General Porter Driver

NHS Scotland; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Scotland in Edinburgh is seeking a Portering Operative to drive 3.5-tonne vehicles, transport goods and patients, and support the delivery of portering services across the organisation.

The role involves shift work, heavy lifting and mortuary transfers, with a 7-day service including days, nights, and weekends. A PVG scheme membership is required for this post, and applicants should be eligible to work in the UK.

Qualifications

• PVG Scheme membership/record is required to begin in post.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage workload.

Responsibilities

• Drive 3.5-tonne vehicle on a congested site to transport goods, supplies and patients.
• Mortuary transfer of cadavers from ward to mortuary.
• Perform heavy lifting and pushing/pulling tasks (trolleys, gas bottles, beds) across buildings.
• Provide portering services to support the organisation's delivery of care.
• This is a full-time role with shift work across days, nights, weekends and evenings.

Job description

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your applicationbut your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
• Use AI wisely: It's fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don't let it write your answers.
• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand younot an AI tool.

JOB PURPOSE

Responsible for driving vehicles up to 3.5tonnes in the transport of goods, supplies and patients and to facilitate the provision of portering services to enable the efficient and effective delivery of quality portering services to the organisation.

• Full time will include shift working. Logistics department provides a 7 Day service 24 hours per day 365 days per year Days, Nights, Weekends, Evenings.
• Mortuary transfer of cadavers from ward to mortuary
• Intense physical effort is required on a daily basis to push and pull (up ramps between buildings, of up to 50 metres) heavy food trolleys (>75Kg), heavy gas bottles (>50Kg), patients in beds (>200Kg) or in wheelchairs (>75Kg) for several short period during a shift.
• Driving 3.5tonne vehicle on a congested site
• Please specify: Ability to work under pressure, prioritise workload, good communication and customer service skills

Certificate of Sponsorship

In line with the current UK Immigration Rules, this post does not meet the eligibility criteria for a Certificate of Sponsorship to support a Skilled Worker Visa or a Health & Care Worker Visa. Overseas nationals should review alternative immigration options before applying for this role. Further information: www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found in the further information for this vacancy.

We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.

This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.

Reference: 261958

Contract Type: Permanent

Posted On: 12 Oct 2026

Closing Date: 26/10/2026