About this role
Job summary
The Hospital Porter plays a key role in supporting the delivery of safe, effective, and patient-centred healthcare services across the hospital site and associated buildings. The post holder will provide a comprehensive portering service, ensuring the timely movement of patients, specimens, medications, equipment, linen, mail, supplies, and waste between wards and departments.
Working as part of the Estates and Facilities team, the Porter is responsible for contributing to the smooth day-to-day operation of the hospital by maintaining essential support services, responding to routine and ad hoc requests, and ensuring a clean, safe, and efficient environment for patients, visitors, and staff. The role requires excellent communication skills, a flexible approach to work, and the ability to prioritise tasks in a busy healthcare setting while adhering to Trust policies, health and safety requirements, and infection prevention and control standards.
The successful candidate will demonstrate a customer-focused attitude, work effectively both independently and as part of a team, and take pride in delivering a reliable and professional service that supports the overall patient experience.
Main duties of the job
The service comprises of general portering duties, including the movement of goods; this includes patient lunches and ward requisitions, internal postal services, specimens, bloods and waste movement. The service is required for the whole site.
About us
SWFT Clinical Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of the South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT). The company provides a number of services such as outpatient pharmacy facilities at Warwick, Stratford upon Avon, George Eliot, University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire and St Cross (Rugby) hospitals; estates and facilities management at Warwick, Stratford upon Avon and Ellen Badger hospitals, Acorn House and Lillington Health Hub; private patient service and consultancy services to NHS Trusts.
Subject to the Company and individual's performance, an annual discretionary bonus will be awarded.
There is automatic enrolment to the Company pension scheme, with the Company contributing 5%.
A benefits package is available to the appointed candidate upon successful completion of the six month probationary period. This gives access to benefits such as a car lease scheme; Home & Electronics scheme; discounted leisure and travel; retail discounts and a cycle to work scheme.
There is also access to a 24/7, 365 days a year Employee Assistance Programme to support colleagues who may be facing some tough times or they need extra support with their mental well-being.
Job description Job responsibilities
Duties Generally
As per the Specification for the provision of Portering Service to South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Equipment to Assist With Undertaking the Contract.
To fulfil the distribution and refuse collection requirements of the specification, the Contractor will need to
Move 1100 litre capacity refuse wheelie bins from the building to the main waste compound daily.
Consider the movement of delivery cages or goods that need to be moved further than a 20metre distance around the site.
Lockable Specimen trolley, postal distribution trolleys, balance trucks and all associated equipment will be provided by the Contractor. Replacement or additional equipment will also be the Contractors responsibility.
All equipment when not in use must be held within the services yard equipment room. They will not be left in public areas of the building.
Maintenance of SWFT-CS Property
As per the Specification for the provision of Portering Service to South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) As per the Specification for the provision of Portering Service to South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Bank Holiday Working The building will be open on all Bank holiday (except Christmas Day) however it is thought that activity within the hospital will reduce, some departments will still require portering to support their service. Details of departments bank holiday arrangements are currently Cancer Services will be operational on all Bank Holidays except Christmas Day.
Quality Report
As per the Specification for the provision of Portering Service to South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Demand Levels
As per the Specification for the provision of Portering Service to South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
The contractor should refer to document Service Development Operational Policy Chart For Stratford Hospital. This document an extract from the operational workstreams for Stratford Hospital. It provides details of anticipated deliveries and expectations from each of the services and is for guidance only.
Routine Duties to Be Undertaken
As per section 13 of the Specification for the provision of Portering Service to South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust. Some additional information provided.
Dirty and Clean Linen
The Contractor will be responsible for the collection of dirty linen from all departments including on site including Theatres. Dirty linen should be collected in roll cages and taken to the Dirty Linen store a room within the multi-storey car park near the service area in readiness for collection by the Trusts Laundry Contractor. Dirty linen should be kept separate from any other items for collection.
Collections to and from departments should be daily including Public Holidays except Christmas. The collections should be undertaken after 18.00 and before 08.00 It is the responsibility of the Portering team to ensure that any empty cages are collected regularly from hospital corridors and external areas then taken to the dirty linen holding area for storage.
The contractor will deliver clean linen from the clean linen store on site to the departments daily.
Waste Collections
The Contractor should ensure that all internal waste collection points are emptied at regular intervals. SWFT-CS would expect a minimum service of 2 times each day to ensure they are never full from departments. Within the building, waste will be segregated into the categories detailed in the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust Specification for Portering Services.
The collection frequencies of waste from internal/external holding facilities will be such that it does not present a risk to the users that need to use, hold, maintain or empty the waste within the site.
Theatre Waste collections are to be carried out:
Monday Friday including bank holidays (except Christmas Day) as a minimum this should be 2 times daily being spread evenly between the hours of 8.00am - 7.00pm
The Contractor will have a duty to ensure that all equipment, machinery and holding facilities for waste are kept clean internally/externally and maintained to a high standard at regular, scheduled intervals this being once per week as a minimum.
Waste will be moved to the designated holding areas to the site waste compound in the service yard next to the energy centre.
There is also the requirement to keep the hospital corridors and areas adjacent to entrances free of waste materials.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Good general standard of education Basic literacy and numeracy skills Health and Safety awareness Fire Safety awareness
Desirable
Customer care training Manual Handling training First Aid training
Experience Essential
Experience working in a customer service environment Experience working as part of a team Experience of working in a busy environment with competing priorities
Desirable
Experience working within healthcare, hospitality or public services Experience moving equipment, supplies or patients safely
Skills Essential
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Ability to communicate effectively with patients, visitors and staff Ability to follow procedures and instructions accurately Understanding of patient confidentiality and dignity Ability to complete records and documentation accurately
Desirable
Basic IT skills Knowledge of infection prevention and control principles
Personal Qualities Essential
Reliable and punctual Professional, courteous and compassionate Flexible and adaptable Ability to work independently and as part of a team Calm manner when working under pressure Self-motivated and enthusiastic Positive attitude towards delivering high-quality patient services
Other Essential
Able to undertake frequent walking throughout the working day Able to push, pull and manoeuvre equipment safely Able to undertake manual handling duties in accordance with training Flexible approach to shift patterns, weekends and bank holidays where required Able to respond to urgent requests and changing priorities Willingness to undertake relevant training and development
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name SWFT Clinical Services Ltd
Address Stratford Hospital
Arden Street
Stratford-upon-Avon
CV37 6NX
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://swftclinicalservices.co.uk/default.aspx (Opens in a new tab)