Theatre Practitioner - Whiston / St Helens Hospitals

St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Knowsley; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in England is hosting a Band 5 Theatre Practitioner recruitment event at Whiston Hospital and St Helens Hospital. Candidates must hold NMC/HCPC registration and have relevant UK experience, with in-person attendance on the event day.

The post involves gaining exposure across multiple surgical disciplines and requires adaptability to scrub and anaesthetic duties, working under supervision to deliver high-quality perioperative care in a busy

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse/ODP with current NMC or HCPC registration.
• Diploma or degree in nursing/theatre or working towards it.
• Teaching and mentoring qualification desirable.
• Related ENB/Theatre courses desirable.

Responsibilities

• Gain experience in General Surgery, Urology, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Burns and Plastics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
• Be exposed to a busy Emergency and Trauma Theatre.
• Adapt to scrub and anaesthetic duties; work within HCPC/NMC Scope of Professional Practice.
• Contribute to safe, effective perioperative patient care under supervision.
• Work across two theatre sites as a team member to improve services and performance.

Skills

Excellent communication

Time management

Teamwork

Multidisciplinary team

Education

NMC/HCPC Registration

Diploma or degree in nursing/theatre

Job description

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

We're hosting a recruitment event on 22nd October 2026 for Band 5 Theatre Practitioners to join our team at Whiston Hospital and St Helens Hospital!

Candidates will be required to hold NMC/HCPC registration at the time of application. This event is by invitation only and candidates must be able to attend in-person on the day.

Due to current service demands, we are only able to consider applicants who have relevant UK experience. Candidates must also be available to commence employment immediately or within a very short timeframe. We regret that we cannot progress applications that do not meet these essential requirements.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will gain experience in General Surgery, Urology, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Burns and Plastics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and be exposed to a busy Emergency and Trauma Theatre.

As a Theatre Practitioner you would be expected to adapt to both Scrub and Anaesthetic duties on the department. You will be responsible and professionally accountable for working within the HCPC/NMC 'Scope of Professional Practice'. For the provision, delivery and maintenance of high quality, best practice individualised perioperative patient care under the supervision of the theatre Team Leader.

The post demands a research-based approach to underpin clinical decisions and actively contribute to supporting provision, delivery and maintenance of a safe, effective and efficient perioperative clinical environment.

The post holder will work across the 2 theatre sites and is responsible as a team member of the operating department to actively contribute to achieving improvement in services and key performance indicators for the Care group/Trust. Having experience working in anaesthetics is essential to this post, as a ODP or RGN with a post registration anaesthetic qualification.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our services

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please ensure you have read through the attached Job Description and Person Specification before submitting your application.

Advertising date

9th September 2026

Closing date

16th September 2026

Shortlisting date

23rd September 2026

Proposed Interview date

22nd October 2026

Please note, this post may close earlier than advertised if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Person specification

Values

Essential criteria

• We are kind
• We are open
• We are inclusive

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered Nurse/Operating Department Practitioner with current NMC or HCPC Registration

Desirable criteria

• Relevant diploma or degree, or working towards
• Teaching and assessing/mentoring qualification
• Related ENB/Theatre courses

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of clinical skills required to undertake the role
• Knowledge of current professional & clinical issues
• Knowledge of Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults procedures

Desirable criteria

• Substantial post registration experience
• Substantial post registration experience within an acute hospital setting

Skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent time management, record management and organisational skills
• Ability to work well in a multi-disciplinary team

Other

Essential criteria

• Motivated individual, commitment to personal & professional development
• Flexible and adaptable approach

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. MWL is an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.

Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact