Job overview

Reporting to the Unified Communications Manager, this position will be responsible for assisting the UC Manager in providing an efficient and effective Switchboard and Telecommunications service to The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. This includes the management of day-to-day staff operations, (working alongside the Switchboard Supervisor), supporting the delivery of seamless communications across the Trust, and assisting with first and second-line telecommunications technical support. 

The post holder will, alongside the switchboard supervisor, help manage and allocate staff to meet the demands and expectations of the service within the budget allocation. They will answer and manage all calls received at the Princess Alexandra NHS Trust Switchboard and monitor and manage all alarms within the Switchboard department. 

Additionally, the role involves providing basic technical support for telephony and Alerting systems, troubleshooting faults, and liaising with ICT and telecoms suppliers to resolve issues. There is a requirement for flexible working to ensure appropriate cover is maintained at all times so that all calls and telecoms services are supported in a timely and professional manner. 

Main duties of the job

• Support the Switchboard Manager in the day-to-day supervision and coordination of switchboard operations, ensuring effective staffing in line with Trust policies, adequate shift cover, and high standards of staff performance and morale.
• Maintain and update key operational tools such as on-call rotas, internal directories, and doctors’ on-call boards; ensure timely communication of any changes.
• Configuration and allocation of trust Mobiles and VoIP handsets.
• Support the configuration, installation, and maintenance of telecommunications equipment under ICT guidance; maintain accurate logs of technical issues and changes, including:
  • VoIP hardware and software
  • Mobile devices
  • Internal alerting systems
  • Alarm and call management systems
• Liaise with ICT and telecoms providers to report, escalate, and assist in resolving service faults or outages in a timely manner.
• Support the mobilisation of additional staff during internal or external major incidents to ensure continued operation of switchboard and telecoms services.
• Participate fully in shift work, including night shifts and on-call rotas, as determined by service needs.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with mandatory training and maintain technical competency in all telecommunications systems used within the department.
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade as required by the Switchboard Manager or Unified Communications Manager to ensure continuity and efficiency of the service.

Working for our organisation

Our Organisation

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) provides a full range of general acute, outpatient and diagnostic services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping.

We employ 3,500 staff and serve a local population of around 350,000 people living in west Essex and east Hertfordshire, centred on the M11 corridor and the towns of Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford and Epping. Our extended catchment area incorporates a population of up to 500,000 and includes the areas of Hoddesdon, Cheshunt and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire.

Our Values

The Princess Alexandra Promise to our patients as identified by our 3 values which will contribute to improving our patient experiences:

Patient at heart – Always holding the patient and their wellbeing at the centre of our thoughts and efforts

Everyday excellence – Sharing and celebrating our successes, being honest when we get it wrong, giving us the ability to learn from both

Creative collaboration – Knowing strength comes from diversity, we combine our experiences, skills and talents, working together to find new and better ways to care

The Trust believes in investing in all our staff and rewarding high standards of care whilst building for excellence and in return we expect our staff to uphold the Trust values to the highest level.