Switchboard Operator

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Leeds; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust invites applications for an enthusiastic Switchboard Operator in the Patient Centred team at Leeds General Infirmary. You will handle hospital-wide telephone calls and support Outpatient Service administration.

The role requires excellent communication, IT skills and flexibility to work 12-hour shifts, including weekends and bank holidays, across multiple LTHT sites.

Qualifications

• GCSE English Language and Maths at a good level are required.
• Experience operating a switchboard and handling calls in a healthcare setting is preferred.
• Proven ability to communicate clearly and professionally with patients and staff.
• Ability to use standard IT applications and to learn new systems quickly.
• Experience coordinating a team and managing confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for telephone calls from patients and NHS staff.
• Operate a 24/7 switchboard with shift patterns including weekends and holidays.
• Respond to crash calls, fire alarms and medical gas alarms as part of emergency procedures.
• Support Major Incidents procedures and liaise with relevant teams.
• Provide a high standard of customer service and maintain patient confidentiality.

Skills

Excellent communication

IT skills

Telephone handling

Team coordination

Windows-based IT

Customer service

Education

GCSE English Language

GCSE Mathematics

Tools

Switchboard software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Summary

We are looking for an enthusiastic Operator to come and join our Patient Centred team in the Switchboard Department based at The Leeds General Infirmary

Job Description

For questions about this job, contact:

Jennifer Robinson

Switchboard Manager

[e-mail]

01133925051

Job Summary

We are looking for an enthusiastic Operator to come and join our Patient Centred team in the Switchboard Department based at the Leeds General Infirmary

The successful candidate will contribute to the provision of a comprehensive patient administration functionalities within the Outpatient Clinic Service Unit.

Role

These vacancies are will be predominantly telephone based and will be primarily your key role. The post holder will be the first point of contact for the Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust receiving telephones calls from patients and NHS employees. Switchboard is a crucial part of the service is supporting the emergency procedures for the Leeds Teaching Hospitals which include:

• Crash Calls - delivering the appropriate message to the crash team to help save patients life.
• Fire Calls - fire alarms activated within the hospital are monitored by Switchboard are the post holder will be responsible for calling the fire brigade and liaising with appropriate emergency teams to make sure the fire is dealt with in a timely and efficient manner.
• Medical Gas Alarms – Liaising with the appropriate teams when alarms are activated in a timely and efficient manner.
• Major Incidents, if a major incident is declared within Leeds and surrounding areas and Leeds Teaching Hospital is needed the Switchboard implement the Major Incident procedure pulling a specialist team to support the incident.

Why you should join our Team

The post holder will provide a high standard of customer service. They will possess excellent communication skills, IT skills and will have a flexible approach to work. They will have the ability to prioritise their own workload as well as working as part of a team. Standardised scripts are followed and calls are monitored and recorded.

The post holder will be required to maintain and provide a patient focused confidential, efficient and accurate service in line with the procedures set out in the Trust’s Patient Access policies. You will need to be able to liaise with staff throughout the Trust and patients dealing effectively and efficiently with their enquiries.

The post holder must have a good standard of basic education, including written and spoken English. Good Customer Service telephone manner.

Good computer literacy and a willingness to further their PC skills.

Experience of working in a customer service role and experience of working in a predominately operational telephone environment e.g., switchboard/call centre.

This post is based at Leeds General Infirmary and receives calls for all the Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust sites, these are Leeds General Infirmary, St James University Hospital, Seacroft Hospital and Chapel Allerton Hospital.

The Switchboard Service is a 24/7 service and is this role is a 12 hour shift role This based on a shift pattern including weekends and all bank holidays. The post holder will be flexible and available to work days, evening and night shifts.

What You Will Bring To The Role

• GCSE (or equivalent experience) English Language and Mathematics grade C and above
• Good Basic Standard Education demonstrating excellent communication skills and numeracy
• A Willingness to undergo training to carry out the job
• Experience in operating a switchboard
• Experience coordinating/Supervising a team of staff
• Experience of dealing with sickness, recruitment, and disciplinary issues. Experience at supervisory/senior level in a healthcare environment
• A well developed understand and knowledge of office based procedures/systems gained over a significant period of time to enable implementation and appropriate training of the communications team.
• Interpretation and analysis of reports, databases and spreadsheet information
• Working in a customer focussed environment
• Well developed knowledge and experience of using a variety of IT applications and a Windows based environment

Please see the attached job description for further information about this vacancy.

About Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust

Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

• Patient-centred
• Collaborative
• Fair
• Accountable
• Empowered

All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values.

We’re committed to recruiting exceptional people to deliver outstanding services across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and helping every colleague reach their full potential. We’re looking for a compassionate, inclusive, and collaborative leader who shares our values and can build strong partnerships. We warmly invite applications from people from a variety of backgrounds and sectors, and are especially keen to hear from individuals from a minority ethnic background. We’re dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and has a true sense of belonging, as we work together to deliver the best in healthcare to the people of Leeds and beyond.

Sponsorship Eligibility

To comply with UK Government regulations on Skilled Worker sponsorship, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust is unable to provide sponsorship to applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria or the salary threshold concessions set out under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please take this into consideration before submitting your application. Full guidance on these concessions, including details of who may qualify, can be found here.