WALKING an average of between 15 and 18 miles a day and helping patients along the way, porters need to be physically fit, friendly and have the ability to act quickly in emergencies.

Andrew Forbes, who joined Salisbury District Hospital as a porter last July, says it took a few months to get to grips with the layout.

He said: “You soon get used to covering the distance every day, the hospital supplies shoes for us.

“We generally work solo, transporting patients between wards and departments as well as notes and other items – anything we are asked to.

“We are also runners if someone has a heart attack and there is a ‘crash call’ which involves grabbing the nearest crash trolley and taking it to the site – the trolley contains most of the equipment needed for the situation.

“We also take tests to the pathology laboratory, change over the 5ft canisters for the gas tanks and help out where needed such as being back up for security.

“If we see people looking a bit lost, we’ll stop and ask them where they are trying to get to.

“I love walking around, you get to speak to a lot of nice people.

“We have a good team and we have a good laugh, we try to spread some joy around the place.

“It’s amazing how nice people are – the patients are absolutely lovely.”

Andrew said his wife, a nurse at the hospital, had first suggested the role.

“I had bar work at the time,” he says. “But that was getting less and less – I was checking the hospital website regularly for jobs and then saw this one advertised last summer.

“I work 10am to 6pm – there are around eight porters working day shifts and three on a night shift.

“The hospital also allows me to work around childcare which is great, if it’s possible, they will do it.”