Switchboard Operator

Job description

We are proud to provide 'Outstanding' care and be a great place to work.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust provides safe, compassionate and high quality hospital and community care to the half a million people living in East Sussex and those who visit our local area.

We are one of the largest organisations in East Sussex with an annual income of £700 million and we are the only integrated provider of acute and community care in Sussex.

Our extensive health services are provided by over 8,000+ dedicated members of staff working from two acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, three community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield, over 100 community sites across East Sussex, and in people's own homes.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated us as 'Good' overall, and 'Outstanding' for being Caring and Effective. The Conquest Hospital in Hastings and our Community Services were rated 'Outstanding' and Eastbourne DGH was rated 'Good' Our two acute hospitals have Emergency Departments and provide 24 hour a day care, offering a comprehensive range of surgical, medical, outpatient and maternity services, supported by a full range of diagnostic and therapy services.

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a part time Switchboard Operator based at Conquest Hospital. You will be joining a small, friendly team working on a busy switchboard, delivering a vital 24-hour, 365-day service for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

This role operates on a set shift pattern - please see attached document of the rota.

The Switchboard is the first point of contact for the Trust. You will be required to confidently operate a computer-based switchboard system, answering calls in a professional manner and managing enquiries from patients, relatives, visitors, and GPs, as well as handling all calls, bleeps, and pagers.

You will also be responsible for responding calmly and efficiently to a wide range of emergency calls, including cardiac arrests, trauma alerts, fire calls, and alarm systems, within a fast-paced communications environment.

Full training will be provided for the successful candidate.

Where applicable, this post may attract unsocial hours payments, if rostered, in line with the Agenda for Change terms. Enhanced rates apply for weekday night shifts (8pm-6am), weekends, and bank holidays.

Main duties of the job

• Work as a telephonist, dealing with all incoming calls to the Switchboard.
• Switchboard operates on a 24hr pattern.
• Operate the Multitone Bleep System (messaging and changing of devices)
• Operate the PageOne pager system.
• Deal with all digital alarms (medical gases, lifts etc) in a calm and efficient manner, following the necessary standard operating procedures.
• Deal with emergency calls (cardiac arrests, fire, traumas) in a calm and efficient manner, following the necessary standard operating procedures.
• Compile and update where necessary, the daily on call rota.
• Communicate to a high level and pass on information accurately to the Team Leaders and Manager, and handover any essential info to colleagues.
• Communicate with all services users.
• Ability to work on own, making your own decisions and deal with any situations that may occur.
• Ensure all departmental procedures are followed and ensure an accurate record of any task completed is kept.
• Work as part of a team.
• Good communicational skills are key.
• Experience in Excel, Word, email and possess good organisational and keyboard skills would be advantageous.

Working for our organisation

A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.

In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.

Statement on the Use of AI

We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.

Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.

We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

IMPORTANT: Due to the nature of this role, there is no permanent option for remote or home working. All duties must be carried out on site during core working hours.

Please refer to the detailed job description attached.

Please contact us if you would like any further details.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• IT courses: Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer

Desirable criteria

• NVQ 1 & 2

Experience

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of a general healthcare environment

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of a switchboard system

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Essential criteria

• Good verbal communication
• Good keyboard skills
• Confident
• Motivated
• Organised
• Ability to work under pressure and react positively to distressed or rude customers
• Clear, concise speech

Patients come first at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Our vision is to be:

• The healthcare provider of first choice for the people of East Sussex.

Our mission is to:

• Deliver better health outcomes and an excellent experience for everyone we provide with healthcare services.

Our strategic objectives are to:

• Improve quality and clinical outcomes by ensuring that safe patient care is our highest priority.
• Play a leading role in local partnerships to meet the needs of our local population and improve and enhance patients' experiences.
• Use our resources efficiently and effectively for the benefit of our patients and their care to ensure our services are clinically, operationally and financially sustainable.

Our aims are that all services delivered by the Trust are:

• Safe
• Effective
• Caring
• Responsive and
• Well led

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