About this role
Job summary
Are you someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys helping people, and wants to be part of a critical team that keeps the hospital running smoothly? If yes, this is the role for you!
We have the below permanent Portering role within Simply Serve totalling 37.5 hours per week on a rotational 3 week rota.
Week 1 - Monday - Thursday 14:00 - 22:00, Friday 09:30-17:30
Week 2 - Wednesday - Sunday 06:00-14:00
Week 3 - Monday - Tuesday 06:00-14:00, Friday - Sunday 14:00-22:00
Main duties of the job
As a Hospital Porter, you'll play a key role in supporting patient care by transporting patients, equipment, and essential items throughout the hospital. You'll also provide vital support during emergency and security incidents. Some work will be of a routine nature, such as Pharmacy runs, but much of the work is ad-hoc. As many of the tasks involve patient contact, you'll need to have a friendly nature and excellent communications skills and be able to prioritise work according to the needs of the hospital.
This role requires a calm, compassionate, and proactive individual who can multitask and provide excellent service, even under pressure.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
Flexible working options to help you balance work and lifeNHS pension scheme for long-term financial securityGenerous annual leave allowance to recharge and relaxA strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potentialAdditionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job description Job responsibilities
The movement of patients by wheelchair, stretcher or bed.
The escorting or directing of patients and visitors.
The lifting of fallen patients in Wards or departments (but not to perform nursing duties).
The movement of medical equipment and furniture around the site as directed by the Portering Supervisor or the Security and Logistics Manager.
To provide support to nursing or other staff in relation to difficult situations where patients may have permanent or temporary mental incapacity which could either cause harm to the patient, endanger others or to cause damage.This will be at the direction of clinical staff.
The movement of the deceased to the Mortuary in a respectful manner, ensuring appropriate checks are made prior to removal of deceased from Ward/department and correct details recorded appropriately upon attendance in Mortuary. The cleaning and charging of PM trolley, used for the movement of deceased patients.
To be responsible for the collection of blood and blood components. Ensuring correct patient checks are carried out and the subsequent delivery of those products.
To act as Fire Marshall during fire alarms, ensuring staff, patients and visitors do not move around the hospital whilst the alarm is sounding and thereby putting themselves and fire crews at potential risk of harm.Assisting Fire Brigade when necessary.
The collection and transfer within the Hospital of files, including from Medical Secretaries offices and elsewhere in the Trust, pharmaceuticals, specimens, linen and any other items that are deemed necessary to transfer in the correct manner with the exception of records in bulk.
To ensure that the correct Pharmaceutical items are picked and delivered to the Wards.
The changing of medical gas cylinders when required, in accordance with the correct procedures held within the Medical Gas manifold rooms.Delivery of medical gases to Wards/departments as required.
To report all untoward or suspicious incidents occurring in the Hospital or its grounds to the Portering Supervisor (or Clinical Site Manager in their absence)
Operate manual handling equipment on receipt of appropriate training.
To carry radio communication equipment whilst on shift and respond politely in a timely manner when Portering Supervisor or another team member requires assistance.To be aware that confidential information must not be discussed via radio communication devices.
To perform, when required, as the Portering member on the Crash Resuscitation Team on occasions when a Portering Supervisor is not available. To carry and delivery the correct equipment to the emergency location.
Logging of all tasks to assist management in identifying where service improvements can be made.
To carry out any Portering duties as requested by the Portering Supervisor or Security and Portering Manager.
The cleaning of all Hospital wheelchairs on a daily basis using alco-wipes or other recognised preparations.
The attendance to security incidents inside and outside the Trusts properties under the supervision of the Security and Logistics Manager, Portering Supervisor or the Clinical Site Manager.
To perform duties appropriate to the grade in any department or elsewhere in the hospital at the discretion of management.
Comply with all SSL Policies and Procedures including (but not exclusively), Quality, Environmental Equality, Diversity, Safety, Human Resources and Financial.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
General level of education or equivalent experience Literacy and Numeracy
Desirable
Please see the attached JD
Experience Essential
Please see the attached JD
Desirable
Please see the attached JD
Additional Criteria Essential
Ability to work under pressure and remain calm and pleasant Good communication skills IT skills to be able to access trust information and log portering jobs
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.
Employer details Employer name Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Address Yeovil District Hospital
Higher Kingston
Yeovil
Somerset
BA21 4AT
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)