Theatre Healthcare Assistant (HCA)

Job overview

If you are passionate about surgery and have a desire to work in a supportive, compassionate, and dedicated team, then this is the job for you!

We are looking to recruit a highly motivated and enthusiastic Theatre Support Assistant to join our Captain Sir Tom Moore Building Elective Orthopaedic Theatre service. We welcome applications from both experienced Theatre Support Assistants and Healthcare Assistants who are wishing to expand their skills into the Theatre environment.

We are an elective orthopaedic department, with 5 Theatres, and 1 Procedure Room. We have recently completed our expansion, and successfully constructed our 5^th Theatre and Procedure Room.

In March 2023, CSTM Theatres achieved a Gold Star Accreditation for Care & Excellence. A CQC-rated ‘good’ organisation with ‘outstanding’ features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.

Full Time: 1 x 08:00 -19:00

3 x 08:00 -17:30

***Currently working Monday to Friday with a potential of expanding to weekend working in the future***

Main duties of the job

As a Theatre Support Assistant, you will be an integral part of the patient’s perioperative journey by:

• Working within Theatres to support the care of our patients.
• Supporting the interprofessional team in the patient’s perioperative journey.
• Working within the multi-professional team.
• Using excellent communication skills to enhance care and efficiency.
• Opening sterile packs to ensure Infection Prevention and Control.
• Assisting counting Instruments, Swabs and Sharps.
• Completing designated theatre documentation, digital and paper formats.
• Assisting with the setup of a Theatre Suite.
• Maintaining a clean and usable department.
• Completing E-Learning and regularly organised training.
• Having the willingness to learn and grow.
• Reporting to the Team Leaders to complete daily theatre orientated tasks.

Working for our organisation

We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work and learn.

Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system. Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.

Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care and maternity services, Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.

A CQC-rated ‘good’ organisation with ‘outstanding’ features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.

Our workforce of nearly 5,000 across both sites comprises more than 50 nationalities. We strive to be an equal, diverse and inclusive employer, which is recognised as a pioneer in its equality, diversity and inclusion work. The Trust is proud to have achieved numerous external accreditations and is working towards achieving the Anti-Racist Organisation Framework, recognising the importance of anti-racism in all that we do.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description, Person Specification and Job Advert for further details.

Any further questions, please contact the department.

Person specification

Experience.

• Experience of working in a health care setting.

• Experience of working in a theatre environment.

Qualifications.

• Good level of education, including literacy and numeracy.
• Basic IT knowledge.
• The ability to personally and professional develop.
• NVQ 2 Health Social Care/Care Certificate

Skills, Knowledge and Competencies.

• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the support assistant within the Theatre Department.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients and colleagues.
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge and experience of team working.
• Knowledge of infection control and the processes in place to reduce incidence of cross infection.

• Knowledge of current legal and departmental documentation in place to ensure patient safety.
• Knowledge of Theatre Instrumentation.
• Working within the sterile hub area.

Physical Skills.

• Evidence of time management skills/Prioritising workload.
• Good attendance record.
• Able to perform wide range of duties.
• Able to work across sister hospital sites.

• Knowledge of surgical instrument components.

Physical Effort.

• Able to stand for long periods of time.
• Able to assist in the safe moving and handling of loads.
• Manual handling of anaesthetised patients.
• Able to lift moderate to heavy (15kg) loads.

Mental Effort.

• Able to concentrate for lengthy periods of time.

Emotional Effort.

• Ability to assist in supporting vulnerable patients and during distressing circumstances.

Working Conditions.

• Exposure to chemical substances harmful to health (COSHH).
• Exposure to blood and bodily fluids.
• Work with Exposure Prone Procedures (EPPs).

You can find more information on the Government website. Please review your eligibility and the eligibility of the role before submitting your application.