General Porter

Job overview

Porters at Northampton General Hospital are the main support for the site in the transfer of patients and equipment.  within this role you will be expected to support the safe and effective transfer of patients around our 25+wards and 60+ clinics.

Depending on the skills and person fit of the successful candidate these roles could be covering the full 24/7 shift rota or it could be working within our radiology transfer team.

The role is highly customer focused so the ability to strike a good rapport with people is key to the role.

Main duties of the job

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust is looking to recruit a ‘General Porter’ to work in our busy Portering Services role. All staff at our hospital are dedicated to care for our Patients in many different ways. The Trusts Portering service is part of that caring ethos, supporting clinical care and the smooth running of the Trust 24/7 365 days a year.

The role is a diverse role and may include such duties as: transporting patients throughout the hospital, medical gas management, collection and delivery of post, collection and disposal of household and clinical waste, movement of equipment and furniture, cleaning of Portering equipment, safe transport of deceased from wards with additional duties as required to meet the needs of the service and assist in providing the best possible care for patients.

There will also be additional development offered in line with appraisals to cover other Portering activities.

Successful applicant within this role will be expected to cover shifts across the full 24 hour period including weekends and bank holidays, this will initially be a structured rota pattern but may be adjusted to meet the needs of the service.

This is an extremely diverse role with a diverse team, often physically demanding, requiring good self organisational skills, team work and strong communication and confidence.

We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all people within our society.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Porters are expected to be able to work in a variety of roles and departments throughout the trust in a highly physically demanding role moving patients and equipment around the entirety of the trust, including up the hill at North Street and around the exterior areas of the trust.

Porters roles vary from day to day deployment so may require the collection, moving and emptying of large clinical and domestic waste bins weighing in excess of 60kg on the waste bay to moving a patient from Collingtree to Spencer in the general pool on stretchers, chairs and beds.

The hazardous tasks within the role come from the manual handling of patients and equipment and fatigue as porters will walk on an average shift around 8 miles pushing a load so physical fitness is very important.

There is also a level of mental resilience required within the role as there will be times where you will be expected to transfer deceased patients to our mortuary, attend cardiac arrests which may result in a patient passing away as well as support Emergency Department staff with ambulance arrivals.

Successful candidates will be trained in all duties required for the role throughout the first month of working here to show in more detail what each of these roles entails

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Transport patients within the hospital in conjunction with Trust policies and departmental procedures.
• To communicate with all patients that are being transported within the hospital in a sensitive and tactful manner, whilst building a rapport. Ensuring they understand any instructions to maintain their safety whilst being transported.
• Undertake general mortuary duties in accordance with the agreed procedures.
• Delivery, collection and disposal of refuse, laundry and clinical waste from wards and departments.
• Safe collection and delivery of gas cylinders, beds, blood products, specimens, pharmacy products medical equipment, furniture and any other equipment around the hospital site.
• Change and replenish medical gas pipelines.
• Sorting, collection and delivery of all mail to designated areas.
• Cleaning duties as required in designated areas, incorporating trolley, wheelchairs, electric tugs, and all other relevant equipment.
• Undertake all training as necessary to enable satisfactory and competent completion of  role.
• To comply with specific instructions and working patterns when based in a particular department.
• Maintain high standards of infection control and hand hygiene during the performance of his/her duties.
• Work closely with Supervisors in producing a high standard of service to patients, staff and visitors.
• To contribute to the development of the Portering Service by putting forward suggestions for improvement.
• When nominated to lead and coordinate teams when supervisors are not available.
• To use 2 way radios to communicate.
• Flexibility in areas of work, as prescribed for the departmental needs.
• To carry out all duties in accordance with the Trust’s Health & Safety Policy and local departmental working practices.
• Any other work commensurate with the post or as requested by the Line Manage