Sterile services hub support worker
The closing date is 05 November 2025
The Nightingale building is part of our elective general surgery hospital which has two theatres and a treatment suite, a new theatre is currently being built and is planned to open late 2025
Captain Sir Tom Moore Hospital
This site has 5 elective surgery theatres and a treatment room and covers general specialities, and elective orthopaedic surgery including joint replacement.
Warrington Hospital
There are eight theatres on the Warrington acute site which provides services for the following specialties: Gynaecology, Obstetrics, General Surgery including laparoscopic surgery, Urology, Breast Surgery, ENT, Dental, Colorectal including laparoscopic surgery, Ophthalmic, Trauma & Orthopaedic, and Paediatrics.
We also provide a 24 hour Trauma, Obstetric and Emergency service. As part of this service staff whom are based on this site are required to support emergencies and provide an out of hours service including rotation onto nights and an on call Rota.
Main duties of the job
As a theatre department hub assistant you will be required to ensure all equipment needed for theatre lists is available and ready to use, this includes liaising with the theatre teams to check which equipment is needed, communicating with sterile service off site regarding equipment. The hub sterile service assistant will provide a quality service maintaining the integrity of sterile instruments and items by receiving and checking stock. To advise theatre staff of issues, to work under minimal supervision when competent. The job also would involve the transfer of equipment between locations, checking theatre supplies. The successful candidate will be required to set equipment and sundries for future cases. Good communication skills and the ability to work within a multidisciplinary team are essential. All applicants will be expected to possess excellent team working qualities, be forward thinking with willingness to learn new skills. This post involves moving and handling of equipment between the 2 Halton sites so good physical health is important, moving and handling training will be given to the successful candidate. Regular reviews will support your progress in conjunction with online e-learning, and other in-house training and competencies will be set to assess your progress.
About us
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a caring and compassionate organisation that is both ambitious and innovative. We are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our patients and providing a positive experience of our staff. 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.
We employ nearly 5,000 people from over 80 nationalities, striving to be a diverse, inclusive employer and recognised leader in equality. We support flexible working, welcoming flexible applications. Proud of our many accreditations, we are embedding an anti-racist approach in all we do.
Job responsibilities
Professional
* To ensure effective communication with patients, colleagues and across the multi-disciplinary team.
* To refer enquiries via the Theatre Team Leader (or designated Leader) to the appropriate area. This role involves communicating effectively, in an empathic way, with colleagues and patients.
* To use acquired knowledge of workplace to undertake the requirements of the role.
* To work within limits of competency and level of training, to participate in the Performance Development Review (PDR)
* As a theatre department hub assistant you will be required to ensure all equipment needed for theatre lists is available and ready to use, this includes liaising with the theatre teams to check which equipment is needed, communicating with sterile service off site regarding equipment. The hub sterile service assistant will provide a quality service maintaining the integrity of sterile instruments and items by receiving and checking stock.
* To advise theatre staff on issues, to work under minimal supervision when competent. The job also would involve the transfer of equipment between locations, checking theatre supplies and incorporating stock replenishment.
* Good communication skills and the ability to work within a multidisciplinary team are essential. All applicants will be expected to possess excellent team working qualities, be forward thinking with willingness to learn new skills.
* This post involves moving and handling equipment between the 2 Halton sites so good physical health is important, moving and handling training will be given to the successful candidate.
* An example might be transfer of medical devices and instrumentation sets within the department or to other areas of the 2 Hospitals.
* Whilst this post does not hold specific responsibility for undertaking surveys, reports or Audit, the post holder will be expected to support colleagues with these responsibilities.
* To ensure effective communication with colleagues, interdepartmental personnel and Steris Healthcare
* To be cognizant of Steris policies and procedures
* To provide a quality service, maintaining the integrity of sterile instruments and items by receiving, checking and rotating stock
* To advise theatre staff of any missing trays or instruments
* To undertake routine duties under minimal supervision
* Provide cover for colleague absence and take a flexible approach to work within the department
* To transfer equipment between locations and checking incoming theatre supplies and incorporate stock replenishment.
Clinical
* To contribute the care of patients in respect of infection control, integrity, storage and stock rotation of instruments sets and supplementary items
* To fill orders supplied by the theatre team for their operating lists and liaise with teams regarding this.
Organisational
* To perform work and or procedures as per allocation.
* To work in accordance with agreed operational policies. To have knowledge of and be conversant with Trust Policies and Procedures.
* To participate in the safe use of medical devices, ensuring that all equipment is maintained in working order.
* To assist in the cost effective and efficient utilisation of hospital supplies and resources.
* Ensuring appropriate stock‑levels are maintained within the remit of the post. For example, as a team member, ensuring that the area to which he/she has been allocated has adequate and appropriate stock.
* To assist in the induction and ongoing support of new and junior staff. All members of the Theatre team are expected to support colleagues as required.
* To accurately record patient care/intervention data electronically and in hard copy for approval by the Theatre Team Leader (or designated Leader). To complete timesheets and similar work records legibly and accurately.
* To work according to Team leader (or delegated Leader) instructions and within well‑established procedures and/or practices.
* To receive electronically scan and check the instruments from Steris
* To complete nonconformity paperwork and report any issues to Steris
* To collect instruments from appropriate areas and departments
* to assist support of new staff
Physical
* To adhere to Trust Manual Handling policy and procedure in executing the safe transfer and anatomical positioning of conscious, semi‑conscious and unconscious patients throughout the perioperative episode. This will require moving patients/heavy weights (over 15 kilos) with mechanical aids, standing for long periods and moving light and moderately heavy (within EU guidelines) goods between locations within the department (stock and instrumentation trays) on a daily basis.
* To be able to maintain concentration where the work pattern is predictable.
* This job entails occasional exposure to traumatic circumstances, this job may require at times to transport patients to and from ward and theatres on either beds trolleys or wheelchairs.
Quality Assurance
To support Team Leaders in the delivery of Quality Assurance programmes. To identify factors which affect quality of patient care and bring to the attention of the Team Leaders.
Use of Resources
To support the senior staff in ensuring that resources are used appropriately and keep waste to a minimum. To constantly seek to improve use of resources within Theatres. To ensure that all equipment is cared for, cleaned and stored to provide optimum levels of service. To educate new staff in the economic use of non‑staff resources. Theatre Information System. To ensure that the maintenance of accurate records is achieved. To support any development in Theatre Information System. To accurately report all patient care/intervention data electronically and in hard copy.
Communications
To be responsible for promoting good and effective communications within the Department.
To actively promote a positive image of the Department and Directorate at all times.
Person Specification
Experience
* experience of working in an acute health care setting
* experience of working in a sterile services environment
Qualifications
* good level of education
* accurate in numeracy and literacy
* basic IT skills
* evidence of personal development
skills knowlwdge and competancy
* ability to demonstrate and understanding of the role
* ability to communicate effectively
specific job requirements
* self motivated
* good time management
* ability to perform a wide range of duties
* reliable and enthusiastic
moving and handling
* ability to assist in the safe moving of heavy loads
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.
Employer name
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT
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