The Health Records Service offers an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic staff member to join our busy Switchboard Bank on a permanent basis. The role covers sickness, annual leave and vacancy shifts during working days, nights and weekends, requiring flexibility.
This position requires excellent verbal communication skills with staff, patients and relatives, either face‑to‑face or by telephone. Previous switchboard experience would be advantageous, but full training will be provided.
Typical shift patterns include:
- 6am – 2pm
- 2pm – 10pm
- 8am – 4pm
- 10am – 6pm
- 10pm – 6am (night)
The Switchboard Operator plays a key role in the smooth running of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust telephony service, providing professional assistance to the public and staff. The post holder will be a member of the Switchboard team, delivering an efficient 24/7 telephony service to New Cross Hospital, West Park & Cannock Hospital and community areas. Calls are handled through a digital board, averaging 100+ per hour, prioritising emergencies such as cardiac arrests and critical alarms while maintaining professionalism.
Main duties of the job
Respond promptly to a high volume of internal and external calls, connecting callers with the correct recipient or department in a timely, compassionate, professional and courteous manner in line with Trust values.
Answer calls via an electronic system from a central point within New Cross Hospital.
Understand and utilise all extensions and switchboard features for efficient call handling.
Receive and respond to all alarms promptly and accurately from the Critical Alarm System, ensuring the appropriate staff and authorities are contacted according to procedures.
Respond to “2222” emergency calls, including cardiac arrest, flat baby and fire; accuracy is vital.
Understand and be fully conversant with all emergency procedures, including Major Incident.
Manage daily calls of a distressing and emotional nature, often including abusive callers, while remaining calm and professional.
Working for our organisation
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands, providing primary, acute and community services. We are proud of the diversity of our staff and the communities we serve, and we are building a workforce that reflects our values and improves quality of care. We are delighted to have been rated as Good by CQC and have achieved numerous awards, including the Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020.
The Trust offers flexible working arrangements to suit individual needs, considering all applications for flexible work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Operate VDU consoles and the extensive internal and external directory for call management.
Communicate effectively with customers, visitors, colleagues and management.
Handle sensitive and complex information with appropriateness and sensitivity.
Receive and process requests for transport outside of normal office hours.
Initiate pager numbers via the bleeps system when requested; use the Page Gate system in emergencies.
Attend staff meetings and information sharing events as required by departmental managers.
Check on lone workers across the Trust when requested and take action as required.
Provide appropriate medical and non‑medical staff with a replacement bleep in the absence of the line manager.
Monitor security radio for switchboard assistance and in emergencies.
Provide medical staff with mobile phones, complete relevant paperwork, and email the relevant department if mobiles are not returned within 24 hours.
Understand callers’ facts to make judgments on where to signpost them to the correct department.
Report system or equipment failures to the relevant department.
Use tact, diplomacy and empathy when dealing with callers and emergencies, applying knowledge of available options.
Prepare and update daily “on call” sheets, implementing support for on‑call personnel and notifying departments of changes.
In a major incident, carry out the actions detailed in the Major Incident Plan and use action cards to relays messages and page different disciplines.
Maintain written records of action in emergencies or major emergencies and update contact records for those involved.
Remain calm and focused interpreting on‑call rosters and paging in unpredictable workloads.
Work as part of a team delivering a 24/7 service; cover each other’s shifts as needed.
Cover Bank Holiday duties on a rostered basis and work overtime at the Manager’s discretion with reasonable notice.
Night staff cover breaks by taking calls for Bed Bureau, palliative care/end‑of‑life and district nurses, collecting details and passing them to relevant services within an hour.
Work from home when required, in line with service needs.
Person specification
Qualifications
- 4 GCSE passes or equivalent, one subject being English
- NVQ 3 in Customer Services or equivalent
Experience
- Previous public/customer‑focused environment that is busy and pressurised
- Excellent IT skills and ability to adapt to new systems and follow work procedures, including emergency work experience
Flexible Working
As a major employer in the Black Country and West Birmingham region, we are committed to supporting employees to achieve a healthy work‑life balance. We consider all requests to work flexibly, taking into account personal circumstances and service needs. Prospective applicants are encouraged to discuss individual circumstances with the Recruiting Manager during onboarding.
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