General Porter

North Bristol NHS Trust; West of England; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 27,000; Part time

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is seeking staff for a Facilities/Portering role at Southmead Hospital, Bristol. The post involves moving patients, waste, equipment, and supplies within a busy hospital environment. The role requires shift work and a UK manual driving licence.

It is a 5-month fixed-term contract with part-time hours across nights, requiring flexibility and a strong focus on safety and patient care.

Qualifications

• UK Manual driving licence is essential for this post.
• Experience or ability to transport patients and hospital items safely.
• Ability to work across multiple hospital areas and shifts.

Responsibilities

• Transport patients, goods, and equipment between wards and departments.
• Deliver and collect blood products and hospital supplies as required.
• Support in response to major incidents and emergencies.

Skills

UK Manual driving licence

Patient transport

Job description

Main area Facilities Grade Band 2 Contract Fixed term: 5 months (01/11/2026 – 31/03/2027) Hours Part time - ED– 22.00-06.00 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (30 hours) ED – 22:00-06:00 Friday, Saturday, Sunday (22.5 hours) AMU – 18:00-01:00 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (26 hours) AMU – 18:00-01:00 Friday, Saturday, Sunday (19.5 Hours Job ref 339-FD7940-CCC

Site Southmead Hospital Town Bristol Salary £24,465 pa pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 07/10/2026 23:59

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1 st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This creates an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job overview

To work as part of the operational team responsible for providing a comprehensive patient support service in the hospital environment. This will involve carrying out the following Facilities Management functions:

• The primary function is the movement of patients, consumable products, waste, furniture, medical equipment, gasses, beds, mattresses etc.


• The cleaning of all Portering equipment, delivery of blood products and responding to Major incident.


• To deliver emergency blood products


• UK Manual driving licence is essential for this post.

To provide a high quality responsive, efficient and effective patent support service to wards, and departments in North Bristol NHS Trust acting in a caring and professional manner and working in line with the Facilities and departmental operating procedures.

Main duties of the job

Physical Effort

• Duties involve standing/walking for long periods of time during the shift


• Duties may involve undertaking physically demanding tasks e.g. moving cages of approximately 300kg in weight as and when required

Mental Effort

• Being aware of health and safety implications involved in duties and their potential effect on others e.g. Ensuring that equipment is stored appropriately


• At ward level keeping a professional distance from patients and ensuring confidentiality at all times


• Working to schedules which may be subject to change

Emotional effort

• Whilst working at ward level being able to cope with witnessing distressing sights of patients who are very ill and may be at the end stages of life


• Whilst working in the Emergency Department witnessing traumatic injuries


• In the course of your duties you will need to be sensitive when coming into contact with patients and members of the public who may be experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety are confrontational or under the influence of alcohol

Working conditions

• You will be expected to display a professional image at all times


• You will be required to wear clean official uniform and covered in low-heeled footwear


• You will be expected to comply the department and trust policies relating to uniform and the wearing of jewellery, nail polish etc

Working for our organisation

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations,operatingfrom three main sites at Southmead, Bristol citycentreand Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that theSouth Westhas to offer.Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retaina workforce whichrepresentsthe rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Carrying out daily duties as instructed by PST Team Leader and/or FM Duty Manager


• Contribute to a team approach in conjunction with clinical , medical staff and allied healthcare professionals


• To Transport Patients in a safe manner via wheelchair, bed, trolley and by internal Ambulance


• To when necessary transfer patients who are when confirmed by medical staff do not require a medical escort to and from wards and departments – Escorts will always be provided for internal Ambulance transfers


• Assist with transfer of Patients from Helicopter landing pad to A&E


• Transportation of the deceased to the mortuary including babies in a dignified manner


• Delivery and collection of diagnostic samples


• Provide support in the event of serious injury or emergency to assist response teams dealing with major incidents, code red, code blue and code orange, fire alarms


• To respond to both code red and blue in a timely manner


• Carry out allocated specific transport duties as instructed by Team Leader or appropriate manager


• To carry a bleep outside office hours to ensure service provision is met


• Assist with moving and handling patients who may be ambulatory or wheelchair bound using appropriate equipment where necessary. Assisting with transferring immobile patients in and out of bed, stretcher or vehicle as necessary


• Conveying patients medical equipment as required


• Assist patients to and from the vehicle both prior and following transportation


• Collection of soiled linen from wards and departments to be taken to the designated waste hold


• Delivery and collection of medical gas cylinders to wards and departments and the fitting of applicable regulators


• Collection and delivery of blood products to clinical and ward locations in line with local protocols


• To deliver Pharmacy items


• Delivery and collection of hospital supplies as directed and where appropriate, complete the relevant paperwork. Supplies may include, but are not limited to; post, medical records, medical equipment, pharmaceutical product etc


• Transportation of furniture to and from wards and departments


• Responsible for reporting all items of Portering equipment, defects to the Team Leader

Person specification

Shortlisting criteria

• Good Level of Education


• Working in a team-based environment


• Working in a busy and physically demanding multi-faceted environment


• Hotel Services and Facilities Activities


• Manual UK driving licence


• Basic Literacy and Numeracy skills


• Good communication and Interpersonal skills


• Customer focused approach


• Solution Finder


• Flexible to work shift work

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.


• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.


• BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.


• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.


• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.


• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.


• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

IMPORTANT:

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.