Theatre/Recovery Practitioner Nurse/ODP

NHS; Haywards Heath; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Haywards Heath seeks Theatre Practitioners to join their dynamic team. This role involves providing patient-centered care, assisting in surgeries, and ensuring a safe environment for patients during their surgical journey. Applicants must have current NMC or HCPC registration and a passion for high-quality healthcare. The position offers opportunities for professional development and requires a commitment to evening, night, and weekend shifts as necessary.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with anaesthetic course for anaesthetic practitioners required.
• Understanding of governance within the nursing/ODP framework essential.
• Dual trained qualification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide care and emotional support to all patients.
• Assist during all stages of anaesthesia/surgery.
• Provide skilled post-operative care in PACU.

Skills

Patient focused approach

Good communication skills

Teamwork and collaboration

Education

Current NMC UK/HCPC Registration

RN or C&G 752 / NVQ Level 3 or Diploma/Degree in Operating Department Practice

Job description

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity in our Theatre Department and are looking to recruit Theatre Practitioners to join our motivated, diverse and friendly team. You should be patient centred, enthusiastic and highly motivated.

We offer a supportive, exciting and challenging work environment with a supernumerary period that can be adapted to the level of previous experience for all, whether newly qualified or practised staff, in all aspects of perioperative practice.

We are looking to recruit both scrub and anaesthetic practitioners, RN (+/- anaesthetic qualification) or ODPs. We provide access to development courses and opportunities, to enhance leadership and clinical skills and our Practice Development Team are committed to support the development of all staff.

Our Main Theatre at Princess Royal Hospital comprises of eight Theatres and two Recovery Units, with one of our theatres being a dedicated obstetric theatre. The Princess Royal, in Haywards Heath is a Centre of Excellence for Urology and Fractured Neck of Femur.

This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route however sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds (£25000), and any role-specific criteria.

Main duties of the job

• Provide care and emotional support to all patients
• Provide assistance to the anaesthetist/surgeon during all stages of anaesthesia/surgery and PACU
• Provide anaesthetic assistance in a variety of situations across the hospital (Anaes practitioner only)
• Maintain knowledge and ability to use all specialist equipment used in theatre and recovery
• Promote safe and effective practice across all areas
• Frequently work at a high level of autonomy particularly in out of hours work
• Support other members of the theatre/PACU team
• Provide skilled care for the post operative patient in the recovery area (PACU)
• Be aware of and comply with policies regarding:
  • Infection Control
  • Health and Safety
  • Safeguarding
  • Confidentiality
  • Information Governance
  • Theatre Specific NatSSips and LocSSip

About us

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

Candidate Pack

https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/

Details

• Date posted: 18 December 2025
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 5
• Salary: £31,049 to £37,796 a year per annum
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time
• Reference number: 279-7600979-DEC25
• Job locations: Main Theatres. Princess Royal Hospital; Lewes Road; Haywards Heath; RH16 4EX

Job responsibilities

We are a busy department, providing peri-operative services for elective surgery five days a week and a variety of weekend and out of hours care for emergency surgery such as caesarean sections. We are a hardworking and supportive team looking to provide excellent care every time and strive to be forward thinking in all areas. Our trust values provide our core focus: Compassion, Communication, Teamwork, Respect, Professionalism and Inclusion and these work together to drive our Patient First programme that strives to continually achieve better for our patients.

We work alongside a variety of professions including radiographers, midwives and doctors and all staff are encouraged to teach and support our students as well as continuing their own professional development. The theatre team itself works closely together, adapting to different situations using the wide variety of skills between each other. The theatre team consists of both ODPs and Nurses who look to foster a culture of inclusion & belonging, providing opportunities for career development.

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and committed Theatre Practitioners to join our team in either scrub, or anaesthetics.

For anaesthetic posts you will need a recognised anaesthetic qualification.

You will need to have good communication skills and a dedication to providing a high standard of patient care. The successful candidate will work within the theatre team to ensure safety of the patient in the operating theatre. For more information please see the Job Description under Supporting Documents.

You will be expected to work shifts to enable us to meet the needs of the department. This includes a share of nights, weekend shifts and on calls.

We also cover a wide range of surgical specialities, including robotic surgery, gynaecology, ENT, Max-Facs, digestive diseases and breast surgery.

We welcome applications from those who currently hold a UK NMC or HCPC registration. If you currently hold an overseas nursing qualification and require sponsorship we are not currently direct hiring Internationally Qualified Nurses.

Person Specification – Experience / Qualifications

• Essential:
  • Current NMC UK/HCPC Registration
  • RN (Anaesthetic course essential for anaesthetic practitioners) or C&G 752 / NVQ Level 3 or Diploma or Degree in Operating Department Practice
  • Patient focused approach
  • An understanding of Governance within the Nursing/ODP framework
  • Understanding of current issues in healthcare
• Desirable:
  • Dual trained/anaesthetic/Recovery qualification
  • Previous theatre/Recovery experience
  • Experience of leading a team/managing a group of patients
  • Practice Assessor/Practice supervisor/mentorship qualification

Equality and Diversity – Essential

• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer Details

• Employer name: University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)
• Address: Main Theatres. Princess Royal Hospital; Lewes Road; Haywards Heath; RH16 4EX

Employer's website

https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)