Switchboard Operator

The Methodist Church in Britain; Weston-super-Mare; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full training

Opportunities for development

Job summary

Weston General Hospital is seeking a Switchboard Operator to join the dedicated team that handles calls from the public, GPs and staff, routing to extensions and responding to emergencies. Training will be provided, and you will work within a 24-hour service, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

You will need GCSE English and Maths, an IT qualification or proven IT use, and prior switchboard or customer-facing experience.

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths at minimum
• IT qualification or proven use of IT packages in previous employment

Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for the hospital, receiving and distributing calls from the public, GPs, internal callers, other hospitals and agencies
• Connect calls to extensions, exchange lines and mobile staff via bleeps, mobile phones and radio pagers
• Respond to adult and paediatric cardiac arrests, major haemorrhage and major incidents under written procedures
• Respond to fire, medical gas, blood bank, lift, pharmacy, panic and intruder alarms under written procedures
• Respond to out-of-hours psychiatric contacts, media enquiries, power failures and leaks, and switchboard or paging system failures under written procedures
• Handle unpredictable enquiries from anxious patients, patients with mental health problems, language or disability barriers, the media and complaints
• Operate switchboard consoles and the bleep system to provide an efficient telephone service across the Trust
• Support emergency teams and help ensure critical information reaches the right people at the right time
• Maintain essential contact information

Skills

Excellent communication

Autonomy

Ability to work under pressure

Teamwork

Education

GCSE English & Maths

IT qualification or proven IT use

Tools

IT packages

Typing

Job description

The Switchboard Team at Weston General Hospital is the first point of contact for Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, taking calls from patients, GPs, staff and outside agencies. The work centres on routing calls and bleeps across the Trust and following written procedures for emergencies such as cardiac arrests and fire alarms. Shifts cover evenings, weekends and bank holidays, as the service runs 24 hours a day. Previous switchboard, call centre or customer-focused experience is essential, and full training is provided.

What the job involves

• Act as the first point of contact for the hospital, receiving and distributing calls from the public, GPs, internal callers, other hospitals and agencies
• Connect calls to extensions, exchange lines and mobile staff via bleeps, mobile phones and radio pagers
• Respond to adult and paediatric cardiac arrests, major haemorrhage and major incidents under written procedures
• Respond to fire, medical gas, blood bank, lift, pharmacy, panic and intruder alarms under written procedures
• Respond to out-of-hours psychiatric contacts, media enquiries, power failures and leaks, and switchboard or paging system failures under written procedures
• Handle unpredictable enquiries from anxious patients, patients with mental health problems, those facing language or disability barriers, the media and complaints, responding with sensitivity and empathy
• Operate switchboard consoles and the bleep system to provide an efficient telephone service across the Trust
• Support emergency teams and help ensure critical information reaches the right people at the right time
• Maintain essential contact information

What’s required

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent in English and Mathematics
• Qualification in IT, or proven use of IT packages in previous employment over a sustained period

Experience

• Previous switchboard, call centre or customer-focused role
• Experience of working well within a team
• Experience of working under pressure and managing a demanding workload

Skills & knowledge

• Excellent communication skills, including a confident and pleasant telephone manner
• Ability to retain information and pass it on accurately in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to deal with emergency and life-or-death situations and prioritise responses accordingly
• Ability to work autonomously

Nice to have

• Customer Service NVQ
• Typing or word processing qualification
• Knowledge of data protection and patient confidentiality issues
• Customer care experience
• NHS experience
• Previous work within emergency services
• Shift work experience
• Willingness to train or mentor others

What’s offered

• Full training
• Opportunities for development