Out of hours Despatcher | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
| Posting date: | 03 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £26,240 - £27,928 per annum, pro rata (incl of HCAS) |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 03 October 2025 |
| Location: | Wokingham, RG41 2RE |
| Company: | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7458332/371-CHS1083 |
Summary
Westcall,the GP out of hours service for Berkshire West is looking for motivated and driven individuals to joinourOut of HoursOperationsteamon a part-time basisworkingduringevenings, nights,weekendsand Bank Holidays.
You will bepart ofour dynamicoperational teamwhoare thefirst point of contact via telephone,forbothpatients and healthcare professionals across Berkshire,supporting referrers to makereferralstotheWestcallserviceandother community services.
We are looking for individuals with a high attention to detail
Flexibility and the availability toworkadditionalhourson an ad-hoc basisduringovernights and weekends is desirable.This is a hybrid role.
We are recruitingforthefollowing Weeklyshifts
Monday 00:00-08:00
Tuesday 00:00-08:00
Friday18:00-24:00
Saturday 00:00-07:00
Saturday 12:00-18:00
Saturday18:00-24:00
Alternate weeks
Wednesday 00:00-08:00
Friday18:00-23:00
Saturday08:00-12:00
Sunday 00:00-07:00
Pleasesubmitapplications for a combination of two ormoreof the aboveshifts,clearly outliningwithin your application whichof the above detailedshiftsyou are applying for.
Successful candidates will be expected to offer availability on bank holidaysincluding those over festive periods includingChristmas, New Yearand Easter.
• Answer incoming calls in a courteous,helpfuland professional mannerrepresentingtheinitialcontact with the service. Ensure that patients’ contact details are entered accurately onto the system databases.
• Receiving incoming referrals to the Berkshire Integrated Hub and collect supporting information from the referrer,patientand other agencies. Tomonitorthe Berkshire Integrated hub mailbox for incoming referrals
• Toensure incoming referrals are processedin a timely mannerto meet service requirements and are referred onto theappropriate service, ensuring all supporting documentation is completed and referred on.
• Efficient andaccuraterecording of data on the Adastra and RIO electronic patient management systems including details of clinical symptoms, relevant past medicalhistoryand medication whereappropriate.
• Assistother members of the operational team including nursing, reception and driving staff with complex andchallengingsituations including emergency calls, patientcomplaintsand security issues.
• Assistingoperational shift leads with managingworkflow,despatchingand allocation of work to clinical colleagues.
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites
The “must haves” for you to be considered for this role:
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills,experience ofconfidently communicatingvia the telephone and in managing challenging conversations in a sensitive manner.
• The ability to work effectively individually and as part of a team
• The ability to remain calm under pressure
• A patientcenteredattitude
• For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible
This advert closes on Wednesday 10 Sep 2025
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About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.