Theatre Healthcare Assistant (Band 3)

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT

This job is now closed

Job summary

If you are passionate about surgery and have a desire to work in a supportive, compassionate, and dedicated team, then this is the job for you!

We are looking to recruit a highly motivated and enthusiastic Theatre Support Assistant to join our Captain Sir Tom Moore Building Elective Orthopaedic Theatre service. We welcome applications from both experienced Theatre Support Assistants and Healthcare Assistants who are wishing to expand their skills into the Theatre environment.

If you are an overseas national who would require a Certificate of Sponsorship from the Trust to ensure your Right to Work in the UK, the Band 3 Healthcare worker role is unable to offer this if you are new to the NHS (or have less than 2 years' service in the NHS) and therefore your starting salary would be £24,071. This is due to a change in the increased salary threshold advised by the UK Home Office on 12th March 2025, stating that Employer sponsorship will only be available for starting salaries above £25,000. If you apply for the role and this restriction applies to you, your application would be automatically rejected prior to shortlisting stage.

Main duties of the job

As a Theatre Support Assistant, you will be an integral part of the patient's perioperative journey by:

• Working within Orthopaedic Theatres to support the care of our patients.
• Supporting the wider team, potentially working across other specialities, and across sites when required.
• Supporting the interprofessional team in the patient's perioperative journey.
• Using excellent communication skills to enhance care and efficiency.
• Opening sterile packs to ensure Infection Prevention and Control.
• Assisting counting Instruments, Swabs and Sharps.
• Completing designated theatre documentation, digital and paper formats.
• Assisting with the setup of a Theatre Suite.
• Maintaining a clean and usable department.
• Completing E-Learning and regularly organised training.
• Having the willingness to learn and grow.
• Reporting to the Team Leaders to complete daily theatre orientated tasks.

*** Shifts are: 1 x 8am - 7pm, 3 x 8am - 5.30pm, Total of 37.5 hpw. Currently working Monday to Friday with a potential of expanding to weekend working in the future ***

About us

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a caring and compassionate organisation that is both ambitious and innovative. We are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our patients and providing a positive experience for our staff. We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work and learn.

Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton, we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system. Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.

Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care and maternity services, Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.

A CQC-rated 'good' organisation with 'outstanding' features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.

Our workforce of nearly 5,000 across both sites comprises more than 50 nationalities. We strive to be an equal, diverse and inclusive employer, which is recognised as a pioneer in its equality, diversity and inclusion work. The Trust is proud to have achieved numerous external accreditations and is working towards achieving the Anti-Racist Organisation Framework, recognising the importance of anti-racism in all that we do.

Job responsibilities

Working as part of the multidisciplinary team, the post holder will primarily provide assistance within all aspects of their role as a theatre support assistant. They will be responsible for the provision of high quality, individualised care to patients/clients and relatives as part of a multidisciplinary team. In addition to clinical duties, the direct supervision and training of learners and new theatre support assistants will be their responsibility to ensure the provision of a high quality and cost-effective service to patients and users. The theatre support assistant will be responsible for acting in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the good standard and reputation of the trust.

Person Specification

Experience.

• Experience of working in a health care setting.
• Experience of working in a theatre environment.

Qualifications.

• Good level of education, including literacy and numeracy.
• Basic IT knowledge.
• The ability to personally and professionally develop.
• NVQ 2 Health Social Care/Trust Carers Certificate.

Skills, Knowledge and Competencies.

• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the support assistant within the Theatre Department.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients and colleagues.
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge and experience of team working.
• Knowledge of infection control and the processes in place to reduce incidence of cross infection.
• Knowledge of current legal and departmental documentation in place to ensure patient safety.
• Knowledge of Theatre Instrumentation.
• Working within the sterile hub area.

Physical Skills.

• Evidence of time management skills/Prioritising workload.
• Able to perform a wide range of duties.
• Able to work across sister hospital sites.
• Knowledge of surgical instrument components.

Physical Effort.

• Able to stand for long periods of time.
• Able to assist in the safe moving and handling of loads.
• Manual handling of anaesthetised patients.
• Able to lift moderate to heavy (15kg) loads.

Mental Effort.

• Able to concentrate for lengthy periods of time.

Emotional Effort.

• Ability to assist in supporting vulnerable patients and during distressing circumstances.

Working Conditions.

• Exposure to chemical substances harmful to health (COSHH).
• Exposure to blood and bodily fluids.
• Work with Exposure Prone Procedures (EPPs).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT