Dispatcher Development

Job description

Job responsibilities

Responsible for monitoring and allocating incoming emergency, urgent and non-urgent calls simultaneously operating the telephony, radio, mobile data, mapping, computer aided despatch and prioritisation systems.

Prioritise incident category accurately and allocate relevant resources promptly and within service standard

Responsible for the receipt and processing of emergency 999 calls from the general public. Analysing a patients condition and situation to obtain an appropriate AMPDS category and relevant ambulance response determinant code.

Responsible for the receipt and processing emergency 999 response calls from other emergency services, medical staff and other professional bodies. Processing the calls under appropriate AMPDS category and protocols to obtain the correct ambulance response determinant.

Responsible for the receipt, processing and taking necessary action for misdirected calls from the operator for other emergency services or for third party callers who require an ambulance in another area.

Responsible for the receipt and processing specialised emergency calls such as: Birmingham International Airport, Air Operations, Prison, bomb incidents, police RVP, chemical incidents and a major incident.

While processing a 999 call responsible to assess a patients condition while they wait for an ambulance, giving life saving first aid advice and adjusting advice when necessary. Advice given includes: CPR (cardiac pulmonary resuscitation), childbirth, haemorrhage control, airway maintenance, choking, convulsion, burns and amputations.

While processing a 999 call, responsible to identify any scene safety issues and take appropriate action in cases of entrapments, assaults, chemical incidents, industrial incidents, violent, intoxicated and psychiatric patients. To reassure patients who have mental health problems or who are vulnerable. To update controller and ambulance crews with relevant changes.

Processing requests for an emergency ambulance by operating a computerised system and in the event of computer failure a manual system using operational and AMPDS guidelines.

To set-up and operate the MEOC at the scene of a major incident such as aeroplane crash.

To operate the alternative control room as well as the existing control room in the event of computer and telephone failure.

To set-up and operate the football control rooms.

Responsible for the receipt and processing routine urgent removal calls from medically trained staff and social workers. To arrange ambulance transport using working practices, hospital contracts and procedure guidelines for hospital admissions, hospital transfers, neonatal transfers, hospice admissions and discharges, final journey discharges, mental health admissions and patient transport services. To triage doctors admissions and upgrade life threatening conditions. To refer non-routine requests to the supervisor or Duty Officer.

Responsible for the receipt and processing general enquiry calls from the general public, ambulance crews, other emergency services, medical staff and other professional bodies. To process these calls using set protocols and working practices. These calls include: doctor visits; patients death confirmation details; case enquires; request from police for 999 tapes; liasing between ambulance crews and the controller; answering press enquiries. Referring non-routine enquires to the Supervisor, Press Officer, Logistics Manager and Duty Officer.

Responsible for making outbound calls to other professional and the general public adhering to working practices and protocols. These include: re-contacting 999 callers to check on a patients address and condition; contacting relatives with sensitive information; querying other professionals; alerting hospitals; arranging breakdown recovery for ambulances; out of hours mortuary; information from poison control; midwifes for home birth; reporting incidents to other emergency services; contacting telephone service providers; and paging medics.

Radio operator using a hand held or foot pedal radio system liasing between the divisional controller and ambulance crews, responders, Officers and medics while they are in receipt of a radio. While operating the radio responsible for dispatching work to crews; continually listening and monitoring crews; communicating controllers instructions by voice; sending and receiving data message via computer and satellite system; answering crew enquires; monitoring and updating ambulance location on computer; and updating case notes on behalf of crews and controller.

Dispatcher for divisional controller responsible for monitoring crew manning and skill levels, keeping up to date manual rota and computer crew information, answering crew enquiries, allocating crew breaks and responding police or fire service to relevant cases. Liasing between divisional controller and crews. Dispatching cases to crews on station via telephone and computerised system.

Responsible for controlling the High Dependency Unit (HDU) desk, doctors urgent removal work and over 12 urgent removal ambulance crews from West Midlands Ambulance Service, St Johns and Red Cross. Duties include: monitoring urgent removal work and prioritising work where necessary; planning work and allocating it to appropriate crew; checking crew manning and skill levels, keeping up to date manual and computer crew information, liasing with divisional controller for assistance of emergency vehicles; crew breaks and answering crew enquires.

Assist in coaching and monitoring new trainee EMDs while they learn to take 999 calls, operate radio and dispatch position.

Attend any training courses, which are required for the job. To undertake ongoing training and development to supervisor, responder desk and divisional controller. To keep up to date with changing procedures and protocols.

Plan and organise work across a broad range of complex activities (e.g meal break management) to minimise resource down time and operational extended overtime due to late finishes whilst maintaining effective strategic cover

If necessary appear in court and give evidence about a taken 999 telephone call.

Demonstrating own duties to visitors. Represent the West Midlands Ambulance service in mock exercises and demonstrations.

Participate in trials relating to the job when necessary.

Adheres to Data Protection Act, Caldicott Guidelines, Health and Safety, Quality Management Systems and West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS code of conduct and general procedures.

Identifies and reports IT related problems on computer software and workstations.

Once qualified provide cover for the supervisors position during breaks and unexpected absence

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Good standard of general education
• NHS Pathways trained

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of strict working practices and protocols of taking 999 calls, doctors urgent and general enquiry calls
• Excellent communication skills, empathetic, tactful and diplomatic

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

West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Ambulance Headquarters

Waterfront Business Park

Brierley Hill

West Midlands

DY5 1LX

Employer's website

https://wmas.nhs.uk/careers-staff-room/ (Opens in a new tab)