Switchboard Operator

Job description

Job summary

Switchboard Operator

Telecommunications

Band 2 £25,272 per annum pro rata

Hours: Part-time 31.5 hours per week (varied shifts to cover 24/7, 365 days), all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working

We are seeking an Operator to join our Switchboard Team. The post includes directing calls and managing communications throughout the Hospital Trust as well as following procedures in the event of emergencies / alarms.

The service operates 24/7 and the role will require you to cover service demand. This post will be hours to include weekdays, evenings, nights, weekends and Bank Holidays on a rotating shift pattern. You will be flexible and be able to cover additional shifts at short notice. A flexible attitude and understanding of the service is a pre-requisite for this challenging role. You must have good communication skills and customer service experience, ideally in an NHS environment.

If you would like to find out more about this position, please contact Karen Barrett on 01908 660033 or by email [email protected]

Interview date: 11 November 2026

Main duties of the job

"We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute"

The role of the Switchboard Operator is to provide courteous fast lines of communication and information to Hospital staff and the general public, using your initiative in applying all resources available to you to meet the need of the Users of the Service.

About us

Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.

As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.

We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre. We have just opened the Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards.

Further investment is underway, including the recently approved Women and Children's Centre, set to open by 2030.

Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -

For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes

Job description

Job responsibilities

• To be familiar with, and implement correct procedure for all emergency incidents, including fire alarm activations, cardiac arrest crash calls and code victors.
• To action the proper response to notification of a Major Incident when informed by the emergency ambulance service.
• To implement the correct procedure, when notified through our security monitoring station, in Primary Care Trust and other on-site controlled premises.
• To maintain accurate records of all emergency incidents in the relevant logs, for the whole site as required by the Switchboard Communications Manager and following Trust Policies and Procedures.
• To be familiar with the correct procedure to operate the staff personal receivers call system (bleeps) and activate radio page system as required.
• To issue and re-programme replacement/loan bleeps into consuls in instances of lost or out of order bleeps and maintaining records of such changes. Run controlled tests to ensure correct programming has been installed.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details

Job description
Job responsibilities

• To be familiar with, and implement correct procedure for all emergency incidents, including fire alarm activations, cardiac arrest crash calls and code victors.
• To action the proper response to notification of a Major Incident when informed by the emergency ambulance service.
• To implement the correct procedure, when notified through our security monitoring station, in Primary Care Trust and other on-site controlled premises.
• To maintain accurate records of all emergency incidents in the relevant logs, for the whole site as required by the Switchboard Communications Manager and following Trust Policies and Procedures.
• To be familiar with the correct procedure to operate the staff personal receivers call system (bleeps) and activate radio page system as required.
• To issue and re-programme replacement/loan bleeps into consuls in instances of lost or out of order bleeps and maintaining records of such changes. Run controlled tests to ensure correct programming has been installed.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

Essential

• Keyboard skills

Desirable

• BT trained or equivalent

Experience

Essential

• Switchboard experience in a large organisation

Desirable

• General knowledge of NHS Switchboard

Skills

Essential

• Ability to work accurately under pressure
• To be able to multi-task
• Ability to work consistently when dealing with customers and deadlines

Personal and people development

Essential

• Commitment to personal development

Communication

Essential

• Polite and courteous to all customers

Specific requirements

Essential

• Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations

Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge

Essential

• Keyboard skills

Desirable

• BT trained or equivalent

Experience

Essential

• Switchboard experience in a large organisation

Desirable

• General knowledge of NHS Switchboard

Skills

Essential

• Ability to work accurately under pressure
• To be able to multi-task
• Ability to work consistently when dealing with customers and deadlines

Personal and people development

Essential

• Commitment to personal development

Communication

Essential

• Polite and courteous to all customers

Specific requirements

Essential

• Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address

Telecommunications (Dept)

Milton Keynes

MK6 5LD

United Kingdom

Employer's website