Senior Assistant Technical Officer

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust; Shrewsbury, Telford; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is seeking a Senior Assistant Technical Officer (SATO) to join our Cardio-respiratory team across The Princess Royal Hospital, The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the new CDC at Hollinswood House. You will perform routine physiological measurements and assist with ECG and spirometry tests in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

We require excellent communication, calmness under pressure, and a willingness to train for full responsibilities.

Qualifications

• GCSEs in English and Maths or equivalent.
• GCSE science at least grade C or above.
• Certificate in Spirometry (required).
• SCST Certificate in ECG interpretation or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Assist with routine cardiological and respiratory tests.
• Provide patient support and handle public-facing duties.
• Work across multiple sites including PRH/RSH and CDC with full training.

Skills

Public facing

Healthcare experience

IT literacy

Communication skills

Education

GCSE English/Maths

GCSE Science

Certificate in Spirometry

SCST ECG interpretation

Tools

Spirometry equipment

ECG machines

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic , self-motivated Senior Assistant Technical Officer (SATO) to join our busy department. This post will be split between the The Princess Royal Hospital/The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital site and the new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) which will be based at Hollinswood House. The Cardio-respiratory floor of the CDC was opened in June 2024 and is an extension of services currently provided at PRH/RSH sites.

The CDC is a national initiative to improvediagnostic serviceprovision. The aim is to increase diagnostic capacity and reduce health inequality by providing a single point of access to a range of services. Your role will be part of the Cardio-respiratory Department.

The successful applicant will need experience in dealing with the general public, ideally in a healthcare setting. Excellent IT and communication skills are essential. As is the ability to remain calm and professional under pressure, in the sometimes challenging role.

When trained, you will be performing some of our basic diagnostic tests to include performing 12 lead ECGs, fitting longer term ECG monitors, blood pressure and sleep monitoring. You will also be trained in performing basic respiratory tests (Spirometry/FeNO) and assisting with Exercise ECGs. You will be expected to cover all hospital environments when on the PRH/RSH site, and work independently when at the CDC.

Main duties of the job

To assist in the provision of a high quality Cardio-respiratory Service.

To perform and/or assist with a range of routine cardiological and respiratory investigations to National Standard as determined by professional guidelines.

Senior Assistant Technical Officers (SATO) are health care workers who perform or assist with a range of routine physiological measurement investigations. The results provided are used to determine patient treatment strategies. This is done in both an inpatient and outpatient setting.

The role requires excellent communication skills to help reassure patients which are often anxious.

A basic knowledge of ECG interpretation will be required to enable the SATO to alert the Medics to any acute ECG changes which require immediate medical attention. There is also a requirement for the post holder to be able to assess potential contraindications and to be able to understand and obtain accurate spirometry results. Full training will be given.

Working for our organisation

The Cardio-respiratory Department has a base at 3 sites with Cardiac Diagnostics currently based predominantly at The Princess Royal Hospital. We are a large, friendly team and you will be working closely with both admin and Physiologists/Healthcare Scientists to providing a comprehensive, dynamic, essential diagnostic service.

We believe that compassionate care sits at the heart of everything we do. Every member of our team — clinical or non-clinical — plays a vital role in ensuring that patients, families, and colleagues are treated with dignity, empathy, and respect at all times.

We expect all staff to demonstrate compassion not only through their words, but through their actions: by listening attentively, communicating clearly and kindly, and recognising individual needs, feelings, and circumstances of those in our care.

Effective communication is central to safe and high-quality healthcare. We value colleagues who take the time to understand others, explain information in a meaningful way, and respond to concerns with patience and understanding.

By joining our team, you are committing to uphold these values — ensuring that every patient feels heard, respected, and valued, and that compassion is embedded in every interaction, every day.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full duties and responsibilities please refer to the attached document entitled Job Description.

Qualifications

• GCSE A-C in English/maths or equivalent
• GCSE grade C or above in science
• Certificate in Spirometry
• SCST Certificate in ECG interpretation or equivalent

Experience

• experience working in a public facing role
• Experience working in a healthcare setting
• ECG Experience
• Spirometry Experience

We commit to removing barriers for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions in recruitment, training, and career progression. We will offer an interview to all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the above position and will support reasonable adjustments wherever possible. In addition, whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from candidates who are male, from black and minority ethnic backgrounds or who have a disability, as these are currently under-represented in our workforce.

We are committed to offering an interview to applicants from the Armed Forces community who meet the minimum criteria for the position. In addition, for those who are successfully appointed from the Armed Forces community, the Trust are committed to recognising previous service and rank in terms of pay, annual leave and other terms and conditions.

We are committed to equal opportunities in employment. The policies and practices of the Trust aim to promote an environment that is free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of all people. At the heart of our policy, we seek to treat people fairly, flexibly and with dignity and respect.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from an Ethnic minority background are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

We aim to create a trusting, flexible workplace, that attracts talent and enables everyone to be their best working self. Many of our colleagues work flexibly in many different ways, including part-time. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise a fair and equitable process that balances your needs, the needs of our patients and service delivery.

Our Commitment to Safety and Respect - The Trust is a signatory to the NHS Sexual Safety Charter and is committed to a safe, inclusive workplace free from sexual misconduct, harassment, and discrimination.

Thank you for your interest in The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, we look forward to receiving your application for employment.

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.