When one thinks of the sort of career opportunities that are available in hospitals or in other healthcare organisations such as residential homes and GP surgeries, it’s natural that medical roles such as those undertaken by a nurse or a doctor should spring to mind. In fact, we all know that these places wouldn’t be providing much of a service without them!
However, in order for hospitals and the like to run a smooth and efficient service, there is always a large team on non-clinical staff members ‘behind the scenes’ as it were. These people include caterers, cleaners, ambulance drivers, warehouse operatives and gardeners and without these people healthcare organisations would not be able to function properly. You only have to think about it for a few minutes to realise that if these job roles didn’t exist, hospitals wouldn’t be able to run at all. Who would provide clean laundry? Who would provide patients with their meals? Who would ensure quick and safe delivery of vital medical supplies?
Broadly speaking, non-clinical members of staff carry out what could be termed as ‘industrial jobs’ and although these roles exist outside the healthcare sector, they are also very important within it. Such roles include but are not limited to:
Cooks and Catering Assistants
Laundry Assistants and Porters
Ambulance and Delivery Drivers
NHS Warehouse Operatives
Labourers and Maintenance Assistants
Many people choose to put their skills to use in a hospital setting because they realise that they are genuinely contributing to the well being of patients and their relatives. We weren’t all born with the ability to become doctors or nurses but without the valuable input made by non-clinical members of staff, we would all notice very quickly that hospitals cannot function without these people.
