General Porter

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Bedford; On-site; GBP 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A national healthcare institution seeks a General Porter to join their portering team in Bedford. This role involves the safe transportation of patients, equipment, and supplies across hospital wards and departments. Candidates should possess a basic standard of English and demonstrate reliability and teamwork. Experience working with the public is essential. The position offers a yearly salary of £24,465 with additional enhancements for weekend and night shifts.

Qualifications

• Read/Write/Spoken English to basic standard.
• Previous experience of working as part of a team.
• Previous experience of working with the public.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive portering service to all wards.
• Transport patients, medical records, and equipment.
• Assist in event of fire or hospital major security alert.

Skills

Team Player

Reliable

Ability to prioritise workload

Education

GCSE English or equivalent

Job description

General Porter

The closing date is 23 December 2025

The post holder will be a member of the General Portering Team and will provide a comprehensive portering service to all wards and departments, as directed by the Portering Services Manager or the Duty Chargehand Porter. Core responsibilities will include the safe and efficient transportation of patients, medical records, equipment, specimens, supplies, and the removal of waste. The role also encompasses other duties as outlined in the job description. Porters may be required to carry out any portering-related tasks as assigned by management, in response to the operational needs of the service.

Main duties of the job

• To distribute clean linen to all wards and departments in an emergency out of hours service.
• Collection and transportation of pathology specimens.
• Collection of medical gases etc. from store, transport to ward, and department and assemble where necessary.
• Change medical gas cylinders in manifold rooms.
• Deal with all general inquiries from staff, patients, visitors and members of the public in a helpful and courteous manner.
• Be prepared to carry out the transportation of patient from and or between wards and departments.
• Carry out the removal of deceased patients to the mortuary. (Assist & with viewings as directed.)
• Be prepared to carry and undertake duties at departmental level as directed, i.e. A&E, X-Ray, OPD, Pharmacy, Utility Services and Post Room.
• Carry out Portering of a general nature such as furniture removals.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job responsibilities

• Assemble equipment as necessary such as beds, tables etc. Store as necessary in the bed store.
• Deal with all general inquiries from staff, patients, visitors and members of the public in a helpful and courteous manner.
• To collect and record in the appropriate ledger, blood products as requested from the Blood Bank to wards and departments.
• To carry the respective general, departmental bleep and mobile handsets as directed.
• To assist in the event of a fire or hospital major security alert in accordance with the relevant Trust policies.
• Be prepared to carry out planned and ad - hoc security duties as directed.
• Check the identity of anyone arousing suspicion and report all incidents.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Read/Write/Spoken English to basic standard
• GCSE English or equivalent at a pass

Experience

• Previous experience of working as part of a team
• Previous experience of working with the public

Knowledge

• Ability to prioritise workload
• Medical Gas handling

Personal skills

• Team Player
• Enthusiastic and self-aware Flexible
• Reliable, Adaptable and Dependable

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.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£24,465 a yearWeekend and night enhancements