal emergency situations over the BLEEP system

Manage and maintain the BLEEP system

Additional tasks relevant to daily duties, emergency calls and alarm duties

Manage, distribution and monitor the return of keys for internal areas and external accommodation

Create a log of Out of Hours maintenance requests

Provide and receive complex/sensitive information i.e. Major incidents, Deaf Help or other clinical information to users: be able to communication this information in a manner that is understood

Remain composed at all times

Distribute and collect BLEEPs in accordance with the ON CALL doctor's rota

Ensure clear, concise directions are given to visitors looking for various departments

Assist with Ad hoc duties

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job

Details

Date posted

15 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

418-COR8296-MR

Job locations

Bedford Hospital

Bedford

MK42 9DJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

KEY RESPONSLITIES

Effective delivery and discharge of Operator duties utilising the Trusts various Telephony systems and Unify platforms.

Undertake lone working duties as part of a rotating shift pattern for long periods of time.

To maintain a high degree of customer service for all support queries and adhere to all service management principles.

Basic Active Directory knowledge;

Provide or receive complex/sensitive information i.e. I.T. Support, Major Incident, Deaf Help or other clinical/non clinical information to users; be able to communicate this information in a manner that it is understood.

Collate, Input and maintain accurate information on Trust systems using Microsoft tools; Word and Excel with the ability to manipulate data to provide reports as and when required.

Work independently or as part of the team, in a pressured environment with the ability to use own initiative where policy or procedure may be absent.

Provide and receive routine information which requires tact or persuasive skills or where there are barriers in understanding via the main switchboard or face to face with patients, staff, relatives or service providers.

Competent in Telecommunications support procedures and policies and be able to use own initiative and judgement when dealing with non-routine activities

Progress chasing of faults with appropriate service providers. Netcall, Unify,

Offer an efficient and friendly service within the department, ensuring that all calls are dealt with in a timely, respectful and efficient manner and in line with an appropriate operational level agreement.

Answer telephone calls promptly in line with the Trusts telephone operator performance guide.

Provide first point of contact for the Bedfordshire Deaf community 24 hours a day via designated email service to the main switchboard, liaising between the user and Bedford Hospital services on their behalf.

Communicate clearly, over the telephone or face to face. Required to deliver complex information in a manner it is acknowledged and understood by others.

The post holder will be expected to understand and recognise urgent messages and the need for appropriate response and action within the boundaries of the role.

Required to communicate within situations that are often emotional and distressing.

Ensure that the correct procedures are carried out in the event of any emergency or alarm call being communicated via the emergency hotline (2222) these include: Cardiac Arrest and all other clinical emergencies including paediatrics. Major Incidents & Bomb Threats. Security, Automated attack alarms, automated intruder alarms, automated temperature control alarms.

Ensure that any call from the Ambulance Service or the Trusts Accident and Emergency Departments requesting the implementation of the Trust Major Incident plan is logged and procedure followed without delay.

Liaise with local authority organisations in the event of a Major Incident.

Ensure that any call regarding a Bomb Threat is recorded immediately and that the Bomb Threat procedures are adhered to at all times.

The list of responsibilities above, are key primary requirements for the role: however, additional duties may be required to ensure patient and employee safety is met

Job description

Job responsibilities

KEY RESPONSLITIES

Effective delivery and discharge of Operator duties utilising the Trusts various Telephony systems and Unify platforms.

Undertake lone working duties as part of a rotating shift pattern for long periods of time.

To maintain a high degree of customer service for all support queries and adhere to all service management principles.

Basic Active Directory knowledge;

Provide or receive complex/sensitive information i.e. I.T. Support, Major Incident, Deaf Help or other clinical/non clinical information to users; be able to communicate this information in a manner that it is understood.

Collate, Input and maintain accurate information on Trust systems using Microsoft tools; Word and Excel with the ability to manipulate data to provide reports as and when required.

Work independently or as part of the team, in a pressured environment with the ability to use own initiative where policy or procedure may be absent.

Provide and receive routine information which requires tact or persuasive skills or where there are barriers in understanding via the main switchboard or face to face with patients, staff, relatives or service providers.

Competent in Telecommunications support procedures and policies and be able to use own initiative and judgement when dealing with non-routine activities

Progress chasing of faults with appropriate service providers. Netcall, Unify,

Offer an efficient and friendly service within the department, ensuring that all calls are dealt with in a timely, respectful and efficient manner and in line with an appropriate operational level agreement.

Answer telephone calls promptly in line with the Trusts telephone operator performance guide.

Provide first point of contact for the Bedfordshire Deaf community 24 hours a day via designated email service to the main switchboard, liaising between the user and Bedford Hospital services on their behalf.

Communicate clearly, over the telephone or face to face. Required to deliver complex information in a manner it is acknowledged and understood by others.

The post holder will be expected to understand and recognise urgent messages and the need for appropriate response and action within the boundaries of the role.

Required to communicate within situations that are often emotional and distressing.

Ensure that the correct procedures are carried out in the event of any emergency or alarm call being communicated via the emergency hotline (2222) these include: Cardiac Arrest and all other clinical emergencies including paediatrics. Major Incidents & Bomb Threats. Security, Automated attack alarms, automated intruder alarms, automated temperature control alarms.

Ensure that any call from the Ambulance Service or the Trusts Accident and Emergency Departments requesting the implementation of the Trust Major Incident plan is logged and procedure followed without delay.

Liaise with local authority organisations in the event of a Major Incident.

Ensure that any call regarding a Bomb Threat is recorded immediately and that the Bomb Threat procedures are adhered to at all times.

The list of responsibilities above, are key primary requirements for the role: however, additional duties may be required to ensure patient and employee safety is met

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE or equivalent, to include English & Maths

Experience

Essential

  • Telephone experience (call centre / admin role)
  • Previous work with Face 2 face / direct contact with external parties
  • Experience with high call volumes
  • Ability to remain calm & professional at all times

Desirable

  • Previous experience of database software, Microsoft / Excel
  • Experience of lone working
  • Previous NHS experience

Knowledge

Essential

  • Previous customer service
  • confident using a keyboard and software packages, excel, Microsoft
  • Ability to take messages and to converse them clearly
  • Ability to work on your own and under pressure & too tight delaines, remaining calm

Desirable

  • Ability to speak a second language
  • Knowledge of how hospitals work

Personal Skills

Essential

  • Polite & enthusiastic individual
  • Willingness to learn on the job
  • A positive can do attitude
  • Ability to stay calm in an emergency situation
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE or equivalent, to include English & Maths

Experience

Essential

  • Telephone experience (call centre / admin role)
  • Previous work with Face 2 face / direct contact with external parties
  • Experience with high call volumes
  • Ability to remain calm & professional at all times

Desirable

  • Previous experience of database software, Microsoft / Excel
  • Experience of lone working
  • Previous NHS experience

Knowledge

Essential

  • Previous customer service
  • confident using a keyboard and software packages, excel, Microsoft
  • Ability to take messages and to converse them clearly
  • Ability to work on your own and under pressure & too tight delaines, remaining calm

Desirable

  • Ability to speak a second language
  • Knowledge of how hospitals work

Personal Skills

Essential

  • Polite & enthusiastic individual
  • Willingness to learn on the job
  • A positive can do attitude
  • Ability to stay calm in an emergency situation

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bedford Hospital

Bedford

MK42 9DJ


Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bedford Hospital

Bedford

MK42 9DJ


Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Telecoms manager

Sarah Norman

sarah.norman@bedsft.nhs.uk

01234792631

Details

Date posted

15 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

418-COR8296-MR

Job locations

Bedford Hospital

Bedford

MK42 9DJ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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