Switchboard Operator

Role description

Job summary

The post holder is the first point of contact to London North West Hospitals for the public through operation of the Trust's switchboard. As such this is an important role involving being an ambassador for the Trust.

The post holder will work as part of a small team providing switchboard services to the public and to Trust staff. They will work on their own initiative and make immediate decisions, answering calls and dealing with each query in a professional manner.

The post holder will also answer emergency calls in a timely manner e.g. medical crash teams, on-call staff, fire services, alarms, etc.

Main duties of the job

o Answer and transfer incoming calls promptly and professionally using the computerised switchboard.o Provide a courteous, empathetic and supportive service to callers, including distressed, bereaved or non-English-speaking callers.o Maintain accurate directory databases and on-call rotas.o Operate paging and bleeping systems, using appropriate medical terminology when communicating with clinical staff.o Respond to general enquiries regarding clinics, visiting times, accommodation, directions and Trust services.o Connect and monitor international calls for Trust staff.o Log and escalate out-of-hours Estates calls and other service requests to relevant on-call staff.o Handle GP and District Nursing enquiries and relay information to appropriate clinical teams.o Activate and programme bleeps as trained.o Respond efficiently to emergency situations including cardiac arrest, trauma, fire, bomb threats, obstetric emergencies and major incidents, following Trust procedures.o Monitor and report fire panel, medical gas and other emergency alarms.o Initiate 999 calls when required.o Act as a contact point for lone worker alerts.o Test emergency communication systems, bleeps and emergency phone lines, reporting faults and ensuring service readiness.o Attend mandatory and developmental training to maintain knowledge and service standards.

About us

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH) cares for the people of Brent, Ealing, Harrow and beyond.

Our team of more than 8,200 clinical and support staff serve a diverse population of almost one million people.

We run major acute services at:

• Northwick Park Hospital: home to one of the busiest emergency departments (A&E) in the country. The hospital provides a full range of services including the country's top-rated hyper-acute stroke unit and one of only three hyper-acute rehabilitation units in the UK
• St Mark's Hospital: an internationally renowned specialist centre for bowel disease
• Ealing Hospital: a busy district general hospital providing a range of clinical services, as well as 24/7 emergency department and urgent care centre, and specialist care at Meadow House Hospice
• Central Middlesex Hospital: our planned care site, hosting a range of surgical and outpatient services and collocated with an urgent care centre.

We are a university teaching NHS trust, in recognition of the important role we play in training clinicians of the future and bringing the benefits of research to the public.

"We operate a joint recruitment hub across the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative Group. As part of this, your application and personal data may be shared with partner trusts within the group for recruitment and workforce purposes, in line with general data protection regulation (GDPR)."