EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCHER - TOLLGATE

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has become available for a Dispatchers at our Staffordshire Emergency Operations Centre on secondment

You will be the first point of contact for anyone who requires an emergency vehicle. Responsible for the receipt and processing incoming and outgoing emergency, doctors urgent removals and general enquiry calls from the general public, medical staff, emergency services and other professional bodies who require an emergency ambulance, advice or information

Applicants must hold a minimum of 5 GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above to include English (or equivalent) along with completion of 12 months within EOC.

Please note, artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting ideas and experiences of others or generated by AI as your own) applications may be withdrawn.

Main duties of the job

West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and accessible workplace for everyone where our colleagues feel empowered to succeed.

Each person plays a vital part to ensuring our organisation meets the differing needs of our communities ultimately enabling us to save lives. We acknowledge that a workforce that reflects the communities that it serves provide better patient care and we are therefore looking for self-motivated, enthusiastic people from all backgrounds that care about making a difference to our patients.

We are committed to diversity and inclusivity at all levels. We are proud to have maintained Disability Confident Leader status and as part of our commitments to this we guarantee to invite all applicants who meet the essential criteria for a role to attend assessment or interview. If you have a disability or learning difficulty, and prefer to disclose it, please feel free to do so in your application. You can also contact the Recruitment Team via email at recruitment@wmas.nhs.uk if you wish to have a confidential discussion. We use this information, with your permission, to ensure you are fully supported during the recruitment process.

The Trust is proud to hold the Silver Award for a Dyslexia Friendly workplace and are committed to supporting our Armed Forces community and have signed up to the Step Into Health initiative. We welcome applications from Armed Forces Veterans and Service leavers.

About us

If this position involves a regulated activity it will require an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check. The disclosure will, where appropriate to the role, include information against the Independent Safeguarding Authority barred lists for working with children, adults or both

Where a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is required for the post, all applicants are required to cover the cost of the check.

The cost of an enhanced check is £55.76 and is payable to our online provider at the time that the DBS application is submitted. Upon receipt of your DBS you will then be required to sign up to the DBS online update service.

We do endeavour to respond to all candidates on an individual basis. Therefore we do ask for your co-operation and patience whilst the short listing process takes place. After the closing date please ensure you check your emails (including junk mail) regularly as contact is usually made via this method.

We are proud to offer flexible working options to support our colleagues to have a greater choice in when, where and how they work. During your interview we will explore this with you and discuss your individual needs and how this could be facilitated for this role to benefit patient experience, service delivery and the work-life balance of colleagues.

Details

• Date posted: 12 August 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 4
• Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 a year plus the relevant unsocial hours allowance
• Contract: Secondment
• Duration: 12 months
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: C9217-079-26-27
• Job locations: Tollgate EOC, Tollgate Drive, Tollgate, Tollgate Industrial Estate, Stafford, ST16 3HS, United Kingdom

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