Health Advisor - 111/999 Call Taker

NHS; Hebburn, Wynyard, Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare service is looking for a Health Advisor to handle 999 and 111 calls. The role involves assessing patient needs using NHS pathways, providing health information, and managing calls in a fast-paced environment. Candidates should have strong communication skills and be capable of remaining calm under pressure. Salary ranges from £29,500 to £31,500 depending on the rota.

Benefits

Unsociable hours payments

Career progression program

Qualifications

• Previous experience of call answering in a busy environment is beneficial.
• Willingness to learn and undertake additional training.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for patients and healthcare professionals.
• Use NHS pathways to assess patient needs and direct them to appropriate services.
• Provide basic health information and advice to callers.

Skills

Communication skills

Listening skills

Computer skills

Problem-solving

Education

3 GCSE at Grade C or equivalent including English

Job description

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Health Advisor – 111/999 Call Taker

The closing date is 23 November 2025

We are expanding, come and grow with us! Do you have excellent communication, listening and computer skills, enjoy solving problems and genuinely want to make a difference in the lives of others? If so, join our army of life‑savers as a Health Advisor taking 999 and 111 calls. Being a Health Advisor is challenging but rewarding as you can directly help those most in need. You will work as part of a close‑knit team of people who have a passion for helping those in crisis, where no two days are the same. You don't need any medical knowledge, and full training in managing calls and use of our systems will be provided.

This role could be the first step of a great career in healthcare and can give you the knowledge to go even further. In this role you will:

• Be a strong communicator, asking questions in a way which can help assess a caller’s needs in a pressurised environment, where time is of the essence.
• Manage calls supported by a computerised medical assessment tool, to help give patients the most appropriate care response. From an ambulance in life‑threatening emergencies, through to a GP appointment, dentist appointment, or referring the patient to a range of community‑based services, such as a walk‑in‑center.

Please ensure that you have read the shift pattern document attached before applying. As a 24/7/365 service, you will be expected to work Bank Holidays including Christmas. Any Bank Holidays worked will be added to your holiday allowance.

Main duties of the job

As a Health Advisor for the ambulance service you will be the first point of contact with patients, healthcare professionals and other callers. Working within Operations Centres located at HQ – Newcastle, Hebburn and Wynyard you will use NHS pathways to record patients demographics and clinical information to assess their condition to ensure they are directed to the most appropriate healthcare professional or service.

You will provide basic advice and health information to patients calling 111, supporting callers to access the appropriate level of care.

Your training is pass or fail and whilst you will be trained initially to handle 111 calls, over the next 12 months it is expected that you will be given additional skills, via a career progression programme, to enable you to handle 999 Emergency calls. All of our Health Advisors are expected to take both types of calls.

On occasion you may be required to work from one of our alternative sites, to enable the Trust to fulfil its obligations.

In line with the code of practice on English language requirements for public sector workers applicants must have the ability to converse under pressurised circumstances with members of the public and document and provide instruction in accurate spoken and written English.

About us

We employ 3,500 staff in 63 locations and serve a population of 2,600,000 in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham, and Tees over 3,230 square miles.

Many people think the job of the ambulance service is to collect patients and take them to hospital, but we do much more!

Paramedic skills have developed hugely in recent years, meaning we carry out more treatment at the scene and en‑route to hospital.

We have a dedicated clinical assessment service that allows us to provide patients with the most appropriate care from the beginning of the patient journey.

We have a specialised branch of the Trust called HART which deal with explosions or terrorist attacks.

Ultimately patients are the heart of everything that we do to support our mission of "safe, effective and responsive care for all".

We value and respect the diversity employees bring to our workplace. We recruit a workforce that reflects the community we serve, and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. To ensure we deliver on our aims in relation to diversity and inclusion we assess ourselves against a range of frameworks. We are ENEI Gold employer, Disability Confident Leader, Dyslexia Smart Award employer, Dementia Friendly, and part of Mind Blue Light programme and the Race at Work Charter from the Princes Responsible Business Network and are achieving across all objectives in NHS Equality Delivery System.

Job responsibilities

Please ensure you take a look at the job description attached for full details of duties and responsibilities

Band 3 Plus potential salary including unsocial hours payments; from £29,500-£31,500 pa depending on rota/pro rata.

Qualifications

• 3 GCSE at Grade C or equivalent including English or higher qualification in any area, or previous experience of call answering in an extremely busy or stressful environment

Experience

• Evidence of undertaking additional training and a willingness to learn
• Ability to demonstrate resilience by remaining calm under pressure, the ability to juggle priorities when dealing with emergency situations and to make sound decisions.

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.

Employer name

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

£24,937 to £26,598 a year Plus Unsociable Hours Payments as per Section 2 NHS T&Cs