Switchboard Operator

Job content

This is a telephony based role with no face to face patient contact. You will be providing an efficient and effective switchboard operator service to all callers to the trust internal and external, you will deal with emergency situations, responding quickly and have the ability to follow procedures in an efficient and accurate manner, implementing emergency protocols when required. You will provide and constantly deliver a warm, courteous and prompt response to all telephone enquiries in an efficient and professional manner to our patients, staff and other stakeholders. You will be trained to deliver exceptional customer service to the highest standard and will be required to multi-skill across other services within the department as a secondary service.

We are looking for customer service oriented staff to work on our busy Hospital switchboard. We currently host all switchboard services to Guys and St Thomas Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The service is 24/7 and full time vacancies will work to a rolling rota with shift patterns between 08:00 (earliest start time) – 20: 00 (latest finish time) covering Monday to Friday, weekends and bank holidays.

Previous Applicants that have applied in the last 6 months need not apply.

As a Switchboard Operator you will enjoy working directly with patients and/or customers to identify their needs and signpost them accordingly. You will recognize the importance of first class communication skills to achieve customer satisfaction. The primary objective is to provide:

A positive experience for each patient and external contact – every call matters.

Professional and high quality customer service to every caller.

Effective and timely resolution of all queries received

Support to patients and external clients, ensuring that they are welcomed to the Trust.

To support the Trust in providing quality care to its patients.

As the first line of contact for callers the post holder is responsible for providing an efficient and responsive service as our department is the interface for the hospital and will often be the caller’s first experience of the Trust.

You will need excellent communication skills and the ability to adapt your call handling methods to suit the variety of callers you will come in to contact with is paramount. You will often be engaging with distressed or vulnerable callers that will look for guidance and signposting.

We provide external organisations with Switchboard Services and out of hour’s message handling and call answering services.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.

We are among the UK’s busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.

Our Trust values are Put patients first, Take pride in what we do, Respect others, Strive to be the best, Act with Integrity

What We Offer

The NHS Pension Scheme - one of the most generous and comprehensive in the UK. When you start working for the NHS you automatically become a member and you will get an excellent package of pension benefits.

Interest free Season Ticket Loan
Long Term Service Awards
Subsidised on-site nurseries and childcare vouchers
A comprehensive staff health and well-being programme, ’5 ways to a healthier YOU’ Ride to work scheme
Employee assistance programme
Free stop smoking service

Core Duties and Responsibilities

Call Handling

Operate as a Switchboard Operator using Trust technology; identifying and escalating operational issues appropriately

Provide a consistently high quality of service to all customers, identifying their needs, offer advice and assisting them to access services provided by the Trust and those of our partners.

Responsible for answering all enquiries pleasantly, efficiently and effectively with patients, staff and public on the telephone in line with departmental standards and deal with problems as they arise.

Problem solve queries and ensure that each query has been effectively managed and responded to in a timely manner.

To use advanced listening, probing and facilitative skills across a wide range of calls, some of which can be highly challenging due to emotive circumstances or caller aggression.

Deal with a high volume of telephone enquiries and use your own initiative to prioritise workload.

Pass on information accurately i.e. any changes to personal information requiring entry into the relevant information pages including patient databases

Deal with any emergency calls as a priority adhering to processes and procedures

Understand an operators role in Major, significant and critical incidents and to ensure communications cascades are completed in line with agreed procedures.

Competently use a bleep and/or pager system to contact Trust staff as agreed in standard operating procedures

To meet daily key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets.

To work at any hospital site as required including Telephony managed service sites

Understand the operation of key systems within the department relevant to the query.

Participate in a rotating shift pattern; to include Public Holidays and weekends; in line with service requirements; unless otherwise agreed.

Support Trust call centres out of hours providing a message handling service where appropriate and under direction of management.

Administration and System Management

To record all Incidents and Requests with the appropriate information, prioritisation and classification, and updating of Incident data.

Using in-house computer applications to facilitate the support services offered by Customer Services to the Trust:

To co-operate with all others in the Customer Services Team to ensure that it works as an efficient, highly motivated and capable workforce whose prime interest is in helping the Trust staff care for its patients

Maintain accurate data records of tasks undertaken as directed by a Team Leader

Carry out any other administrative duties as may be allocated by the Team Leader /Supervisor/manager.

Keep accurate records of tasks undertaken, ensuring escalation to a team leader / manager as necessary

Other duties

Once appropriately skilled; support team leaders and managers by participating in ‘buddy’ system to support and coach new staff in line with training plans and agreed Training and Development framework.

Attend training sessions to ensure knowledge regarding department and trust systems is up to date and knowledge of associated policies and documentation are kept current.

Contribute to the continuous improvement within your team to help increase customer satisfaction and more effective working processes.

Adhere to departmental standards.

Follow and adhere to Trust Policies and Processes

Assist Trust call centres where appropriate with out of hours message handling