Senior Theatre Practitioner

Moorfields; London Borough of Croydon; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

NHS Pension Scheme

Counselling support

Learning & development

Excellent transport connections

NHS/Blue Light discounts

Skills development

Job summary

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Theatre Practitioner (Anaesthetics, Recovery & Scrub) to lead perioperative care across anaesthetic, recovery and scrub teams. The role combines clinical expert practice with first-line leadership, delivering safe, high-quality care and coordinating theatre activity in a dynamic, growing service.

The post involves clinical leadership, staff development, rota management and contributing to governance and improvement across theatres.

Qualifications

• Registered Nursing/ODP registration and operating department qualification are required.
• Current ILS and PILS certification is expected.

Responsibilities

• Ensure departmental policies, procedures and guidelines are followed.
• Maintain professional appearance and demeanour.
• Uphold Trust values and behaviours and lead by example.
• Manage anaesthetic, recovery and scrub teams with emphasis on flow and safer anaesthetic practice.
• Elevate non-compliance to Department Clinical Leads as needed.
• Act as deputy for Department Clinical Leads when required.
• Deliver high quality evidence-based care.
• Provide managerial and professional leadership and staff development.
• Assist in budget management for Pay and Non-Pay.

Skills

Independence

Leadership

Clinical audit & research

Education

NMC Part 1 Nurse or ODP registration with operating dept. qualification

Anaesthetic Nursing Certificate or equivalent; ILS & PILS

Experience coordinating & leading teams (Paediatric anaesthesia)

Teaching & Assessing course or willingness to pursue

Flexible & adaptable approach

Diploma/degree level education or equivalent experience

Job description

We're proud of our team and recognise the significant contributions they make to patients here in the UK and globally. When you join Moorfields Eye Hospital you can help us continue to deliver excellence and equity in patient care through kindness and compassion for all.

Site Moorfields Eye Hospital Town Thorntonheath Croydon Salary £45,953 - £54,254 per annum incl. HCAS pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 08/11/2026 23:59

YOU MAKE US MORE

Join Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

At Moorfields, people's sight matters—and so do the people who make it possible.

For over 200 years, Moorfields has been at the forefront of ophthalmic care, research, and education. With more than 2,300 dedicated team members and over 700,000 patients seen annually across our City Road site and 22 networked sites, we are proud to be a global centre of excellence.

We're also a vibrant community where kindness, equity and excellence shape every aspect of our work. Whether it&srsquo;t pioneering research through our partnership with UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre or training the next generation of global eye care leaders, we're united by one mission-delivering world-class eye health, sustainably and at scale.

From 2027, we'll move to our brand-new site in St Pancras, Camden-a state-of-the-art centre that will unite eye care, research, and education under one roof - Moorfields and UCL Centre for Eye Health. This groundbreaking facility, developed in partnership with UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity, will enable transformative innovation and collaboration like never before.

Could you be part of this future? Make us more.

Job overview

Senior Theatre Practitioner – Anaesthetics, Recovery & Surgical

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Senior Theatre Practitioner (Anaesthetics, sudtenon & Scrub) to join our Theatre team. This is a senior clinical leadership role with responsibility for the safe, effective, and efficient delivery of perioperative care across anaesthetic, recovery, and scrub functions.

The post holder will act as a clinical expert and first-line leader, providing hands-on clinical care while coordinating theatre activity, supporting staff, and ensuring high standards of safety, quality, and governance. This is a predominantly clinical role with significant operational, leadership, and management responsibilities.

Main duties of the job

Professional

• To ensure that all departmental policies, procedures and guidelines, are adhered to.
• Maintain a professional appearance and demeanour.
• Uphold the Trust’s values and behaviours and behave in a manner befitting the leadership role, maintaining public and colleague confidence.

Clinical Safety

• Take responsibility for the running of the anaesthetic, recovery and scrub teams, ensuring a proactive approach to prompt starts, the maintenance of flow and adherence to safer anaesthetic guidelines.
• It is the responsibility of the post holder to take appropriate steps to ensure this is the case and elevate if this is being compromised.
• Ensure the safer surgery checklist principles are adhered to, taking the lead if necessary ensuring the presence of the entire team.
• Be prepared to elevate non‑compliance to the Department Clinical Leads.
• Act as deputy for the Department Clinical Leads as necessary.

Clinical Leadership

• Ensure the delivery of high quality evidence based care.
• Managerial and Professional Leadership
• Encourage the staff and role model in terms of flexibility and adaptability in responding to changing demands identified by the Theatre Matron.

Financial and performance management

• Support the Theatre Matron in the management of the budget for Pay and Non Pay.

Working for our organisation

What&srsquo;s in it for You?

At Moorfields, we invest in you your growth, your wellbeing, your future.

You'll join a flexible, supportive organisation offering:

• Competitive salary (including high cost area supplement)
• Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
• 24/7 independent counselling support
• Career-long learning and development opportunities
• Excellent transport connections
• Access to NHS and Blue Light discount schemes
• Full support and training to develop your skills

And so much more! To see the full range of benefits we offer please view our Moorfields benefits leaflet.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will be professionally accountable for the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care and for maintaining a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors. They will be expected to work flexibly across anaesthetics, subtenon and scrub roles. In addition the practitioner will take part in rota management and staff allocation and implementation of audits. This is a mainly clinical role with first line management elements.

• Professionally accountable and responsible for the provision of high-quality care and a safe environment for patients within their delegated clinical area.
• Organise all human and physical resources in the delivery of clinical care, attempting to problem solve, but being mindful of the need to elevate to the Department Clinical Leads as appropriate.
• The assessment of care during the perioperative and postoperative period.
• The development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care including discharge planning from the theatre suite for each patient.
• To provide skilled assistance to the Anaesthetists and Surgeons in the Operating Department.
• Have the skills, knowledge and expertise to be able to take appropriate action when dealing with emergencies.
• To successfully complete ILS and PILS training and be part of the 2222 emergency team.
• To be a role model to junior colleagues in the delivery of patient care.
• To be responsible for direct leadership of delegated staff, including but not limited to: performing return to work interviews, appraisal of staff and escalating to senior colleagues areas of poor conduct and or performance and undertaking appropriate action to support improvement in poor conduct and or performance.
• Maintain a professional profile and develop skills, knowledge and competencies adhering to the NMC and HCPC Codes of Professional Conduct and Trust Policies and Procedures.
• Act as an agent of change in achieving a culture that is flexible and responds positively to the needs of the service and our patients.
• Actively develop positive team working between theatres and the surgical wards.
• Support the theatre manager in all activities related to the improvement of theatre utilisation ensuring effective communication and flow.

Person specification

Education and Qualification

• Registered Nurse Part 1 of the NMC or Registered ODP with C&G 752/NVQ level III/Diploma in Operating Department Practice
• Anaesthetic Nursing Certificate or equivalent Hold current ILS and PILS certificate or be willing to work towards
• Appropriate experience having been acquired to be able to demonstrate evidence of successfully co-ordinating, managing and leading the team on a day-to-day basis and appropriate experience with Paediatric anaesthesia
• Teaching and Assessing course or willing to work towards
• Flexible and adaptable in approach
• Educated to diploma/degree level or able to demonstrate equivalent experience

Skills/abilities

• Ability to work independently and autonomously.
• Involvement in Nursing Audit, sustainability and Research

Skills

• A sound and up to‑date knowledge of Ophthalmic clinical conditions and their management
• Provide evidence of sound clinical reasoning and decision making skills

Due to the nature of this position, employment is subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK, completion of a satisfactory DBS disclosure and two references. We do not offer visa sponsorship for roles unless clearly stated in our adverts, so please consider this before applying.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of our organisational culture. As part of our pledge to take positive action in recruitment we encourage applications from under‑represented candidates including BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) and Disabled candidates as we work towards a representative workforce that is able to provide the quality, the dignity and respect and to deliver above and beyond.

Moorfields is a flexible working friendly organisation, and we are committed to helping our employees achieve a work‑life balance that is beneficial for health and wellbeing, motivation levels and job satisfaction. Every employee of the Trust has the right to request to work flexibly. Please 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.

Moorfields Eye Hospital does not charge applicants any recruitment or sponsorship fees. Our website and published contact details are the only authorised channels for applications and verification of job offers.

https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/work-for-us

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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.