The Emergency Department Housekeeper is responsible for maintaining a clean, safe, and well-stocked ward environment to support patient care. Key duties include cleaning and stocking clinical areas, managing linen and supplies, maintaining kitchen areas, assisting with food and drink service, ordering stores, and ensuring equipment is readily available. Working closely with the multidisciplinary team and under the direction of senior nursing staff, the post holder must demonstrate excellent communication, attention to detail, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment. They are also required to adhere to Trust Infection Control Policies at all times, helping to minimise the risk of healthcare-associated infections and ensure a safe environment for patients, visitors, and staff.
The role focuses on supporting high-quality patient care by maintaining a safe, clean, and welcoming ward environment. Key responsibilities include assisting patients and families, providing refreshments and meal support, preparing bed spaces for admissions, managing supplies and laundry, and responding to patient concerns. The post holder works closely with nursing staff to ensure patient dignity, privacy, confidentiality, and wellbeing are always maintained.
The position also involves upholding high standards of cleanliness and infection prevention, cleaning and maintaining equipment and patient areas, monitoring safety issues, reporting repairs, supporting audits, and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations. Additional duties include assisting with food service, monitoring kitchen hygiene and food safety, managing stock levels, rotating supplies, and keeping storage areas organised.
The successful candidate will be expected to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, demonstrate excellent communication and organisational skills, comply with Trust policies and infection control procedures, participate in mandatory training and professional development, and contribute to a positive, safe, and efficient environment for patients, visitors, and staff.
The North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust is a medium-sized acute and community trust
with over 525 beds and over 600 community staff, serving more than 600,000 people living across
Enfield and Haringey and the surrounding areas, including Barnet and Waltham Forest.
The hospital has been on its present site for over 100 years and was established as an NHS trust by statute in December 1990. The Trust’s services are provided on the North Middlesex University Hospital site as well as a range of community sites across the London Borough of Enfield, including at partner hospitals. They provide services in collaboration with a range of partners, including local GPs, acute, mental health and other community health service providers across North Central London.
PATIENT FOCUSED CARE
Ensure that privacy, dignity and confidentiality relating to all aspects of the Trusts operations is maintained.
Being courteous and helpful to patients, families, colleagues and all users and visitors to the department.
Provide accurate and timely information to patients regarding unit routines i.e. visiting times, mealtimes.
Provide additional refreshments to patients and families where appropriate including the patient’s evening meal served around 18:00.
Tidy up the trolleys/chairs were requested by the nurse in charge of the unit.
Support unit team by undertaking tasks to enhance patient care i.e. collection of food items, laundry, supplies etc.
Recognise when additional support is required such as interpreters and chaplaincy and arranging such in conjunction with nurse in charge.
Ensure the bed/chair is prepared for the arrival of a new admission to the unit, i.e. checking the area is clean, rubbish removed etc.
Alert nurse in charge to aspects of dissatisfaction by patients i.e. complaints.
Ensure safe working environment by abiding to the Health and Safety at Work Act.
To report concerns if there is suspected harm to a patient, or person connected to the patient, ensuring their safety and wellbeing is maintained.
Always maintain confidentiality and work alongside nursing team to assist with dealing patients lost property.
MAINTAIN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER STAFF
Always promote and practise the highest standards of hygiene and the prevention and control of infection.
Assist the team to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness of clinical based medical equipment i.e. dressing trolleys, drip stands.
Ensure and monitor that repairs are reported and carried out as quickly as possible on any broken equipment.
Monitor the clinical areas state of cleanliness, tidiness and carry out any other minor housekeeping duties as required, i.e. remove rubbish and tidy bedside lockers and tables.
Undertake the timely cleaning of a patient’s bed space / bed / patient locker to assist in patient flow. Assist in the undertaking of tasks as
specified in the work schedule for the environment.
Participate in appropriate audits, i.e. clinical waste, family and friends under the direction of the Ward/Unit Manager or as delegated by the multi-disciplinary team.
Evaluate each water outlet within clinical area, flush if required and report to the Estates department via the electronic process.
Take responsibility for maintaining own and others’ health, safety and security and report to the Ward/Unit Manager any matters relating to safety or security.
Carry out duties in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1971.
Move and handle patients and goods in ways that promote the health of the patient and care team and self and are consistent with legislation.
Assist and maintain safe and hazard-free area of work.
Adhere to Trust policies, procedures and guidelines and promote the compliance of others.
To always display a formal Trust ID badge whilst on duty.
Ensure the equipment room are kept clutter free and not to be used as storage area for other parties.
Ensure the access codes for all doors are checked for working condition and updated list shared among staff.
CLEANING
To co-ordinate the timely cleaning of vacated chair/trolley spaces as required and if there is no cleaning service available to undertake cleaning as required.
Clean medical equipment where necessary. i.e. pumps, drip stands, medical trolleys etc.
Be aware of and assist, when appropriate, additional cleaning such as yearly deep cleaning, window cleaning, wall washing and curtain changing etc. liaising with the domestic supervisor regarding these duties.
Alert sister in charge regarding deficits in daily cleaning liaising with the domestic supervisor regarding the remedy of such.
Liaise with the Domestic Team Leader regarding additional cleaning, i.e. isolation room and bed space terminal cleans pest control etc.
Ensure maintenance of a clean and tidy unit area i.e. keep patient and non-patient areas tidy in collaboration with nurse in charge.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
To participate in personal yearly appraisal and personal development plan.
To undertake any mandatory training or other training required to maintain competency in the role.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Infection Control
Infection control is everyone’s responsibility. All staff, both clinical and non-clinical, are required to adhere to the Trust’s Infection Prevention and Control policies and procedures and the Health Act (2006) Code of Practice for the prevention and control healthcare associated infections and make every effort to maintain high standards of infection control at all times thereby reducing the risk of Healthcare Associated infections.
It is the duty of every member of staff to take personal responsibility for the prevention and control of infection, as laid down in the Trust’s polices and procedures which reflect the statutory requirements of the Hygiene Code.
To work in close collaboration with the Infection Control Team.
To ensure that monitoring of clinical practice is undertaken at the agreed frequency.
To ensure that the ward environments are cleaned and maintained to the highest standards; ensuring that shortfalls are rectified or escalate as necessary.
To ensure that all relevant monitoring data and issues are provided to the Directorate’s Governance structures.
To ensure that all staff are released to attend infection control-related educational sessions and staff with specialist roles, e.g. link practitioners, are released to undertake their duties.
Health and Safety at Work
The post holder is required to:
Take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself/herself and other persons who may be affected by their actions or omissions at work.
Co-operate with the employer in ensuring that all statutory and other requirements are complied with.
FOOD
Assist patients in the choice of food taking into consideration their dietary needs.
Arrange, co-ordinate and collect additional food as requested by the patient in liaison with the nurse responsible for the patient.
Assist in serving morning and afternoon beverages.
Assist ward staff in serving meals.
Ensure that patients are physically able to reach their food and assist patients as necessary e.g. remove lids, packaging, polythene and cling film, cutting up food etc.
Offer assistance to patients before and after meals to clean their hands.
Check ward fridge temperature and contents daily and document.
Full compliance with the Trust’s Hygiene Policies, the Food Safety Act and the General Food Hygiene Regulations.
STOCKS AND SUPPLIES
Unpacking stocks and supplies and recording items delivered.
Bring to the attention of the nurses in charge if regular stock items become unavailable.
Liaise with supplies and other departments should deficits in supplies occur and assist in obtaining items required.
Ensure all clinical areas/storerooms and dirty utility rooms are stocked up daily and kept tidy.
Ensure that stock is rotated to ensure efficient and economic use of supplies.
