JCS

Call Handling –Process and Procedure

Andy HewardOperations Manager

EENA Operations ChairFreelance Consultant

ah@eena.orgJCSconsulting@outlook.com

Andy.heward@lond-amb.nhs.uk

Aims of Session

• A brief overview of:

– Call handling process

– Roles and Responsibility

– Training

– Triage

– Quality Focus

– Performance

– Staff Support

PSAP Model

Process – Call Handling

Call Receipt

Address

Chief Complaint

Triage

Closing Statements

Handover

Do we actually know what is happening?

Roles and Responsibility

• To work as part of a team to provide an effective and timelycommunication link with the public and health care professionals inreceiving telephone calls for emergency ambulance services and in thendispatching these to vehicle crew staff (VCS).

• Effective telephone answering to the general public, health care professionals, emergency services and other agencies

• Receive and record all aspects of patient related information on computer terminals

• To utilise priority dispatch system in recording patient related information.

• Participate in on-going service quality review.

Staff Training

Handling Calls

• Structured Call handling process

• Organisational Responsibility

• Quality Assurance and Improvement

• Minimal room for individual variation

• Ongoing Professional Development

• International Benchmarking

Quality Focus • Quality at the heart of delivery

• Quality defines Clinical Care delivered

• Call handlers reviewed /practice reviewed

• Dispatch being worked on

• External Verification – Validate process

• Continued PDCA cycle

• Actively seek and review feedback

Performance Management

• Time to Answer

• Time to Address Verified

• Time Trigger Dispatch

• Time to End point

• Time in “Work”

• Complete Call cycle

Call-Handlers Performance

• Key Performance Indicators– Average Talk Time

– Average Handle Time

– Wrap-up

– Availability

– Quality Assurance Compliance

– Trust Targets and Peer Comparison

Staff Support

• Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP)

• Formal Counselling

• Trained Peer Support

• Occupational Health

Summary /Recommendations

• Clearly defined roles and responsibilities

– Everybody knows who does what & what to do

• Staff are trained for the purpose

– Training is evaluated to ensure relevance, competence understood

• Structured process of call handling

– Measureable, consistent and auditable process

• Performance is measured and managed

– PDCA Cycle

• Look after your staff and they will look after you!

"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely fool-proof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."

Hitchikers guide to the galaxy

JCS

Any one area here could fill an hours presentation;

If anybody wants to discuss any area in more detail please contact me

JCS

Any Questions?

Contact Detailsah@eena.org

JCSconsulting@outlook.com

Andy.heward@lond-amb.nhs.uk