Lugging oxygen cylinders around and carrying laundry were demanding tasks for a health chief as he experienced life on the front line.

Martin Avis, who chairs the South West Primary Care Trust, tried his hand at portering duties at the Abingdon Community Hospital. He was "walking the floor" as part of an exercise by health services executives as part of NHS Week. Chief executive Mary Wicks helped in the kitchens of Abingdon and Didcot hospitals.

Mr Avis is an early riser and had no difficulty leaving his home in Toot Baldon, south of Oxford, at 6am, but half an hour later the hard work began. He reported for duty to head porter Sid Jones, who mapped out duties on the eight-hour shift.

Mr Avis said: "My first job was to take out empty oxygen cylinders and replace them with new cylinders. Then it was off to the wards to collect dirty linen.

"The milk had to be delivered and then we had a coffee break."

Then it was back to work, delivering the mail to the various departments, more linen to be moved and oxygen cylinders collected and a host of odd jobs which come along.

His boss for the day, Mr Jones, said: "I kept him on his toes. I think it brought it home to him how hard staff work in the NHS. There is no time for slacking because the work of a hospital goes on 365 days a year."

Mr Avis said: "It was hard work but enjoyable and most valuable. I gained information about what day to day life is like for staff and learn about their problems. We will analyse all the information and see what can be done to improve conditions."