Job summary
- Main area
- Catering
- Grade
- Band 2
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 17.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 430-CORP25-257A
- Employer
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Catering - Patients (Dept)
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Salary
- £24,465 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 12/01/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 19/01/2026
Employer heading
Ward Foodservice Assistant
Band 2
At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.
MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).
Our benefits
We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:
- Free on-site parking including EV charging
- Complimentary refreshments
- Flexible working arrangements
- Discounted gym membership
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
- Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
- On-site nursery (charges apply)
- A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
- VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing
Job overview
Ward food service assistant
Department: Catering – Patients
Band 2 £24,169 per annum, pro rata if part time
Hours: Various
Food is Medicine – Exciting Opportunity at Milton Keynes Hospital
An exciting opportunity has arisen to work within the Catering department at Milton Keynes University Hospital. The role is part of the team providing the lunchtime and evening service on site. The role involves you working on a ward, as part of their team and delivering the lunch, evening meal, drinks and snack rounds, and the sanitising and cleaning of crockery and cutlery on the ward.
As part of our team, you will be providing patients with the important medicine that is our food, with over 35 different choices on our Menu. You will take the orders using an electronic tablet and cook the meals at ward level.
You will be paid enhanced rates for weekends and bank holidays.
The work is fast paced and rewarding. You will be making a difference to patient’s care and recovery.
You will be provided with a uniform, training and a locker.
If you feel you can make a difference to our patient’s lives and contribute to a happy and positive team, we want to hear from you.
Come and join the foodservice team at Milton Keynes Hospital and lets all prove that Food is Medicine.
Please note that we are not able to offer sponsorship for this role.
Interview: 19 January 2026
Main duties of the job
'7.10 out of 10 feel they experience a safer workplace and focus on wellbeing, supporting one another and prioritising over all wellbeing, this scoring has increased from last year.' ''NHS Survey, 2024''
Post holders will be responsible for foodservice for patients across Milton Keynes University Hospital sites in accordance with specified standards.
We are looking to fill the following vacancies as part of our permanent team:
Saturday and Sunday working 16.00-19.30 7 hours contract (enhanced pay for weekend working)
Monday to Friday 16.00-19.30 17.5 hours 2x Posts available
Working for our organisation
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a “Good” rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.
As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.
We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.
Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards – a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards – and the recently approved Women and Children’s Centre, set to open by 2030.
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For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Assisting nursing staff in preparation of the breakfast trolley and the beverage trolley ready to assist in serving breakfasts, collection of breakfast trays once the patients have finished their meal. (Day staff only)
2. Collection of finished meal trays and beverages from patients and returning to the ward kitchen, loading the crockery and cutlery into the ward dishwasher.
3. Keeping any waste food and place it the caddy – return it to the central dishwash when the insulated trolleys are returned.
4. Preparation of the beverage trolley and service of beverages and snacks to patients (making sure that the items are appropriate to their dietary requirements and restrictions)
5. Checking with the Nurse in charge to see if there have been any changes to patients or their dietary status
6. Make sure the patient has a menu and ask the patient for their meal order making sure it is suitable for their diet status, answering any questions the patient has on the menu and food service
Please refer to the attached Job Description for further details.
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Desirable criteria
- Level one Food Safety Certificate Food Safety Level 2 or working towards
- Customer service or working towards
Experience
Desirable criteria
- Previous catering/retail/care experience
- Customer service experience
- Experience of working as part of a team
Skills
Essential criteria
- Able to accommodate the demands of the post
- Good organizational skills
- Ability to prioritise tasks
Desirable criteria
- Dietary/allergy knowledge
- Flexible approach to duties and tasks
- Ability to maintain accurate written records
- Ability to use a PC tablet
Personal and people development
Essential criteria
- To maintain patient confidentiality at all times
- Able to take instructions and multitask
- High standard of personal hygiene
Desirable criteria
- Work as part of a team
Communication
Essential criteria
- Good verbal communication skills
- Good written communication skills
- Ability to interact with patients, ward staff, colleagues and hospital visitors
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Francesco Fiore
- Job title
- Catering Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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