Controller/Planner (Bank)

EMED Group; West of England; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Part time

Job summary

EMED Group in Bristol is seeking a Controller/Planner to plan and control a high-volume transport operation. The role focuses on scheduling patient journeys, allocating appropriate vehicles and crew, and collaborating with hospital staff to optimise utilisation and KPI performance.

The Bank position offers flexible hours between 07:00 and 20:00 with responsibilities across dispatch, planning, and data management to ensure timely patient transport and service quality.

Qualifications

• Experience in a regulated, complex, time-critical operating environment.
• Desirable experience in logistics, control, route planning or analytics.
• Experience working to time-critical KPIs and monitoring performance using systems.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with customers or public.
• Commitment to high-quality, customer-focused service.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across levels.

Responsibilities

• Check and plan daily and future bookings within the Cleric controlling system, ensuring resourcing is correct and informing sub-contractors, taxi and volunteers where applicable.
• Dispatch and manage operational crews to ensure timely collection and delivery of patients and achieving contractual on-time targets.
• Receive requests for patient transport and queries, ensuring compliance with procedures and orders.
• Undertake clerical duties including data input and ad-hoc forms/invoices.
• Maintain accurate patient records and housekeeping within the operating system.
• Maintain and enhance performance and quality of service offered to patients and customers.
• Handle calls professionally, taking action as required.
• Liaise with GPs, Nursing Homes, Hospital Clinics and Wards.
• Maintain end-to-end journey flow, re-plan and reallocate resources to minimise KPI impact.

Skills

Regulated environment

Logistics

Time-critical KPIs

Communication skills

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Multi-tasking

Calm under pressure

Job description

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Controller/Planner to join our team based in Bristol.

We are looking for organised, analytical individuals with a passion for route planning and logistics. As a Controller/Planner, you will plan and control a high-volume, time-critical transport operation, scheduling booked journeys to meet time-bound KPIs (including on-time arrivals, turnaround/collection times and timely return home).

The role involves efficiently managing Patient Transport Service (PTS) resources to meet the needs of booked patient journeys, allocating patients to the appropriate vehicle type and the appropriately skilled crew (based on mobility/clinical and safety requirements), as well as collaborating with hospital staff and departments to optimise vehicle and staff utilisation and protect KPI performance throughout the day.

This is a Bank position so your hours are flexible. The operational hours are between 07:00 and 20:00.

Main Duties

• Check and plan daily and future bookings within the Cleric controlling system, ensuring resourcing is correct and all sub-contractor, taxi and volunteers are informed where applicable and that each journey is scheduled within contracted time windows.
• 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 including on-time arrivals for appointments and return journeys within agreed times. You will match demand to capacity in real time, allocating the right vehicle and the right crew skill mix to each patient journey.
• 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.
• Maintain accurate and up to date patient records. Ensure good housekeeping within the main operating system.
• Maintaining and enhancing the performance and quality of service offered to patients and customers.
• Dealing promptly, professionally, and efficiently with all internal and external telephone calls received, taking appropriate action using your own initiative where required.
• Liaising with other agencies such as GPs, Nursing Homes, Hospital Clinics and Wards.
• Maintain end-to-end journey flow across all control areas through effective liaison with colleagues and site stakeholders, prioritising work and resolving urgent issues as they arise (e.g. late running, cancellations, vehicle issues and capacity constraints), using dynamic re-planning, rapid reallocation of resources and escalation in line with local procedures to minimise KPI impact.

Successful candidates will have

• Experience of working in a regulated, complex, time-critical operational environment.
• Desirable experience of working in logistics, control, route planning or analytical roles.
• Desirable experience working to time-critical KPIs/service level targets and using operational systems to monitor performance, prioritise work and take corrective action.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills gained from experience of dealing with customers or members of the public.
• Commitment to delivering a high-quality, customer-focused service.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with proven ability to engage at all levels within an organisation.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent organisational skills with proven ability to multi-task and prioritise as required.
• Ability to stay calm under pressure and use initiative.

About Us

EMED Group is an established healthcare logistics provider that enables access to health and social care through our four specialist divisions. We are one of the largest health and care partners to the NHS with 4,000 colleagues across over 60 bases UK-wide. EMED Group is committed to pro-actively improving the wellbeing of our communities by providing access to vital health and social care services across the UK.

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