Hospital Porter

Also known as:

Porter, Hospital

Introduction

Hospital porters take patients and goods to different hospital departments, eg to the operating theatre or to the X-ray department, or from ward to ward. Hours of work are often long and irregular.

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Work Activities

A hospital porter has to make sure that patients, equipment and records are in the right place at the right time.

The duties of a porter depend on individual hospitals and departments. In general, porters move patients around the hospital from ward to ward, or to and from various departments such as X-ray. This might be done with the patient on a stretcher, a trolley, or in a wheelchair.

Porters also help to transfer patients to and from trolleys and beds, using equipment that minimises lifting.

Porters transport and deliver equipment, blood samples and medical records, as well as moving and fitting medical gas cylinders.

Other tasks include sorting and handing out laundry, tidying up, removing rubbish and clinical waste, cleaning trolleys, delivering mail and running general errands. The porter might drive small vehicles called 'tugs' between departments or hospital sites.

Porters can be attached to a particular department such as the X-ray department or operating theatres. They keep in touch with their supervisors via radio paging 'bleepers'. Sometimes, porters are involved in the care and comfort of distressed relatives. The work can be strenuous, dirty, heavy and stressful and there is an unpredictable workload.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

You will need to be sympathetic, tactful and understanding, as you will meet patients and relatives who are upset.

You must also be practical, responsible and able to communicate with a wide range of people - some of whom may be very sick or distressed.

You must be able to follow instructions accurately and work as part of a team.

You need to be fit enough to do a lot of lifting. There is normally a medical examination.

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Pay and Opportunities

National Health Service (NHS) employees are paid on a rising scale within defined pay bands, according to their skills and responsibilities.

In the NHS, porters start on Band 1 of the Agenda for Change pay scale. From April 1, 2008 this has been £12,517 - £13,617 a year. With promotion to a job as a supervisor you might earn up to £17,732 a year.

NHS hospital porters usually work a 39-hour week. Shift-work and weekend work is common. Part-time work is possible and overtime is often available. Protective clothing is normally provided.

Most employment is in NHS hospitals throughout the UK, but there are also opportunities in private hospitals and clinics.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Relevant experience can include working with the public, especially the sick, elderly or people with disabilities.

A clean current driving licence can be useful for some posts.

• 5% of hospital porters work part-time.

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