Anyone work for NHS Direct?
- Thread starter number41
- Start date
Are you going for a callhandler job?
Basicaly NHSD answer phones from the public about medical queries, anything from someone having a heart attack to having a splinter. They also deal with more general information like finding your nearest GP or a dentist that is taking NHS patients.
You dont need medical training, you basically follow protocols on the screen which can be enormously frustrating. The call centres all differ, I also answered calls for Essexs out of hours doctors and was a generic call handler within Essex Ambulance, so we did 6 months NHSD and 6 taking ambulance calls.
They are a pretty good employer I suppose, basically you work for the NHS so you get all the benefits and downsides that come with working for such a massive employer. The shifts are OK - at my call centre they were 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm and 11pm-7am but the work eventually becomes mindnumbingly boring. There is quite a lot of scope for promotion (or there was where I was) but things were becoming more geared to reducing call times and having targets.
Any more questions?
Basicaly NHSD answer phones from the public about medical queries, anything from someone having a heart attack to having a splinter. They also deal with more general information like finding your nearest GP or a dentist that is taking NHS patients.
You dont need medical training, you basically follow protocols on the screen which can be enormously frustrating. The call centres all differ, I also answered calls for Essexs out of hours doctors and was a generic call handler within Essex Ambulance, so we did 6 months NHSD and 6 taking ambulance calls.
They are a pretty good employer I suppose, basically you work for the NHS so you get all the benefits and downsides that come with working for such a massive employer. The shifts are OK - at my call centre they were 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm and 11pm-7am but the work eventually becomes mindnumbingly boring. There is quite a lot of scope for promotion (or there was where I was) but things were becoming more geared to reducing call times and having targets.
Any more questions?
My wife called NHS direct once when I was ill and it wasn't the greatest exppierience to say the least.
My wife called and spoke to someone and then a nurse called back. After about 10 minutes of answering questions I was told to take paracetamol for the next 12 hours and take it froom there
Carolyn wasn't having this and phoned our doctor, he arrange for me to see to go to our local hospital where they have a central based GP.
I get there and see him and within 5 minutes and I admitted to hospital and awaiting the next theatre slot to have my appendix removed!
They took some blood and the reason I was feeling so bad was that I have the onset of blood poising as my appendix where about to pop.
One big scar and 13 staples later all is well !!
My wife called and spoke to someone and then a nurse called back. After about 10 minutes of answering questions I was told to take paracetamol for the next 12 hours and take it froom there
Carolyn wasn't having this and phoned our doctor, he arrange for me to see to go to our local hospital where they have a central based GP.
I get there and see him and within 5 minutes and I admitted to hospital and awaiting the next theatre slot to have my appendix removed!
They took some blood and the reason I was feeling so bad was that I have the onset of blood poising as my appendix where about to pop.
One big scar and 13 staples later all is well !!
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- 23 Jul 2006
- Posts
- 944
lol reminds me of when i went into hospital to have a knee rebuilt only for the surgeon to start marking up the wrong knee when prepping me 