Job summary
- Main area
- Telecoms
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent: 6 week working pattern
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (6 week working pattern)
- Job ref
- 418-COR7909-SJ
- Employer
- Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bedford Hospital
- Town
- Bedford
- Salary
- £24,625 - £25,674 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Switchboard Operators
NHS AfC: Band 3
Job overview
The job role includes answering the majority of all calls coming into the hospital and we are responsible for ensuring those calls reach the correct persons and departments. We also man the emergency phones as well as the emergency alarms.
We work on a 6 week rota basis and this will consist of some lone working and weekend working.
Main duties of the job
Customer care / Answering calls / Dect Phones / Handing out of the keys / First point of contact for any persons contacting the hospital, clinic or ward / Operating switchboard equipment to receive calls and take all emergency calls to pass onto correct person or department.
We would require good telephone manner and good IT and literacy skills and excellent customer care communication skills.
Working for our organisation
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics.
You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career.
We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. Please ensure that you make your application as soon as possible.
All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required.
Please review all documents attached to this advert to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities
- Effective delivery and discharge of Operator duties utilising the Trusts various Telephony systems across Hornbill and Unify platforms.
- Provide advice on Telephony systems both in and out of hours
- Undertake lone working duties as part of a rotating shift pattern for long periods of time.
- Troubleshoot basic network across both voice and data networks issues affecting Trust users.
- Take ownership of user problems and follow up the status of problems on behalf of the user and communicate progress in a timely manner.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to GSCE Level 4 including English & Maths or equivalent
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of face to face / direct contact with members of public, patients or equivalent
- Experience of high call volumes
- Ability to work under pressure
- Experience of providing Telephony support in a business environment, identifying issues and resolving them.
- Experience of working in a customer focused environment in a large and complex organisation.
- Experience of supporting a range of IT/telephony equipment, software and systems.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in a technical environment in a large complex organisation
- Experience of using service management principles to guide approach to work.
- Use of a Screen Based operator console
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Good customer service and communication skills to enable the post holder to identify Telephony issues accurately with the client and advise of action to rectify them.
Desirable criteria
- Ability to speak a second language
Personal skills
Essential criteria
- Willingness to learn and self develop
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sarah Norman
- Job title
- Assistant telecoms manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01234792631
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