Healthcare Assistant (Theatre)

Transformationunitgm; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS health provider in Newcastle upon Tyne is seeking a Healthcare Assistant to support patients in the theatre environment. This role includes assisting in surgeries, maintaining patient safety, and providing compassionate care. Full training will be provided, making this a great opportunity for those looking to start a career in healthcare. Candidates should possess strong communication skills and a commitment to teamwork. A flexible working schedule across various shifts is expected, making it suitable for new healthcare professionals.

Qualifications

• No previous theatre experience is required; full training provided.
• Experience of caring in a health care setting is preferred.
• Ability to handle patient-related documentation accurately.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the safe care of patients in the peri-operative environment.
• Prepare and set up theatres before operations.
• Ensure accurate communication and record-keeping for patient care.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Basic IT skills

Ability to work as part of a team

Education

Level 3 qualification in Health and Social Care or equivalent

GCSEs in English and Maths at Grades 9-4

Job description

Employer The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Victoria Infirmary Town 317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary Salary £24,937 - £26,598 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 27/01/2026 23:59 Interview date 13/02/2026

Healthcare Assistant (Theatre)

Band 3

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.

With a strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, we’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.

As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic disorders.

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under‑represented groups.

Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus.

Job overview

This opportunity will provide you with valuable experience and offer a strong foundation for a career within the NHS. No theatre experience is necessary, as full training will be provided, however knowledge of working in theatres or a health care setting would be an advantage. Successful applicants will work under the direction of a Registered Practitioner to perform a range of delegated clinical duties and assist in the safe care of patients within the Peri‑operative environment. This includes pre‑op waiting, theatres, anaesthetic room and recovery areas. You will assist with the preparation and setting up of the theatres in readiness for the operating list and contribute to administrative, clinical, cleaning and housekeeping duties as required. You will need to have a willingness to learn with excellent communication skills, IT skills will be advantageous. The department works 24/7 with various shift patterns in place.

• Interview Date: 13 February 2026

37 hours 30 minutes/week

• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancyli>

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

Communication and Relationships

· Endeavour to maintain good standards of communication both in written and oral form, within the multi‑disciplinary team.

· Make entries on patient charts to record clinical interventions.

· Complete associated documents to accompany specimens.

· Communicates with patients, carers, medical staff and other visitors to the department in a polite and pleasant manner.

· Receive, deliver and transfer patient related information to and from other wards and departments that may be of a sensitive nature.

· Acknowledge and accommodate barriers to communication and understanding including speech, hearing, language and emotion.

· Report faults to the appropriate department and inform the nurse in charge of any problems.

· Sit with patients in the pre‑op waiting areas and during surgery under local anaesthesia to offer reassurance and help to allay fears.

· Participate in ensuring that all details for patients being admitted to the department are accurate and dealt with in a timely manner using theatre registers and electronic recording systems.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills required for the post

Help to ensure patient safety by accurately checking patient details with the pre‑op check list and the patients case notes to ensure all documentation / equipment is available prior to anaesthesia and report any discrepancies to the nurse in charge.

Initiate emergency action when required.

Working for our organisation

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Planning and Organisational Skills required for the post

· Works as a member of the multidisciplinary team:

• Determine the order of priority of own‑delegated duties on a day‑to‑day basis.

• Undertake administrative, clinical and housekeeping duties as and when required.

• Assist with maintaining a safe working environment for patients and staff and ensure any faults / problems are reported to the appropriate department to ensure that delays to lists are kept to a minimum. e.g. identify when there is a shortfall in sterile supplies and telephone the Sterile Services Department to arrange delivery of sterile stock such as theatre gowns and swabs in time for the start of the operating lists.

Physical dexterity requirements

When trained and deemed competent contributes to the delivery of care within the working area for example:

• Basic Keyboard Skills

• Safe moving and handling of expensive / delicate equipment such as microscopes, laparoscopic equipment stacks, light sources.

• Manoeuvring trolleys and wheelchairs as required.

• Assist with performing last offices if required.

• Assist with safe positioning of patients on the operating table.

• Preparation and setting up for use, a variety of technical equipment such as Diathermy Machines, Chemical Processors, Irrigation equipment, Microscopes.

• Maintaining a sterile field when opening supplementary instruments and packs onto a sterile tray or trolley.

• Changing gas cylinders for use with equipment as required e.g. Air drills, Insufflators.

• Cleaning the theatre and equipment at the end of the operating list.

• Assisting with preparation of Chemotherapy drugs 7

Key result areas Patient / Client care

o Checking patients into the department prior to transfer into the anaesthetic room.

o Maintain records and dispatch specimens on request.

o Observing patients condition whilst sitting with them in the waiting areas, during procedures being undertaken using local anaesthesia and offering comfort and reassurance.

o Assist patients in meeting their elimination needs.

o Assist patients with their comfort and mobility, adhering to Trust moving and handling policies.

o Under the direction of registered nurse, escort patients to other wards and departments as per escort policy and ensuring their dignity and modesty when walking between departments whilst dressed in theatre gowns.

o Ensure safety and comfort of patients is maintained, reporting any difficulties encountered promptly to senior nurse on a particular span of duty.

o Maintain confidentiality at all times.

o Ensure the risk of infection to yourself, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by:

• being familiar with, and adhering to Trust policies and guidance on infection prevention and control

• attending Trust Induction Programme(s) and statutory education programmes in infection prevention and control

• including infection prevention and control as an integral part of your continuous personal/professional development

• taking personal responsibility so far as is reasonably practicable, in helping ensure that effective prevention and control of health care acquired infections is embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently by you and your colleagues

Policy and Service Development

• Adhere to Department, Directorate and Trust policies.

• Comment on any proposals, which may impact on their area of work.

Financial and Physical Development

• Exercise personal duty of care when using expensive equipment provided by the Trust.

• Ensure safety of patients’ cash and valuables in line with Trust Policy.

• Exercise care when transporting delicate and expensive equipment such as microscopes, light sources, Laparoscopic stacks.

• Contribute to the monitoring of stock levels and highlight deficiencies to ward manager/senior sister.

Human Resources

• Conform to Trust Policies, Procedures and Guidelines.

• Complies with Trust Health and Safety Policies.

• Promote Equality and Diversity rights.

• Comply with Dignity and Respect at Work Policy.

• Attend mandatory updates.

Job Purpose

• To abide by Trust policies and procedures.

• To assist the registered nurse/ODP (or other healthcare practitioners) in providing high quality patient care within the peri‑operative environment.

• To undertake a range of delegated clinical duties.

• Maintain patients’ privacy and dignity at all times and provide care in a compassionate and sensitive manner.

• Be an effective part of the multi‑disciplinary team contributing to the departmental objectives.

• Continue to develop and maintain competencies to maintain high quality safe care.

• Post holder will be expected to contribute to housekeeping and other theatre / department duties as required, e.g., general tidiness, re‑determined stock are met and clinical equipment is clean, working and stored correctly.

• Assist with admin & clerical duties as required.

Person specification

Qualifications & Education

• Level 3 qualification in Health and Social Care or equivalent level qualification or equivalent relevant experience.

• GCSEs in English and Maths at Grades 3-1 (or D-G or Level 1 Functional/Key Skills).

• GCSEs in English and Maths at Grades 9-4 (or A*- C or Level 2 Functional/Key Skills).

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience of caring in a health care setting.

• An understanding of working in the NHS.

Skills & Abilities

• Basic IT skills.

• Ability to communicate with members of the public and health care providers.

• Ability to work effectively under direct supervision, as part of the multi‑disciplinary team.

• Competent in physical skills e.g., recording ECGs, recording blood glucose etc.

Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form

All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e‑mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.

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.