Instrument Curator

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 5 Instrument Curator within Electronics & Medical Engineering (EME). The post provides specialist mechanical engineering support for a wide and complex range of surgical instruments and power tools used across Newcastle Hospitals.

You will fault diagnose, precision repair, plan maintenance and commission new equipment, working with clinical and technical teams and manufacturers.

Qualifications

• HNC or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering required.
• IT competency qualification (ECDL or equivalent) required.
• Experience in mechanical maintenance/repair preferred.
• Sound knowledge of current mechanical engineering practice essential.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, diagnose and repair a wide range of surgical instruments and power tools.
• Coordinate planned maintenance for equipment and install/commission new devices.
• Operate quality control and inspection services with documentation and safety standards.
• Liaise with staff, suppliers and manufacturers; support training of staff.
• Use initiative in a busy healthcare environment with attention to detail.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Effective communication

Analytical skills

Manual dexterity

Independent working

Education

HNC in Mechanical Engineering

IT competency (ECDL or equivalent)

Tools

Precision tools

Quality inspection

Job description

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 (Shine) 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 opportunity has arisen for a Band 5 Instrument Curator within Electronics & Medical Engineering (EME). The post provides specialist mechanical engineering support for a wide and complex range of surgical instruments and power tools used across Newcastle Hospitals. We are looking for an experienced mechanical engineering professional with strong practical and analytical skills, ideally holding an HNC in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent. The role involves fault diagnosis, precision repair, planned maintenance, quality inspection and commissioning of specialist surgical equipment, working closely with clinical and technical teams and equipment manufacturers. This is a varied technical role requiring excellent attention to detail, manual dexterity, professional communication and the ability to use initiative in a busy healthcare environment.

Main duties of the job

Maintain, diagnose and repair a wide range of surgical instruments, specialised dental instruments, handpieces and power tools, including component-level repairs using precision tools and appropriate test equipment. Coordinate and undertake planned maintenance for specialist equipment, departments and external clinics, and commission or install new equipment as required. Operate the Trust's quality control and inspection service for new and repaired surgical instruments, ensuring work complies with manufacturer recommendations, departmental procedures, relevant safety standards and MHRA guidance. Implement remedial actions arising from safety alerts and manufacturer notices; maintain accurate service records and appropriate stock and spare parts. Liaise with clinical and technical staff, suppliers and manufacturers, contribute to technical evaluations, equipment trials, audits and reports, and support the training or supervision of apprentices, students and new staff. The post requires sound judgement, excellent analytical ability, high levels of manual dexterity and the confidence to work independently when 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

The Instrument Curator is responsible for the maintenance, fault diagnosis and repair of a wide and complex range of surgical instruments and power tools including General, Gynaecological, ENT, Dental, Laparoscopic, Ophthalmic, Arthroscopic and Orthopaedic Instruments requiring a sound knowledge of current mechanical engineering techniques.

Person specification

Knowledge

• A comprehensive knowledge of current mechanical engineering practice is essential
• Understanding of metallurgy

Skills

• Good interpersonal skills, in person and by telephone
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with staff, suppliers, and customers
• Excellent analytical skills
• Toolmaker, skilled mechanical engineer

Experience

• Experience in a mechanical maintenance/repair related discipline

Qualifications

• A minimum of a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering
• ECDL or recognised IT competency qualification

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.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.