Despatcher (Weekend/Bank Holidays)

Despatcher (Weekend / Bank Holidays)

This is a permanent position working a minimum of 12 hours per week

The closing date for applications is Sunday 4^th August 2024

Shropdoc is a not-for-profit company established in 1996. We provide 24/7 urgent primary care services for patients across Powys, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. This includes out of hours GP services, care coordination, single point of access in Shropshire, and an oncology advice line. Our Primary Care Centres offer support to patients who have pre-booked appointment times to avoid unnecessary waiting, and are mostly located within hospitals around the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Powys areas.

The Role – Despatcher (Weekend / Bank Holidays) 

Reporting to the Call Centre Manager, as a Despatcher, you’ll join the team working on a rota at our Shrewsbury office, whose focus is to coordinate and manage the despatch of home visits and appointment books. You will help achieve this support for Clinicians by:

• Handling inbound calls from members of the public & health care professionals.
• Managing the appointment books for patient face to face appointments at our hospital sites.
• Managing the despatch of home visits requests to the appropriate clinician/car.
• Updating patients, colleagues & clinicians where appropriate.
• Adhering to strict timescales and targets.
• Real time monitoring of visit and appointment books
• Follow appropriate escalation measures when needed.
• Provide administrative support to colleagues and clinician as necessary.
• All data to be input on our nationally recognised systems.
• Support health care professionals internally and externally.
• You must be able to prioritise and work on your own initiative, have strong communication and interpersonal skills along with the ability to handle confidential information with complete discretion and integrity.

The Package

We care about our team of over 200 colleagues. We strive to provide quality patient care, a working community with integrity and kindness, and are committed to continually developing our staff. Our vision and values of Community, Quality, Kindness, Integrity, and Development are at the heart of all that we do, enabling us to achieve the best outcomes for patients and for our colleagues.

You will be provided with full training, and will benefit from:

• Employed on a permanent contract with a minimum of 12 hours per week, with additional hours often available.
• NHS pension scheme
• Paycare healthcare benefits for all staff and dependants
• Access to national discounts including the Blue Light Card and Health Service Discounts
• Career development opportunities
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays pro rata, rising to 27 days pro rata after 5 years’ service, and 29 days pro rata after 10 years.
• Company sick pay 

• Pay rate of £12.09 per hour with a 30% uplift when working between 8pm and 6am on weekdays and Saturday shifts as well as a 60% uplift on Sundays and Bank Holidays
• Cycle to work scheme.

This role has no fixed rota pattern as you will be expected to provide absence cover. We aim to give you a minimum of one weeks’ notice to confirm the start times of your shifts. Flexibility of shift times is required working between the hours of 0700 and 0100. Overtime is often available e.g. occasional weekday evening shifts from 1830 hours. The role will include bank holidays.

Our Requirements – Despatcher

• Proven call handling or phone-based customer service experience
• An excellent telephone manner, with strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Discretion and integrity with the ability to handle confidential information.
• Good standard of computer literacy
• Ability to prioritise and work on your own initiative, and as part of a team.
• Flexible, reliable, self-motivated, and resourceful
• Good geographical knowledge would be an advantage

Previous experience in a similar role would be an advantage but is not essential as full training will be provided.

How to Apply

All applications for this weekend Despatch vacancy are to be submitted online. For your application to be considered, please submit your CV and a covering letter to human.resources@shropdoc.nhs.uk outlining how you meet the requirements of the Job Description and Person Specification for this role - these documents can be downloaded via the Shropdoc careers page).

For an informal discussion please contact Sue James Call Centre Manager or Spencer Dunham Senior administrator on 01743 454901.

Please note that shortlisting of applications and interviews for this role will take place while the advert is live; the advert will close once the successful candidate is found. Candidates are therefore encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible.