About this role
Job summary
As an A&E Communications Officer, you will act as the essential link between ambulance crews and the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), supporting the coordination and deployment of emergency resources across the North East.
Working alongside Dispatch Officers, you will ensure patients receive timely and appropriate care. The role involves rotational working across control room sites and requires excellent communication skills in a fast-paced environment.
You will complete a Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner Apprenticeship within 13 months.
Training
6 weeks classroom training (100% attendance required) 3 weeks supported coaching Level 2 Apprenticeship within 18 months
Main duties of the job
Assisting with the running of one of the EOC operational desks on a 24 hour shift basis. Assisting with the co-ordination and providing an efficient and effective response to agreed performance levels maximising the utilisation of available resources.
Operating the radio system to work as the communication link between the operational staff out on the road and the control room.
The handling, receiving and dissemination of complex, sensitive, contentious and confidential information.
The Communications Officer is responsible for monitoring and reviewing information to detect or assess issues. They will observe, receive and obtain information from all relevant sources and liaise with the Dispatch Officer.
It is the responsibility of the Communications Officer to record relevant information onto the case records and relay to the appropriate information if necessary.
Ensure that clear concise and accurate information is passed when dispatching patient details to crews.
Take responsibility to ensure 'at risk' patients are dealt with appropriately and the correct information is flagged and passed to the crews in line with NEAS communication procedures.
To assist in the development of trainee Communications Officers.
About us
We employ 3,500 staff in 63 locations and serve a population of 2,600,000 in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham, and Tees over 3230 square miles.
Many people think the job of the ambulance service is to collect patients and take them to hospital, but we do much more!
Paramedic skills have developed hugely in recent years, meaning we carry out more treatment at the scene and en-route to hospital.
We have a dedicated clinical assessment service that allows us to provide patients with the most appropriate care from the beginning of the patient journey.
We have a specialised branch of the Trust called HART which deal with explosions or terrorist attacks.
Ultimately patients are the heart of everything that we do to support our mission of "safe, effective and responsive care for all".
We value and respect the diversity employees bring to our workplace. We recruit a workforce that reflects the community we serve, and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. To ensure we deliver on our aims in relation to diversity and inclusion we assess ourselves against a range of frameworks. We are ENEI Gold employer, Disability Confident Leader, Dyslexia Smart Award employer, Dementia Friendly, and part of Mind Blue Light programme and the Race at Work Charter from the Princes Responsible Business Network and are achieving across all objectives in NHS Equality Delivery System.
Job description Job responsibilities
Operation of the trusts communication system to relay information between the operational staff on the road and the control room.
Passing time critical information to the other emergency service or hospital staff regarding patients.
Assisting the Dispatch Officer with the deployment of vehicles and the general running of the assigned area on a 12 hour shift basis.
For full detailed job description and main responsibilities please refer to the attached.
Person Specification
Education Essential
3 GCSE's grade C and above, including English and Mathematics (or higher) or equivalent or relevant experience
Knowledge Essential
Geographical knowledge of area covered by the Trust
Skills/Experience Essential
Previous administration experience Excellent verbal and communication skills IT skills Customer Service Experience in working towards demanding targets Ability to multi-task with conflicting priorities
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 North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Address Bernicia House
Goldcrest Way
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE15 8NY
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.neas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)