Patient Escort

Job overview

The postholder will work as part of the Patient Escort team providing a 24 hour, 7 days per week efficient and effective service throughout the Trust transferring patients from one ward to another and/or clinical area via wheelchair, trolleys or beds.

The postholder will also be responsible for the transportation of items required for immediate patient care including items such as medical gases, samples, fluids, bloods, medication.

To adopt a caring and friendly manner at all times.

Hours of work will be 37.5 per week working between the hours of 6am and 10pm on a rota basis which will include weekends and bank holidays.

Main duties of the job

In addition to the below summary you need to familiarize yourself with full Job Description and Person Specification documents attached to this advert.

Safe handling and lifting of patients and the movements of patients via wheelchair, trolley, bed, PAT slide, hoists, to all wards and departments.

Assist the nursing team whilst transporting patients who are on ventilators/medical gas etc.

Transfer deceased patients to the mortuary in a dignified manner ensuring the safe opening and closing of the mortuary.

Ensure that patient movement requests are actioned promptly.

Inform the supervisory/management team of any untoward incident and equipment faults.

Respond to requests for medical gases from wards and departments.

In addition to the below summary you need to familiarize yourself with full Job Description and Person Specification documents attached to this advert.

Adhere to health & safety and departmental procedures relating to the security of the Gas stores.

Provide an emergency collection service of blood samples in the event of pneumatic tube failure.

Working for our organisation

Our organisation is driven by our strategic objectives and organisational values and we look for people who are strongly aligned with them. Our Team is tight knit and work well together. This vacancy would suit an individual who wishes to have a physical and rewarding role as part of patient care and patient experience at NUH. Patient Movement services provide a high level of support on an on-going basis for overall capacity and flow

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

As well as the main duties as above this role also includes the following:

Pharmacy

Patient Escort provides a service to the Pharmacy Department. Staff based within this area will be required to provide a medicines transport service to wards and departments to expedite patient discharges. These duties will include:

Collecting all pharmaceutical products from Pharmacy

Delivering all pharmaceutical products to wards and clinic areas in accordance with the daily schedule

Ensuring that all Pharmacy safe systems of work and procedures are adhered to in accordance with the handling of controlled drugs.

For purposes of clarity, Patient Movement Porters are not expected to undertake the following duties:

All patients must be transferred with their medical notes – ward staff are responsible for providing them to portering staff, porters are not expected to locate them.

Porters should not transfer patients between beds and trolleys without clinical assistance.

Porters should not unplug/plug in any medical equipment – this is the responsibility of ward/clinical staff. Porters should only unplug/plug in beds under the direct instruction/supervision of nursing staff.

Porters should not take patients off wall mounted oxygen and put them on bottled (and vice versa) – this is the responsibility of ward clinical staff.

Preparing the patient prior to moving, including getting the bed ready and the bagging of patient property – this is the responsibility of ward / clinical staff.

Locating oxygen when required at QMC wards - ward staff are responsible for providing them to portering staff, porters are not expected to locate them.

Communication

To have accountability to dispatch staff who will prioritise patient movement requests.

Liaise with clinical staff where appropriate as to the requirements/needs of the individual patient being transferred.

Report and relay to appropriate personnel information regarding queries/problems relating to patient movement.

Ensure that the communication equipment is fit for daily use, test batteries each day and report any fault to your immediate supervisor/line manager.