Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Trainee Surgeons Assistant

The closing date is 29 October 2025

Job summary

We are looking for a dynamic and motivated Theatre Healthcare Assistant / Practitioner to work within the Surgeons Assistant team trust wide to provide safe and efficient care to our patients within the specialist area of Orthopaedics.

You will be expected to have in-depth knowledge of theatre standards and protocols and to adhere to them on a daily basis.

If required you will have a comprehensive training package including IRMER training supported by the trusts Advanced Surgical Practitioners and Consultants .

Annex 20

This post falls within the provisions of Agenda for Change Annex 20 - Development of Professional Roles, whereby upon completion of an agreed set of competencies you may move onto the next pay band without the need for an application for a post at a higher level.

Please note we reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the closing date once the required number of suitable applications have been received

Please note, for Secondment roles before an application is submitted, please ensure you have received the appropriate approval and completed documentation required beforehand, as this may delay the process if an offer was to be made.

Main duties of the job

Working within the surgical assistant team to provide support to the orthopaedic service trust wide.

To provide high quality care alongside theatre teams ensuring safe patient positioning , maintain skin integrity of patients , safe manipulation of surgical instruments and to deliver high standards of surgical assistant support when required.

To ensure safe and high quality preparation and monitoring of the environment and maintenance of equipment including operating tables and specialist aids.

To report incidents and escalate causes for concern through the appropriate processes.

Working with, and supporting other members of the multi-disciplinary team.

1x Vacancy for Hexham

1 x Vacancy Trust-wide

About us

We manage three major locality hospitals at North Tyneside, Wansbeck and Hexham, plus a number of smaller community hospitals and clinics from Tynemouth to Berwick on Tweed, in addition to our state-of-the-art Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, the first of its kind in England. We also care for people in their homes and provide services from facilities in local communities such as health centres. We give people greater choice and control over their care to help them to live independently at home and avoid hospital admission where appropriate. High quality patient care is at the heart of everything we do and we strive to ensure every single patient and service user has an exceptional experience with us. We have one of the most extensive patient experience programmes of any trust in England.

Details

Date posted

15 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £30,162 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

319-7539728GH

Job locations

Hexham General Hospital

Corbridge Road

Hexham

NE46 1QJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Prepare the clinical area for the peri-operative patientPrepare equipment as requiredSets up equipment required for the surgical procedureAssist in positioning patients for surgical procedures.Priorities and organizes own workloadSurgery specific skills obtained through competency attainmentHighly developed specific operating assisting skillsHand/eye co-ordination required when using equipmentUndertake a limited number of surgical tasks under direct supervision.Keyboard and IT skills

Job description

Job responsibilities

Prepare the clinical area for the peri-operative patientPrepare equipment as requiredSets up equipment required for the surgical procedureAssist in positioning patients for surgical procedures.Priorities and organizes own workloadSurgery specific skills obtained through competency attainmentHighly developed specific operating assisting skillsHand/eye co-ordination required when using equipmentUndertake a limited number of surgical tasks under direct supervision.Keyboard and IT skills

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • NVQ level 3 or equivalent qualification

Desirable

  • ECDL or equivalent

Experiance

Essential

  • Caring experience

Desirable

  • Underlying knowledge of endoscopy area i.e. preparation, cleaning of scopes
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • NVQ level 3 or equivalent qualification

Desirable

  • ECDL or equivalent

Experiance

Essential

  • Caring experience

Desirable

  • Underlying knowledge of endoscopy area i.e. preparation, cleaning of scopes

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Hexham General Hospital

Corbridge Road

Hexham

NE46 1QJ


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Hexham General Hospital

Corbridge Road

Hexham

NE46 1QJ


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Trust Wide Lead Surgical Practitioners

Graham Dickinson

graham.dickinson@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk

01916072050

Details

Date posted

15 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £30,162 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

319-7539728GH

Job locations

Hexham General Hospital

Corbridge Road

Hexham

NE46 1QJ


Supporting documents

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