Apprentice Senior HCA Support Worker (Theatres)

NHS Trust; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is offering an Apprentice Senior Healthcare Assistant (Band 3) within Cardiothoracic Theatres at the Freeman Hospital. The role is a fixed apprenticeship progressing from Band 2 to Band 3 after completion of the Level 3 Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship.

You will gain hands-on experience across five theatres, supporting Registered Nurses and practitioners, with full training provided.

Qualifications

• Be aged 18 or over (due to the nature of shifts and role)
• Have the right to work and remain in the UK
• Have lived in the UK for at least 3 years
• Provide original evidence of required English and maths qualifications
• Apprenticeship eligibility applies; sponsorship not provided
• Progression from Band 2 to Band 3 after successful apprenticeship completion

Responsibilities

• Assist with the preparation and setting up of theatres for operating lists
• Contribute to administrative, clinical, cleaning and housekeeping duties within the theatre department
• Act as floor circulator and support the scrub practitioner
• Actively participate in surgical counts and checking of instruments
• Maintain high quality care and infection control in line with trust policy
• Maintain accurate and legible records of care per trust policy

Skills

Basic IT skills

Confidentiality awareness

Education

GCSE English & Maths (Grades 3-2 or D-E) or Level 1

GCSE English & Maths (Grades 9-4 or A*-C) or Level 2

Job description

Apprentice Senior HCA Support Worker (Theatres)

Apprentice Band 3

Main area 317 Adult Surgery Cardiothoracic Theatres (Operating) Grade Apprentice Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 317-2026-37-57-DR-A

Site Freeman Hospital Town 317 01 Freeman Hospital Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 02/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 26/11/2026

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.

With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, w e’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.

As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.

Job overview

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a motivated, flexible and dynamic Apprentice Healthcare Assistant to work within Cardiothoracic Theatres at the Freeman Hospital.

Cardiothoracic Theatres comprises of 5 operating theatres that undertake all aspects of adult and paediatric cardiothoracic surgery, transplantation, ECMO, Ventricular assist devices and cardiothoracic emergencies.

Short listed candidates should possess current and relevant clinical skills, experience within cardiothoracic surgery is desirable as well as having already completed the Care Certificate via the Healthcare Academy.

• Interview Date Thursday 26 November 2026

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

• Assist with the preparation and setting up of the theatres in readiness for the operating list
• Contribute to administrative, clinical, cleaning and housekeeping duties as required within the theatre department
• Act as a floor circulator within theatres and support the scrub practitioner
• Actively participate in surgical counts and checking of surgical instruments
• ensuring high quality care and a safe environment for patients, ensuring that working practices conform to theatres, trust policies and procedures
• Maintain accurate and legible records of care in line with trust policy
• Maintain a culture in which infection control is intrinsic to care delivery and is monitored in line with trust policy.

Successful applicants will work under the direction of a Registered Nurse/ODP to perform a range of delegated clinical duties and assist in the safe care of patients within the intra-operative environment. You will assist with the preparation and setting up of the theatres in readiness for the operating list and contribute to administrative, clinical, cleaning and housekeeping duties as required.

Working for our organisation

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:

• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Apprenticeship Posts “You will need to be able to meet all the eligibility requirements as prescribed by the apprenticeship criteria to undertake the role”.

To be eligible for an apprenticeship you must:

• Be aged 18 or over (due to the nature of the shifts and role)
• Have the right to work and remain in the UK.
• Have lived in the UK for at least 3 years.
• Provide original evidence of required English and maths qualifications.

Further information:

• You will not be considered if you have an equivalent or higher qualification in the same or a very similar subject.
• You must not be engaged in any other funded training or education programme.
• We cannot sponsor applicants during or on successful completion of the apprenticeship so please ensure you meet visa status eligibility.
• We cannot accept applications from student visa applicants.

“Please be advised if you are a 'Non-UK National' applicant you must meet the eligibility criteria and fulfil the settlement requirements of the apprenticeship course funding. Your settlement status will need to be verified as eligible for funding, by the relevant apprenticeship provider, for you to formally enrol on the course.”

Further details can be found on the UK Government website.

Experience of working in theatres would be an advantage but not essential as full training will be provided however knowledge of working in a health care setting would beadvantageous. You will need to have a willingness to learn with excellent communication skills, IT skills will beadvantageous. The department works 24/7 with various shift patterns in place; this role may require a commitment to on call.

The successful applicants will remain a Band 2 for the duration of the apprenticeship. Upon successful completion of apprenticeship will progress to Band 3.

Job Purpose

• Throughout the apprenticeship the post holder will gain experience working in the Team within the Trust
• The successful candidate will develop the required skills to assist the Registered Practitioners and Assistant Practitioners in the day to day delivery of patient care in the Peri-operative setting, to ensure a consistently high quality service to the Trust
• The successful candidate will complete the Level 3 Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship within 18 to 24 months. (Upon successful completion of the Apprenticeship Band 3 is granted)
• To abide by Trust policies and procedures.
• Maintain patients’ privacy and dignity at all times and provide care in a compassionate and sensitive manner.
• Be an effective part of the multi-disciplinary team contributing to the departmental objectives.
• Contribute to housekeeping and other departmental duties as required, eg general tidiness, pre-determined stock levels are met and clinical equipment is clean, working and stored correctly.
• Assist with administrative and clerical duties as required.

Person specification

Apprentice Band 3 Meets All Criteria

• Ability to carry out routine elements of assessment to enhance the patient journey, following an initial assessment by a Registered Practitioner.
• Understanding of confidentiality
• Basic IT skills
• Engage positively in all education and assessment activities related to the apprenticeship framework
• Ability to initiate emergency action when required e.g. Cardiac arrest, Fire
• Ability to plan, prioritise own and delegated work tasks and activities
• English and Maths at Level 1 or equivalent (GCSE 3-2, or D-E or Functional/Key Skills at Level 1)
• An understanding of confidentiality issues
• Previous work experience in a healthcare environment
• English and Maths at level 2 or equivalent (GCSE 9-4 or A*- C or functional skills level 2)

JD & PS Apprentice Band 2 to Band 3

• Basic IT skills
• GCSEs in English and Maths at Grades 3-2 (or D-E or Level 1 Functional/Key Skills)
• An understanding of confidentiality issues
• Previous work experience in a healthcare environment
• GCSEs in English and Maths at Grades 9-4 (or A*-C or Level 2 Functional/Key Skills)

Whilst Newcastle Hospitals are a forward thinking and highly innovative organisation, the use of Third-Party Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a risk to the integrity of our Recruitment & Selection processes. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual application or to the recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.

Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form

All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e‑mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.