Controller - GP Out of Hours

NHS Ayrshire & Arran; Town of Caledonia (WI); On-site; USD 28,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 27 days

NHS Pension

Car benefit scheme

Study bursaries

E-learning

Holiday pay

Staff discounts

Counselling services

Job summary

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC) invites applications for a Band 3 Controller within the GP Out of Hours Service. You will coordinate operations, monitor patient flow and manage referrals from NHS 24 to ensure safe, efficient care across the region.

You will liaise with Home Visiting Clinicians, NHS 24, ambulance services, and other partners, ensuring staffing and resources meet demand, while working within agreed procedures and escalation paths.

Qualifications

• Good geographical knowledge of the Greater Glasgow & Clyde area.
• Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal, planning and organisational skills.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines and manage competing priorities.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Calm and effective under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational coordination to ensure safe delivery of the GP Out of Hours Service.
• Monitor workload and patient flow across the service.
• Record and process patient information from partner organisations.
• Coordinate home visit and patient transport requests and allocate work.
• Liaise with NHS 24, ambulance service, district nurses, police, social work and pharmacists.
• Escalate issues to On-Call Manager as required.

Skills

Geographical knowledge

IT skills

Microsoft Office

Written communication

Verbal communication

Interpersonal skills

Planning

Organisational skills

Negotiation

Deadline management

Decision making

Teamwork

Calm under pressure

Driving licence

Tools

Adastra

Job description

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC) is one of the largest healthcare systems in the United Kingdom, employing approximately 40,000 staff across a wide range of clinical and non-clinical professions and roles. We deliver acute hospital, primary, community and mental health services to a population of over 1.15 million people, and to a wider population of 2.2 million when regional and national services are included.

The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC) GP Out of Hours (OOH) Service as a Band 3 Controller. This is a rewarding role within a fast-paced and dynamic service that supports the delivery of urgent primary care to patients across NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. Working as part of a multidisciplinary operational team, you will play a key role in supporting the safe and effective running of the service, coordinating operational activity, monitoring patient flow, and ensuring the service responds efficiently to changing demands. This is an excellent opportunity for an organised, adaptable, and motivated individual who thrives under pressure and enjoys making a meaningful contribution to patient care.

This role does not meet the eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa or a Heath and Care Worker visa. NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC) is unable to provide candidates or employees with a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS).

Duration, Location, and Working Pattern

Various Permanent Roles - 1 x 7.5 Hours, 1 x 9 Hours, 1 x 12.4 Hours, 1 x 13.1 Hours, 1 x 18 Hours

Caledonia House

Shifts vary 7 Day Cover (OOH Shifts) Monday - Friday 1800 - 0000 & 0000 - 0800, Saturday - Sunday, Public Holidays 0800 - 1600, 1600 - 0000, 0000 - 0800

Key Responsibilities

As a Band 3 Controller, you will provide operational coordination and support to ensure the safe and effective delivery of the GP Out of Hours Service. Responsibilities include monitoring the Professional-to-Professional telephone line, recording and processing patient information received from partner organisations, and ensuring referrals from NHS 24 are managed and dispatched appropriately. You will coordinate home visit and patient transport requests, allocating work to the most appropriate member of the Out of Hours team while considering patient needs, geographical location, available resources, and clinical response times. Using the Adastra Patient Management System, you will monitor workload and patient flow across the service, identify operational pressures, elevate concerns when necessary, and support safe staffing levels. You will liaise with Home Visiting Clinicians, Primary Care Emergency Centres (PCECs), drivers, and a wide range of stakeholders including NHS 24, the Scottish Ambulance Service, District Nurses, Police Scotland, Social Work and Community Pharmacists. During overnight periods, you will provide support within agreed procedures, exercising sound judgement and escalating issues to the On-Call Manager as required.

Knowledge, training, qualifications and/or experience required to do the job:

Essential

• Good geographical knowledge of the Greater Glasgow & Clyde area.
• Excellent IT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office packages.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal, planning and organisational skills.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines, manage competing priorities and work to varying timescales.
• Strong problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work independently, make informed decisions and contribute effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.

Desirable

• Previous experience working in a busy operational, control room or administrative environment.
• Experience working within the NHS or another large and complex organisation.
• Knowledge of NHS policies and procedures, including Human Resources, Health & Safety and Incident Reporting.
• Previous control room experience.
• Understanding of medical terminology.
• Experience using patient management systems such as Adastra.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Willingness to undertake further training as required.

What We Offer

We offer a wide range of supportive policies designed to enhance your employee journey, including a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme, Cycle to Work Scheme, bursary scheme and extensive learning and development opportunities.

• A minimum of 27 days annual leave, increasing with length of service, plus public holidays
• Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme, including life insurance benefits
• Salary Sacrifice Car Benefit Scheme
• Development opportunities including study bursaries, e-learning and classroom-based courses
• Enhanced pay for working public holidays
• NHS discounts on a wide range of goods and services
• Confidential employee support and assistance, including counselling and psychological therapies

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, we would love to hear from you.

For An Informal Discussion, Please Contact

Maureen Matheson, Team Leader, 0141 616 6235, [e-mail]

Details on how to contact the Recruitment Service and the Recruitment Process:

Information for candidates

This vacancy may close early due to a high volume of applications. We recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

This post may require a satisfactory PVG Scheme record check.

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application, but your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
• Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip:

Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you, not an AI tool.

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC) recognises the importance of work-life balance and is committed to offering a range of flexible working options where service needs allow. For roles where less than full-time hours can be accommodated, and where the tenure is listed as various, we encourage applications from individuals seeking flexible working arrangements. Flexible working will be included as a topic for discussion during the recruitment process.

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde encourages applications from all sections of the community

We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and are proud of the diverse workforce we employ.

By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, NHSGGC has pledged its commitment to being a Forces Friendly Employer. We welcome applications from across the Armed Forces Community and recognise military skills, experience and qualifications throughout the recruitment and selection process.

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