Job summary
Employer heading
Patient Services Assistant - Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital - Day shifts
Band 2
At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.
One LSC is a new collaborative partnership shared service formed by the five NHS Trusts serving the Lancashire and South Cumbria population of 1.8 million people. We are a shared service run by the NHS, for the NHS and are hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust on behalf of the partner Trusts of the Lancashire and South Cumbria system.
One LSC stands for ‘One Lancashire and South Cumbria’ and reflects the Lancashire and South Cumbria System ambition to have one team serving Lancashire and South Cumbria in a joined-up way. It is jointly run by the five Trusts as a collaborative partnership.
The Trusts that make up One LSC are:
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
· East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
· Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
· Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
· University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
One LSC brings together the Digital, Data and Technology, Estates and Facilities, Finance, People Services and Procurement and Logistics services from each of the provider Trusts to create one central community of professionals. Under one leadership team, they will provide services for and on behalf of all Trusts.
The aim is to bring services more closely together so that we can deliver the best service possible to each of our partner organisations. At the core of One LSC delivery is eliminating duplication, removing unwarranted variation, realisation of the benefits of sharing common systems and processes and ensuring we deliver value for money for our partners, our system and, ultimately, for the communities we serve.
Job overview
At the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, our Patient Services Assistants (PSAs) support every in-patient during their stay with the Trust. You will work as part of a zone team, providing a general cleaning service, transferring patients around the hospital and ensuring specialist cleaning activity is delivered in a timely manner to meet the very high standards expected in this environment.
You will see patients through their whole hospital journey, so this can be a very challenging yet extremely rewarding experience, and your contribution will make a real difference to thousands of patients every year, whether you work around our medical, surgical or emergency areas of specialty.
We expect high levels of performance and attendance from everyone joining us and if you are looking for full-time, part-time, weekend or night shifts our team work 24/7, so we can offer the flexibility to move between these to best suit your changing personal circumstances.
Main duties of the job
Effective communication in written and spoken English is essential for all members of our team, and you must be confident using computers, phones, radios and dealing with people in person, while using your training to provide the right service for the right patient at the right time.
A good standard of physical fitness is required in this role, as it involves climbing ladders, cleaning underneath beds and moving machinery and patients around the hospital. It can be uncomfortable working in this environment and you will wear Personal Protective Equipment all day to protect yourself, your colleagues and patients.
Our services cover every area of the hospital, so you could find yourself working around offices, wards, clinics or corridors. An essential part of this role is to support the dignified transfer of the deceased to the mortuary. There may also be occasions where you are required to work on one of our other sites to provide cover at times of pressure or increased demand.
Working for our organisation
The Patient Services model of working is unique to ELHT, bringing together the traditional roles of the Domestic and Porter to better support effective patient flow, improve communication and provide a flexible workforce to meet the needs of an ever developing hospital and health service.
As the largest single team in the Trust, we celebrate and promote diversity, actively support flexible working opportunities and look after our family – whether they stay with us for five, ten or fifty years. With some of the best work-related benefits available in East Lancashire, including low cost parking, gym memberships, union memberships and wellness campaigns all year round, ELHT offers an attractive package for every team member.
Please note, although this role is being advertised by East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, it will transfer to OneLSC a Corporate Collaboration hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals Trust on 1.11.24. There are no plans to change the location of the role.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key skills and behaviours
- Customer focused – demonstrate and promote high standards of safe, personal and effective customer service to patients, relatives and staff
- Professional – in matters of confidentiality, security, integrity, honesty, performance, attendance and appearance
- Flexibility - able to cover in the department and provide reasonable flexibility in terms of hours worked, to support a 24/7 service which will include working unsociable hours and bank holidays etc
- Takes pride in their work - consider, suggest and be open to alternative ways of working to make continuous improvements in our service.
- Emotionally resilient and sensitive – when dealing with distressed relatives and the deceased
- Attention to detail – checking documents and patients to ensure they are in the right place at the right time.
- Be able to operate electrical machinery and to observe and comply with legislation and Trust Regulations i.e. Health & Safety.
- Able to understand and comply with detailed procedures, understand signs and instructions and retain the information
Typical duties involve
- Undertaking general cleaning duties – including wards, clinics, toilets, offices and public areas within your zone.
- Moving patients around the hospital safely using a wheelchair, bed or trolley as required.
- Undertaking deep cleans in your area which may include
Clearing up and removing bodily spillages, urine, vomit, faeces and so on
The safe movement and decontamination of beds and other furniture
Cleaning at high and low levels eg removal and replacement of curtains, using ladders where necessary
Buffing, scrubbing and redressing of floors as well as carpet cleaning using appropriate machinery involving under bed cleaning.
Movement of deceased patients in an appropriate and sensitive manner.
Person specification
Behaviours and Values
Essential criteria
- Customer focused – demonstrate and promote high standards of safe, personal and effective customer service to patients, relatives and staff
- Flexibility - able to cover in the department and provide reasonable flexibility in terms of hours worked, to support a 24/7 service which will include working unsociable hours and bank holidays etc
- Takes pride in their work - consider, suggest and be open to alternative ways of working to make continuous improvements in our service.
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Communicates succinctly, clearly and accurately in plain simple English
- Be an effective team member who is able to relate to colleagues at all levels across our large multi-site organisation with tact and diplomacy
- Follow instructions and ensure the services you provide are in line with standard processes and good practice
- Prioritise own workload and take responsibility for delivering results within agreed timescales and standards with changing priorities and pressures
- Use initiative to look out for issues at work, acting quickly and calmly to focus on finding a solution
- Confidential – when transporting patients and their notes
- Attention to detail – checking documents and patients to ensure they are in the right place at the right time.
- Be able to operate electrical machinery and to observe and comply with legislation and Trust Regulations i.e. Health & Safety.
- Emotionally resilient and sensitive – when dealing with distressed relatives and the deceased
Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
- Level 2 qualification in English and Maths
Desirable criteria
- Demonstrate ability to undertake the NVQ Level 2 Facilities Services qualification and other training as identified by the Trust.
Applicant requirements
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Gemma Loudon
- Job title
- Patient Services Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
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