In a small office at the front of the West Suffolk Hospital (WSH) is a team of people that are often the first port of call for the community as well as clinical staff – the switchboard operators. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the 23 staff work on a rota managing an average of 28,000 calls a month, including about 550 emergency calls from within the hospital.
Among them is Ros Bromwich, who this year is marking more than 30 years working at the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT). Ros can look back at big changes but also how many things – like the commitment to care and compassion she and her colleagues share – have stayed the same.
Ros said:
We stand alongside the people working in our services and with patients and relatives. We become part of their families; it’s a small world out there. You have to be compassionate to work in the NHS, you can’t put out trauma calls without caring.”
Ros, who is 56 and lives in Thurston, joined the Trust in 1995, when the plugboard switchboard was replaced by digital technology to give access to each extension across the hospital.
“When I started, there was only one telephonist on duty at night, and only one at a time from Friday night to Monday morning, now there are always at least two. The volume of calls has increased hugely as the local population and size of the Trust has grown, so during the day there are usually three of us,” she said.
“We are the first point of contact for so many enquiries both external and internal, which can be challenging and also very sad. We pride ourselves on being compassionate and helping people.”
The switchboard team are not just telephonists taking calls but also manage all the bleep emergencies received from clinical teams in wards and departments at the WSH, which can be anything from a cardiac arrest to a fire or boiler issue.
Ros explained: “Emergencies take priority, overriding everything. In the past when we received alerts, we would pass them on via a Tannoy, but now we can do digital group calls. We keep a record of which consultants are working where, and which are the leads for the day, so we know where to direct calls, especially for GP admissions. The changes keep it interesting but can be a challenge.
“Nowadays with social media, relatives can find out an accident or emergency has happened and start calling us even before the injured have been admitted. We of course ensure everything remains confidential, but take the full details and if we can we put them through to the right ward or department.”
After 30 years Ros has many memories to share, including the response to major incidents locally, and babies being born at the front of the hospital, in ambulances, and in the car park. “Including one during a World Cup where a man had made his wife wait!”
She also looks back to days when there was a bank and children’s play area in main reception, a social club in what is now the Education Centre and a swimming pool.
One of the biggest changes the switchboard team had to face along with the rest of the NHS, was the pandemic.
Ros said: “I took the switchboard home with me and worked from my front room with a laptop, mobile, and bleep for emergencies. As it unfolded and patients were being admitted with Covid, it was scary. Relatives could not come in and some of the calls we took really got to me.”
Blake Green, switchboard team leader, said: “We are very proud to have Ros on our team and would like to thank her for all her years of service and are looking forward to many more years in switchboard.”
Ros has a daughter and two small grandsons, and the switchboard team works together to ensure that while the NHS does not “stop” for the festive season, people can still be with loved ones. “On Christmas Day and Boxing Day, the team did four-hour shifts so that people could enjoy time with their families - I love working on those days,” said Ros.
“It was an honour to be presented with my 30-year certificate and badge. The switchboard has been my extended family for over 30 years. I have never thought about leaving, we are a support network for each other through any ups and downs.”