"Cannot speak too highly" of Jescc helpline staff

Saturday 28 March 2020

The 'Jescc' call handlers who are manning the corona virus clinical helpline are taking around 230 calls a day, having learnt "very quickly" how to deliver appropriate advice.

The dedicated corona virus phone line is open from 08:00 to 22:00, seven days a week, for any clinical concerns and queries that people have.

The Joint Emergency Services Control Centre Manager, PC Tony Jones heaped praise on his team for adapting so quickly and proficiently to the new tasks and the constantly-evolving situation.

"It has been full-on, although the systems we use are the same that we use within Jescc, so it is business as usual for us operationally.

"We have a flow chart that gives us various pathways so we can give appropriate advice to the caller.

"It is busy; we have had 4,000 calls since 6 March and around 230 a day. We always have four on a shift taking calls and a fifth member inputting data."

We're very grateful for the support @gavinstpier https://t.co/n6YLr5bBjT

— Guernsey Police (@GuernseyPolice) March 27, 2020

Initially there were a lot of calls from people asking whether they could travel to certain places. Now that restrictions have been placed on all non-essential travel, and the pandemic has worsened, many calls are now people asking about symptoms they have or reporting people they know who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.

PC Jones said his team were taking a wide range of calls; from people querying something to others with concerns that they are extremely worried about.

"They are taking each day as it comes. I cannot speak too highly of them, they have had to learn very quickly about the Public Health side of it," he said of his team members.

"The calls are constant so I don’t think they have had the time to sit back and think about it too much, they have been flat out and have done a great job."

The numbers to call to reach the helplines are 756938 or 756969. Please note that any calls outside of the specified hours will be diverted to Jescc's emergency control centre.