General Surgery Surgical First Assistant

18 Week Support; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Amazing rates of pay

Flexibility around your current Commit

Consistent or ad-hoc work available

Job summary

18 Week Support is seeking a Surgical First Assistant to provide pre-, intra-, and post-operative support in a General Surgery setting across the Midlands. Weekend sessions offer flexible add-on work alongside a NHS Trust team.

Join experienced theatre and recovery staff in a patient-focused environment, benefiting from a well-supported workflow and opportunities to contribute to perioperative care while fitting around existing commitments.

Qualifications

• Accredited Surgical First Assistant qualification.
• Current professional registration and licence to practise.
• Minimum 6 months surgical experience within the last 12 months.
• Proven NHS experience.
• Experience in wards or theatre environments is desirable.
• Strong clinical, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Pre-Operative: review records, prep theatres, and assist with safety checks.
• Pre-Operative: position patients and assist with aseptic prep.
• Intra-Operative: assist surgeon during general procedures; maintain sterility.
• Intra-Operative: handle tissues, achieve haemostasis, assist with wound closure.
• Post-Operative: dressing, transfer, and documentation; counts and safety checks.
• Post-Operative: report concerns and assist with turnaround.

Skills

Clinical skills

NHS experience

Surgical theatre experience

Aseptic technique

Laparoscopic surgery

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Multidisciplinary teamwork

SFA qualification

Registration/licence

Job description

Surgical First Assistant (SFA)

Location: Midlands

Availability: Weekend Sessions

Rates: Competitive

Are you a Surgical First Assistant with experience in post-anaesthetic or perioperative care, looking for additional weekend work? Here at 18 Week Support, we have an exciting opportunity to support a well-established NHS Trust in the Midlands area within a busy General Surgery service.

This is an excellent opportunity to work alongside experienced theatre and recovery teams in a well-supported, patient-focused environment while benefiting from flexible additional sessions.

Opportunity Highlights:

• Amazing rates of pay
• Flexibility around your current commitments
• Consistent or ad-hoc work available
• Opportunity to work within a specialist General Surgery environment

Key Responsibilities

Pre-Operative Duties

• Review patient records, surgical plans, and relevant investigations.
• Prepare operating theatres, instruments, equipment, and surgical supplies.
• Participate in surgical safety checks and the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist.
• Position patients safely and appropriately for surgical procedures.
• Assist with skin preparation and draping while maintaining aseptic technique.

Intra-Operative Duties

• Provide skilled assistance to the surgeon during general surgical procedures.
• Handle tissues carefully to minimise trauma.
• Achieve haemostasis through techniques such as suction, swabbing, and use of appropriate instruments.
• Retract tissues and organs to provide optimal surgical exposure.
• Assist with suturing, stapling, and wound closure.
• Handle surgical instruments and equipment safely and efficiently.
• Maintain the sterile field throughout procedures.
• Anticipate the surgeon's needs and prepare instruments and materials accordingly.
• Assist in specimen handling and documentation as required.
• Support minimally invasive and laparoscopic procedures when trained and competent.

Post-Operative Duties

• Assist with dressing application and patient transfer.
• Ensure accurate documentation of surgical procedures and interventions.
• Participate in instrument, swab, and needle counts according to policy.
• Report any concerns, incidents, or complications promptly.
• Assist with theatre turnaround and preparation for subsequent cases.

Requirements:

• Accredited Surgical First Assistant qualification.
• Current professional registration and licence to practise.
• Current experience working within a surgical setting for a minimum of 6 months within the last 12 months.
• Proven NHS experience.
• Experience working within surgical wards or theatre environments is desirable.
• Strong clinical, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

Essential Experience

• Experience working within an operating theatre environment.
• Demonstrable knowledge of general surgical procedures.
• Experience maintaining aseptic technique and surgical safety standards.
• Experience across multiple surgical specialties.
• Experience in laparoscopic surgery.

Who We Are:

At 18 Week Support, we are the UK’s leading insourcing provider to the NHS. We partner with trusts nationwide to expand clinical capacity, reduce waiting times, and improve patient access to outpatient and surgical care. Clinical excellence and patient safety are at the heart of everything we do.