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Call Assessor

Do you want to make a difference? Why not become a call assessor with us at a time when the NHS needs you the most.

Call Assessors

When you call 999 for an ambulance in the West Midlands, it’s our call assessors who are the voice on the other end of the phone. We have two Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs); one in Brierley Hill in Dudley and a second in Stafford.

As a call assessor, you are the first point of contact and are responsible for ensuring the correct information is obtained from the caller, whilst offering advice or re-assurance sometimes under difficult circumstances. You will enter details into a computer system about the patient and their condition which categorises the seriousness of their illness or injury to ensure the patient receives the most appropriate care whether that is an emergency ambulance attending the scene, a telephone assessment by a clinician, a referral to another NHS service or self-care advice.

Neve Talks about what it is like to be a Call Assessor

The entry requirements for Call Assessors are:

  • 5 GCSE’s, grade C or above (4 to 9) which must include English (or equivalent)
  • Call taking or customer service experience
  • Salary: Band 3 (£22,816 to £24,336) plus the relevant section 2 unsocial hours enhancement
  • Shifts are fully rotational and will include weekends, nights and bank holidays
  • Control rooms are based in Brierley Hill and Stafford

Training Package

Our Call Assessors go through a rigorous training programme before they are able to take live 999 calls.  Emergency Operations Centre Tutor Suzanne Holland explains the process and gives some advice to those who have applied to be a call assessor:

If successful in gaining a position, you will undertake up to four weeks classroom training followed by mentoring within the role, before being signed off as competent to work independently under your six months probationary period all whilst working towards and successfully achieving the standards required for:

  • NHS Pathways call assessment system
  • Emergency call training module with written and practical assessments
  • Constantly achieving the standard for processing emergency calls
  • Undertake study to gain an understanding of different areas of medicine, basic anatomy and physiology as well as recognition of life threatening conditions
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