Ward Foodservice Assistant

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

A prestigious healthcare institution in Milton Keynes is seeking a Ward Foodservice Assistant. This role involves delivering meals, snacks, and drinks to patients while ensuring a clean and organized dining environment. The successful candidate will possess excellent organizational and customer service skills. A Level one Food Safety Certificate or equivalent is preferred. Join a dedicated team making a valuable impact on patient care through nutrition. Opportunities for weekend shifts with enhanced pay are available.

Benefits

Uniform provided

Training offered

Enhanced rates for weekends and bank holidays

Qualifications

• Experience of working as part of a team.
• Ability to accommodate demands of the post.
• High standard of personal hygiene.

Responsibilities

• Assist nursing staff in meal preparation and serving.
• Collect finished meal trays and beverages from patients.
• Prepare and serve beverages and snacks to patients.
• Check for any changes in patients' dietary status.
• Take patients' meal orders and answer their questions.

Skills

Organizational skills

Ability to prioritize tasks

Dietary/allergy knowledge

Ability to maintain accurate written records

Customer service skills

Flexibility in duties

Ability to use a PC tablet

Education

Level one Food Safety Certificate or working towards

Customer service experience or working towards

Job description

Ward Foodservice Assistant

Closing date: 12 January 2026

Band 2 £24,169 per annum, pro rata if part time

Food is Medicine - Exciting Opportunity at Milton Keynes Hospital

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work within the Catering department at Milton Keynes University Hospital. The role is part of the team providing the lunchtime and evening service on site. The role involves you working on a ward, as part of their team and delivering the lunch, evening meal, drinks and snack rounds, and the sanitising and cleaning of crockery and cutlery on the ward.

As part of our team, you will be providing patients with the important medicine that is our food, with over 35 different choices on our Menu. You will take the orders using an electronic tablet and cook the meals at ward level.

You will be paid enhanced rates for weekends and bank holidays. The work is fast paced and rewarding. You will be making a difference to patient's care and recovery.

You will be provided with a uniform, training and a locker.

If you feel you can make a difference to our patient's lives and contribute to a happy and positive team, we want to hear from you.

Come and join the foodservice team at Milton Keynes Hospital and let us prove that Food is Medicine.

Please note that we are not able to offer sponsorship for this role.

Interview: 19 January 2026

Main duties of the job

• Saturday and Sunday working 16.00-19.30 7 hours contract (enhanced pay for weekend working)
• Monday to Friday 16.00-19.30 17.5 hours 2x Posts available

About us

Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting‑edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.

As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.

We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state‑of‑the‑art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.

Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards – a new ward block featuring two 24‑bed wards – and the recently approved Women and Children’s Centre, set to open by 2030.

Job responsibilities

1. Assisting nursing staff in preparation of the breakfast trolley and the beverage trolley ready to assist in serving breakfasts, collection of breakfast trays once the patients have finished their meal. (Day staff only)
2. Collection of finished meal trays and beverages from patients and returning to the ward kitchen, loading the crockery and cutlery into the ward dishwasher.
3. Keeping any waste food and place it the caddy return it to the central dishwash when the insulated trolleys are returned.
4. Preparation of the beverage trolley and service of beverages and snacks to patients (making sure that the items are appropriate to their dietary requirements and restrictions)
5. Checking with the Nurse in charge to see if there have been any changes to patients or their dietary status
6. Make sure the patient has a menu and ask the patient for their meal order making sure it is suitable for their diet status, answering any questions the patient has on the menu and food service.

Please refer to the attached Job Description for further details.

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

• Level one Food Safety Certificate Food Safety Level 2 or working towards
• Customer service or working towards

Experience

• Experience of working as part of a team

Skills

• Able to accommodate the demands of the post
• Good organizational skills
• Ability to prioritise tasks
• Dietary/allergy knowledge
• Flexible approach to duties and tasks
• Ability to maintain accurate written records
• Ability to use a PC tablet

Personal and people development

• To maintain patient confidentiality at all times
• Able to take instructions and multitask
• High standard of personal hygiene
• Work as part of a team

Communication

• Ability to interact with patients, ward staff, colleagues and hospital visitors

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.

Employer name

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust