Theatre support worker

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Chorley; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Theatre Support Worker to assist perioperative teams and provide high-standard patient care in the theatre environment.

You will help with patient positioning, circulating roles, and non-clinical duties to keep the theatre safe and efficient. We value teamwork, compassion for patients, and adherence to Trust values throughout perioperative care.

Qualifications

• Previous experience of dealing with the public in a care setting.
• Good numeracy and literacy to meet local standards.
• Basic understanding of infection control principles.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality personalised peri-operative care.
• Assist with patient positioning before surgery and in recovery.
• Handle and store specimens safely per policy.
• Maintain a safe, clean, and productive theatre environment.
• Support with circulating duties during surgery and with team collaboration.

Skills

Public interaction

Confidentiality

Healthcare theatre experience

Infection control

Education

GCSE Maths & English (A-C)

Level 2 QCF diploma in healthcare / NVQ2

Job description

We hope to be welcoming you to the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals team soon; we've shown you exactly why we're 'a great place to work', now it's time to see for yourself! Have a look at our current vacancies down below and make the first step to starting a fantastic new career. Need help with your NHS application? We've got you covered! Our brand-new step-by-step NHS Application Help Video will guide you through the process, making it easier, faster, and stress-free to apply. Additionally, you can check out our helpful Application Guide as well!

You can also look at our recruitment flipbook , an interactive brochure showcasing various entry-level roles. It includes a fun quiz to help you find the right role and links to more information about our hospitals and our fantastic staff.

Corporate Services Roles

For roles in our corporate services departments including – Digital Services (I.T), Recruitment, Employment Services, Temporary Staffing, Rostering, Procurement and Finance, these departments are now part of OneLSC and can be found on the ELHT website: https://elht.nhs.uk/working-us/our-vacancies

The Theatre Support Worker will be responsible for providing a high standard of patient focused care in the theatre department.

To assist the qualified staff in providing perioperative care to patients by undertaking a range of support duties, working under the direction and supervision of the qualified theatre practitioner.

To act as a circulating person in theatre.

To support with the productive operation of the theatre environment by undertaking a range of non-clinical activities which contribute to the maintenance of a safe and clean environment.

To act at all times in a manner that upholds the Trust Values, working as part of the team to ensure that patients and relatives receive excellent care with compassion.

Main duties of the job

Theatre support workers are part of our operating team who support the theatre staff. Participate as a member of the circulating team to assist the scrub practitioner during surgery and is reassuring for patients, who may be anxious about going into the operating theatre.

You will need a supportive & flexible approach to service delivery and participate in the movement of clean/dirty instrumentation throughout the theatre complex.

We are looking for a flexible team player with good communication skills and the ability to demonstrate and promote our Trust Values.

Working for our organisation

We have 10,000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.

Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.

You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.

You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing their experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties to include but not be limited to:

Provide good quality personalised care throughout their peri-operative journey in accordance with agreed local and national standards.

Assist in the positioning of patients in theatre before surgery and in the recovery area, ensuring that pressure areas are protected adequately and that patient comfort maintained .

Handle and store patient specimens safely, complying with Trust policy.

Assist to maintain patient safety, conforming to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines.

Proactively engages in the Trust safety agenda.

Contribute to maintaining safe, clean and productive care environment, compliant with standards for hygiene and cleanliness.

Communicate and document information in a timely and appropriate manner .

Person specification

Knowledge & Experience

• Previous experience of dealing with the public
• Understanding of the concept and application of confidentiality
• Previous experience of working in a health care or theatre setting.
• Basic understand of infection control principles.

Qualifications & Education

• Demonstrable numeracy and literacy skills in line with Level 1/Grade D/Grade 3 or above
• GCSE Maths & English grade C or above / Grade 4 - 9 OR Functional skills level 2 numeracy and Functional Skills level 2 literacy skills Level 2 QCF diploma (Qualification Credit Framework) in healthcare / NVQ level 2
• Level 2 QCF diploma (Qualification Credit Framework) in healthcare / NVQ level 2

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.

AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.

Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.

Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by [e-mail]

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

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We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

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