Job overview
Are you an experienced theatre practitioner looking to develop your leadership skills within a specialist surgical environment?
An exciting opportunity has arisen for Band 6 Scrub and Anaesthetic Practitioners to join Main Theatres at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton.
Main Theatres is a busy 24/7 nine-theatre department delivering specialist services across Trauma, Head & Neck, Vascular, Digestive Diseases, Gynaecology, CEPOD and Obstetrics, and forms part of the Major Trauma Centre for the region.
We are recruiting Band 6 practitioners across the following specialist teams:
• Digestive Diseases & Gynaecology
• Head & Neck (Maxillofacial & ENT)
• Vascular
• Trauma
PLEASE INDICATE WHICH SPECIALIST POST YOU ARE APPLYING FOR WITHIN THE SUPPORTING INFORMATION SECTION OF YOUR APPLICATION.
Main duties of the job
Clinical & Managerial Support: You will work closely with the Team Leader and wider leadership team, supporting the safe and effective day-to-day running of the theatre department, including theatre coordination, patient flow and changing clinical priorities.
Leadership & Teaching: As a senior practitioner, you will provide clinical leadership within your specialist area, supporting the supervision, teaching and development of junior staff, HCAs and learners.
Specialist Practice: You will provide clinical and technical support within the perioperative environment, maintaining high standards of evidence-based practice and specialist perioperative care.
Out-of-Hours Support: You will contribute to out-of-hours service provision, supporting the coordination and prioritisation of emergency and CEPOD activity while maintaining safe service delivery across theatre specialties.
Patient Care & Safety: You will support patients undergoing anaesthesia and surgery, ensuring safe, compassionate and high-quality care throughout the perioperative pathway.
Quality Improvement & Governance: You will contribute to clinical governance, audit, incident review and continuous improvement activities in line with Trust standards and national guidance.
Working for our organisation
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 Information Pack:
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please note: We are currently accepting applications only from candidates who hold UK NMC or HCPC registration.
This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds, and any role-specific criteria. For example, applicants for the Senior HCA role must be able to evidence a minimum of 2 years’ experience in the same role to qualify for sponsorship.
If you are applying using a Graduate visa as your right to work, you must have a minimum of 18 months remaining on your visa at time of application.
As a dual-skilled Band 6 practitioner, you will provide scrub and anaesthetic support across a wide range of elective and emergency procedures while maintaining high standards of perioperative care.
The role includes supporting the day-to-day coordination of theatre activity, responding to changing clinical priorities and contributing to out-of-hours and CEPOD activity within a busy acute environment. You will also support the supervision, teaching and development of junior staff and learners.
We are looking for motivated practitioners with strong perioperative experience, excellent communication skills and the ability to work confidently within a multidisciplinary team.
The post holder will work as a senior member of the perioperative team, providing clinical leadership and supporting the safe and effective delivery of theatre services. They will act as a role model within their clinical area, demonstrating high standards of professional practice and promoting a culture of patient safety, teamwork and continuous improvement.
A key component of the role is the coordination and day-to-day running of the clinical area, ensuring theatre activity is delivered safely and efficiently. This includes supporting patient flow, responding to changes in operating lists, and ensuring appropriate equipment, staffing and resources are available to meet service demands, including complex laparoscopic and open abdominal surgical activity.
The post holder will work closely with the Team Leader and wider leadership team, providing support in the management of the clinical area and deputising when required. They will contribute to maintaining safe staffing, escalating concerns appropriately and supporting the smooth running of the department.
The role requires the ability to work within a busy and unpredictable environment, using clinical judgement to prioritise workload and respond to changing clinical needs. The post holder will liaise with surgical, anaesthetic and theatre teams to ensure timely and effective care delivery.
The post holder will support the supervision, teaching and development of junior staff and learners, providing guidance, feedback and support to maintain safe standards of practice and contribute to a positive learning environment.
They will contribute to out-of-hours service provision, including supporting the coordination of emergency theatre activity and assisting with the prioritisation of CEPOD cases where required.
The post holder will be expected to work flexibly across theatre specialties, supporting the wider department to maintain safe and effective service delivery.
They will actively participate in clinical governance activities, including incident reporting, audit and quality improvement, and will support the implementation of learning into practice.
The post holder is responsible for maintaining their own professional development and ensuring their practice remains current, evidence-based and aligned with local and national guidance.
Please see Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
Person specification
Experience/Qualification
Essential criteria
1. Registered Nurse or ODP (NMC/HCPC Registered)
2. Peri operative Specialty Knowledge and skills based on the post applied for
3. Completion of Practice Supervisor/ Practice Assessor/Practice Educator or teaching and assessing qualification
4. Be highly skilled and dextrous working with technical and complex equipment including monitors, intravenous/epidural drug devices, ECG machines, USCOM, etc
5. Dual skilled scrub and anaesthetics
Desirable criteria
6. Evidence of professional development through courses and/or academic study at a minimum of post-registration level (e.g. Care of the Acutely Ill Adult) Experience of preparing and facilitating teaching sessions Completion of a leadership course
7. Experience of preparing and facilitating teaching sessions
8. Completion of a leadership course
9. Experience of shift leading
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria
10. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
11. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications