Skip navigation
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) logo
  • Ambulance Academy
  • News
  • Events
  • Publications
  • Media
  • Donate
Use this link to enable the ReciteMe accessibility toolkit Enable ReciteMe accessibility tools
  • Home
  • Our service
    • Urgent and emergency care (999)
    • Non-emergency (111)
    • Patient Transport Service (PTS)
    • Major incidents
    • Emergency advice
    • Information for professionals
    • Other ways we can help
    • Help accessing our services
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer with us
    • Support our charity
    • Support our campaigns
    • Children and youth
    • Lifesaving skills
    • Events
    • Share your experience
    • What happens with your feedback?
    • Talk to us on social media
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • Our locations
    • Our strategy and values
    • How we are doing
    • Board of directors
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Research and development
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Join our team
    • Current vacancies
    • Join our team
    • Why work with us
    • Explore roles
    • Working with the Armed Forces
    • Applying for a job
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Contact us
    • FOI and EIR
    • General enquiries
    • Lost property
    • Make a complaint
    • Healthcare professional (HCP) and social care complaint/enquiry form
    • Point taken
    • Send a thank you
    • Tell us about your defibrillator
    • CardiacSmart Accredited and Accredited+ application form
    • CardiacSmart Accredited partner application form
    • Tell us how we did
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Home
  • Our service
    • Urgent and emergency care (999)
    • Non-emergency (111)
    • Patient Transport Service (PTS)
    • Major incidents
    • Emergency advice
    • Information for professionals
    • Other ways we can help
    • Help accessing our services
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer with us
    • Support our charity
    • Support our campaigns
    • Children and youth
    • Lifesaving skills
    • Events
    • Share your experience
    • What happens with your feedback?
    • Talk to us on social media
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • Our locations
    • Our strategy and values
    • How we are doing
    • Board of directors
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Research and development
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Join our team
    • Current vacancies
    • Join our team
    • Why work with us
    • Explore roles
    • Working with the Armed Forces
    • Applying for a job
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Contact us
    • FOI and EIR
    • General enquiries
    • Lost property
    • Make a complaint
    • Healthcare professional (HCP) and social care complaint/enquiry form
    • Point taken
    • Send a thank you
    • Tell us about your defibrillator
    • CardiacSmart Accredited and Accredited+ application form
    • CardiacSmart Accredited partner application form
    • Tell us how we did
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?

Search the site

  • Home
  • Our service
    • Urgent and emergency care (999)
    • Non-emergency (111)
    • Patient Transport Service (PTS)
    • Major incidents
    • Emergency advice
    • Information for professionals
    • Other ways we can help
    • Help accessing our services
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer with us
    • Support our charity
    • Support our campaigns
    • Children and youth
    • Lifesaving skills
    • Events
    • Share your experience
    • What happens with your feedback?
    • Talk to us on social media
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • Our locations
    • Our strategy and values
    • How we are doing
    • Board of directors
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Research and development
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Join our team
    • Current vacancies
    • Join our team
    • Why work with us
    • Explore roles
    • Working with the Armed Forces
    • Applying for a job
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Contact us
    • FOI and EIR
    • General enquiries
    • Lost property
    • Make a complaint
    • Healthcare professional (HCP) and social care complaint/enquiry form
    • Point taken
    • Send a thank you
    • Tell us about your defibrillator
    • CardiacSmart Accredited and Accredited+ application form
    • CardiacSmart Accredited partner application form
    • Tell us how we did
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Ambulance Academy
  • News
  • Events
  • Publications
  • Media
  • Donate
Home > News > Announcements > A day in the life of an emergency call handler

A day in the life of an emergency call handler

Posted 15th June 2022

Meet Karen, she has been answering 999 calls since 2017 and loves her job, she takes the time to tell you more about her role.

Share this page

“I noticed the job advertised on NWAS Facebook page – I have always wanted to work for the ambulance service, so thought I would apply and see how I’d get on. I remember being so happy when I got through the first round, and nervous about the next rounds. I was so excited when I was offered the role and myself and my mum went shopping and bought me an ‘ambulance green’ bag to celebrate.

“I am so proud to work for such an amazing organisation – I’ve been call handling for five years and enjoy my role. It is rewarding to know you have made a positive impact on someone in what could be the worst time in their life.

“The role comes with a lot of challenges – you must be very emotionally resilient to handle the calls we can receive as well as having a wide scope of empathy and patience to deal with a variety of situations that present on the line.

“When coming into start my shift, I like to give myself time to put my lunch and food supplies for the day in the fridge – I then enter the call handling suite and greet my colleagues that are now nearing the end of their 12-hour shift. I check-in with how their shift has gone whilst logging onto my desk for the day. I check up on emails and any new procedure updates or changes, before getting my headset on and putting myself in ready – then I’m ready for the ‘beep’.

“The shift can bring any number of calls – varying from a minor injury to a major trauma – safe to say no shift is the same, we always expect the unexpected. We have a great support network that are on hand for any support after a difficult call and a wider range of additional support when we need it. The staff coming in to start their shift are a welcome sight after a long day and that always signals home time. I log out and pack my headset away ready for another day, say bye to my colleagues and thank them for their support. It’s then time to leave the day at the door and go home and enjoy a well-earned rest.”

If you think you have got what it takes to be an emergency call handler like Karen, we are recruiting emergency medical advisors now.

Archive

  • 2023
  • 2022

Contact us

General enquiries

0345 112 0999 To call general enquiries, click this link or dial 0345 112 0999

These numbers should NOT be used to contact us in an emergency. In an emergency dial 999 immediately or for non-urgent medical advice call NHS 111.

How to find us

Directions to our offices
CQC Good rating widget

  • Help
  • Privacy policy
  • Freedom of Information
  • Contact us
  • Green Room

© Copyright 2023 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
. Lovingly crafted by Mixd