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PageOne emergency communication system SOP

Contents

1 Aim

To provide guidance for strategic members of staff in order for them to use the PageOne system to communicate with large numbers of staff via mobile phone text message to their Trust mobile phone.

2 Scope

The target audience for this standard operating procedure (SOP) are the following members of Trust staff that have the authority to login and use the PageOne system. These are as follows:

  • on call silver staff
  • Communications team
  • Strategy team representative
  • nursing and quality representative
  • business continuity and emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPRR) manager

All staff will be provided with usernames and passwords with a copy of this SOP.

The PageOne system contains details of all Trust mobile phone numbers.  personal numbers are not included and should not be added.

This SOP is overarched by the emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPRR) communications policy.

4 Procedure

4.1 Introduction

The PageOne system is a communications system that allows text messages to be sent to a large number of mobile phones simultaneously, e.g. to all trust staff with a trust mobile phone.

PageOne is separate from trust landline telecoms and IT systems and is not affected by any failure of these systems.

The system is accessible via a secure website to designated staff issued with passwords. These staff may logon to the website to send a message that appears as a text message on Trust mobile phones. All staff with a Trust mobile phone are included on the system.

4.2 Designated users

The decision to use the system is to be made by the chief operating officer or deputy (director equivalent). Out of hours this decision will be taken by the on-call director (gold).

In hours responsibility for composing and sending messages will be the responsibility of the business continuity and emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPRR) manager, care group director or equivalent.

Out of hours responsibility for composing and sending messages will be the responsibility of the on-call silver.

The decision to use the system should consider the impact of the scenario that is affecting staff and trust services, the speed at which a message needs to be relayed and the other possible means of communication that may be available.

Sending a message via PageOne incurs a cost so staff should consider costs when using the system.

4.2.1 Logging into the PageOne system

Access to your account is provided through the secure PageOne website (opens in new window) located at. The web page should look like the image below.

PageOne login website

Usernames and passwords are supplied to each designated user and are held by the business continuity and EPRR manager.

Simply enter the username and password supplied with your account.

4.4 Composition of messages

PageOne allows for rapid relay of simple information via text message. It is not suitable for sending detailed messages or documents as attachments.

4.5 Choosing recipients of messages

All holders of trust mobile phones are included on the PageOne system. It is possible to send messages to all staff.

4.6 How to send a message

Login to PageOne (opens in new window) at using the username and password you have been sent by email.

PageOne compose message page

To send a message, select compose from the menu on the left. This will expand the compose option revealing the different message options available. SMS is a normal text message. Flash SMS is a message that pops up on screen on the recipient’s mobile phone.

4.6.1 Sending an SMS text message to all staff

On the right hand side of the compose message screen you will see a list of trust contacts.

To send the message to all staff click on *All staff 1, *All staff 2 and *All staff 3. These should appear in the ‘to’ field. This will ensure your message goes to all trust staff with a trust mobile phone.

PageOne compose page with all staff selected

Enter the message you wish to send into the message field.

Where possible keep messages below 160 characters including spaces.

Messages of 160 characters or below count as one SMS message. Messages between 160 and 310 characters count as two. The trust may not always have sufficient SMS credit for longer messages so keep them as brief as possible.

Including hyperlinks or instructions to visit alternative websites for further information may allow you to convey a message more easily.

Example messages:

  • Short staffing, colleague nurse or NA for Mulberry Ward Great Oaks tonight needed shift is 2000 to 0730 costs and overtime paid please contact martin.jones6@nhs.net or 01724 382054.
  • Loss of IT network services, colleague trust network unavailable refer to business continuity plan await further messages.
  • Flood warning issued colleague flood warning issued for (insert location) area may be evacuating see government website (opens in new window) for info
  • Incident in area, colleague a police incident has been reported in (insert location) stay away.
PageOne compose message page example message

Note that a message appears telling you how many characters and SMS parts you have used. Where at all possible try and keep the message below 160 characters using 1 SMS part.

You can choose to either allow replies or to block staff from being able to reply to this text. When composing a message you can select one of two options on the ‘from’ drop down menu (as shown below).

PageOne compose message page sending drop down menu

To block replies select ‘RDaSH’.

To allow replies select the number ‘44786005547’.

If you do wish to receive replies you will need to monitor the inbox for them. Note that the message you send will go to all staff.

Once you have consulted with colleagues on the content of the message and are happy with it select send.

An onscreen confirmation that your request has been received will appear. You can check the status of the text messages that you send by going to the outbox menu.

You can view the messages sent in the last 31 days from your account by selecting the outbox option from the service menu.

PageOne outbox menu

After selecting the outbox , you will be presented with a screen similar to the one below. Messages are displayed in chronological order, with the last message sent displayed at the very top. An example outbox can be seen in the figure below.

PageOne outbox webpage

4.6.2 Interpreting the message status

The status of a sent message is shown using a “traffic light” system (see figure below). A green light next to the message means that it has been successfully delivered to a mobile phone. An amber light means that your message has been sent but not yet delivered to the handset, usually because the mobile phone is switched off or out of coverage. The red light means that your message could not be sent. This normally occurs because the mobile phone number is incorrect or invalid. Message can take a few minutes to be delivered, particularly if the system is being used by many users.

PageOne outbox webpage traffic light system
  • Green, message delivered.
  • Amber, message accepted, waiting to delivered.
  • Red, message failed.

On screen you can see the first 1000 texts sent by selecting different pages at the bottom. To download a full list showing the status of all messages sent select the export icon shown below at the bottom of the outbox:

PageOne outbox page download button

Once you have clicked on export the screen below will appear. Select the parameters of your search and click on export”and you will download an excel spreadsheet that will display the status of all text messages sent.

PageOne download messages page

4.6.3 Helpdesk

If you have any issues whilst using this then please contact the PageOne customer support helpdesk on 0333 200 5033 or email customersupport@pageone.co.uk.

4.7 Maintenance of contact information

The trust IT team hold up to date records of Trust mobile phone numbers. These will be shared with the business continuity and EPRR manager on an annual basis who will ensure information held on PageOne is updated.

4.8 System monitoring, testing and exercising

The system will be tested annually by the business continuity and EPRR manager by way of a test message being sent to a small number of staff to provide assurance that it is operational.

The business continuity and EPRR manager will monitor the number of texts remaining in the trust bundle and be responsible for the purchase of further bundles as necessary.

If you require more text bundles out of hours you can have these added to the account by contacting the PageOne customer support helpdesk on the number above. Please copy the business continuity and EPRR manager into any requests for further text bundles.


Document control

  • Version: 3.1.
  • Unique reference number: 441.
  • Approved by: Corporate policy approval group,
  • Date approved: 21 December 2023.
  • Name of originator or author: Business continuity and emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPRR) manager.
  • Name of responsible individual: Corporate policy approval group.
  • Unique reference number: 441.
  • Date Issued: 29 December 2023.
  • Review date: April 2025.
  • Target audience: Business continuity and EPRR manager, Communications team. Trust directors, trust care group directors, care group nurse directors, deputy care group directs (silver on call). Estates on call.

Page last reviewed: March 04, 2024
Next review due: March 04, 2025

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