Sterile Services Assistant

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Generous annual leave

NHS pension

NHS discount schemes

Health and wellbeing services

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is inviting applications for a Sterile Services Assistant at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury. The role supports surgical teams by handling medical devices, with training provided through the decontamination/sterilisation cycle and compliance with HTM01-01, ISO13485, and related quality standards.

Hours are 37.5 per week on a rolling day shift; on-call duties may be required after training.

Qualifications

• Good standard of education including English Language.
• TVQ Level 1/2 or equivalent in a similar industry or evidence of a successfully completed in-house SSD training scheme.

Responsibilities

• Accurately exchange information with colleagues to enable prioritisation of work and problem resolution.
• Understand a range of routine work procedures that require in-house training.
• Maintain and update knowledge of instruments across a wide range of surgical specialties.
• Understand and maintain knowledge of decontamination procedures including safe operation of automated machinery; participate in on-call team when fully trained.
• Attend departmental lectures and hospital courses regularly to meet Health & Safety requirements.
• Ensure recommended best practice is adhered to at all times.
• Daily maintenance of theatre instruments, dismantling and re-assembling instruments following the relevant work instructions.
• Responsible for data entry to maintain records of instrumentation within the department.

Skills

Communication skills

Basic computer skills

Hand-eye coordination

Manual dexterity

Self-motivated

Stamina for blood/tissues

Attention to detail

Education

English language

SSD training (TVQ 1/2)

Job description

Site Stoke Mandeville Hospital Town Aylesbury Salary £25,272 per annum pro rata for part time Salary period Yearly Closing 04/11/2026 23:59

Be part of our BHT family

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) is an integrated provider of acute hospital and community services for people living in Buckinghamshire and the surrounding area.

We care for over half a million patients every year:

• Provide specialist spinal services at our world renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympics
• Nationally recognised for urology and skin cancer services
• Regional specialist centre for burns, plastic surgery, dermatology, stroke and cardiac services
• Deliver community services in health centres, schools, patients’ own homes, community hospitals and community hubs.

More than 6,500 people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds work for us.

We would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options. We strive to be a family friendly, inclusive employer.

If you require any assistance in making this application, please contact [e-mail] or phone [phone].

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work and invite you to join our BHT family.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the new recently completed Sterile Services Department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

As a Sterile Services Assistant you will be handling medical devices which are essential to the surgical teams and a key component of the patients care plan.

Applicants will be given training on the complete decontamination/ sterilisation cycle.

Applicants will also be expected to undertake additional training including relevant legislation HTM01-01, ISO13485 for example and other quality driven standards.

Previous Sterile Services experience is not essential.

Hours required 37.5 per week, rolling day shift pattern to be discussed at interview there is also a requirement to participate in ‘on call' duties once fully trained.

Main duties of the job

• Accurately exchange information with colleagues and customers to enable; prioritisation of work and prevention/resolution of problems.
• Understand a range of routine work procedures that require in house training.
• Maintain and update knowledge of instruments across a wide range of surgical specialties.
• Understand and maintain knowledge of decontamination procedures including safe operation of automated machinery.
  Participate in on-call team when fully trained.
• Maintain educational standards by attending departmental lectures and hospital courses regularly to meet the requirements of Health & Safety.
• Ensure recommended best practice is adhered to at all times.
• Daily maintenance of theatre instruments, dismantling and re-assembling of surgical instruments following the relevant work instructions.
• Responsible for data entry to maintain records of instrumentation within the department.

What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?

• As part of our BHT family, you’ll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.
• We offer flexible and agile workingopportunities,alongside your NHS benefits ofgenerous annual leave entitlement, pension andaccess toNHS discount schemes.
• We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.

Why work for us?

• We’re committed to promoting inclusion and making sure all colleagues feel they belong. We encourage new colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.
• As an employer, we aim to create a workplace where differences are valued and colleagues treat one another with dignity and respect.
• Greater diversity withinourBHT familyimprovespositive outcomes for the people and communities we serve.
• A keen supporter of the Armed Forces Community who know the value of employing a service leaver/veteran and their families.

What do we stand for?

• Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.
• Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.
• Our care values are collaborate, aspire, respect and enable.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a comprehensive list of responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to the Job Description and Person Specification by downloading the JD and PS attachment in the advert.

If you are an internal applicant there is the option for secondment, all applicants must have the endorsement/support of their line manager prior to application.

If you have a disability that makes submitting this online application difficult and would like assistance, please contact us on [e-mail] quoting the vacancy reference number.

Person specification

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

• Good standard of education including English Language.
• TVQ Level 1 / 2 or equivalent in a similar industry or evidence of a successfully completed in-house SSD training scheme.

EXPERIENCE

• Previous experience of working in a Sterile Services Department or similar industry e.g. Medical or Pharmaceutical Company.
• Experience of dealing with customers and/or public.
• Experience of working to an internationally recognised quality management system.
• Work experience in a hospital.

SKILLS, ABILITIES & KNOWLEDGE

• Basic computer skills.
• Good communication skills both verbal and written in English with all disciplines of staff
• Basic numeracy
• Good hand to eye co-ordination
• Good manual dexterity and ability to handle small delicate objects, willingness to pay attention to detail and recognise a large variety of different instruments
• Keen to learn and train within the post
• Self-motivated
• Able to withstand the sight of blood and body tissue
• Able to maintain a neat tidy working environment and produce consistent and accurate results in a repetitive production situation working to strict written specifications with high value items

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Able to work whilst standing for prolonged periods in a restricted area wearing protective clothing at all times
• Ability to follow instructions whilst working at speed
• Ability to work unsupervised during weekends, evenings and when called in for emergency situations
• Ability to lift moderately heavy weights
• Prepared to attend work in the event of a major incident

PPE requirements: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.

Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.

Application deadline: This post will close on the closing date stated at midnight, however if we receive a large number of applications or there is a change in circumstance, we may be required to close a job before the advertised date.

Contacting you: We will contact candidates through the email address supplied on their application form. Please make sure you check this regularly.

Application information: If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records (ESR) system.

Shortlisting: The monitoring and safeguarding sections are not made visible to the shortlisting panel. The safeguarding section may be made visible to the interview panel, dependent on the role being recruited into.

Travel expenses: It is Trust policy that travel expenses for interviews will not be reimbursed.

Smoking: All Trust sites are NO SMOKING. Smoking in all areas of the buildings and premises is prohibited.