Patient Services Assistant RBTH

Job overview

At the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, our Patient Services Assistants (PSAs) support every in-patient during their stay with the Trust. You will work as part of a zone team, providing a general cleaning service, transferring patients around the hospital and ensuring specialist cleaning activity is delivered in a timely manner to meet the very high standards expected in this environment.

You will see patients through their whole hospital journey, so this can be a very challenging yet extremely rewarding experience, and your contribution will make a real difference to thousands of patients every year, whether you work around our medical, surgical or emergency areas of specialty.

We expect high levels of performance and attendance from everyone joining us and if you are looking for full-time, part-time, weekend or night shifts our team work 24/7, so we can offer the flexibility to move between these to best suit your changing personal circumstances.

Main duties of the job

Effective communication in written and spoken English is essential for all members of our team, and you must be confident using computers, phones, radios and dealing with people in person, while using your training to provide the right service for the right patient at the right time.

A good standard of physical fitness is required in this role, as it involves climbing ladders, cleaning underneath beds and moving machinery and patients around the hospital. It can be uncomfortable working in this environment and you will wear Personal Protective Equipment all day to protect yourself, your colleagues and patients.

Our services cover every area of the hospital, so you could find yourself working around offices, wards, clinics or corridors. An essential part of this role is to support the dignified transfer of the deceased to the mortuary. There may also be occasions where you are required to work on one of our other sites to provide cover at times of pressure or increased demand.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key skills and behaviours

• Customer focused – demonstrate and promote high standards of safe, personal and effective customer service to patients, relatives and staff
• Professional – in matters of confidentiality, security, integrity, honesty, performance, attendance and appearance
• Flexibility - able to cover in the department and provide reasonable flexibility in terms of hours worked, to support a 24/7 service which will include working unsociable hours and bank holidays etc
• Takes pride in their work - consider, suggest and be open to alternative ways of working to make continuous improvements in our service.
• Emotionally resilient and sensitive – when dealing with distressed relatives and the deceased
• Attention to detail – checking documents and patients to ensure they are in the right place at the right time.
• Be able to operate electrical machinery and to observe and comply with legislation and Trust Regulations i.e. Health & Safety.
• Able to understand and comply with detailed procedures, understand signs and instructions and retain the information

Typical duties involve

• Undertaking general cleaning duties – including wards, clinics, toilets, offices and public areas within your zone.
• Moving patients around the hospital safely using a wheelchair, bed or trolley as required.
• Undertaking deep cleans in your area which may include

Clearing up and removing bodily spillages, urine, vomit, faeces and so on

The safe movement and decontamination of beds and other furniture

Cleaning at high and low levels eg removal and replacement of curtains, using ladders where necessary

Buffing, scrubbing and redressing of floors as well as carpet cleaning using appropriate machinery involving under bed cleaning.

Movement of deceased patients in an appropriate and sensitive manner.