Decontamination Technician in Gateshead

We are looking for a dedicated technical decontamination specialist to support high-standard sterilisation and reusable medical device management in Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust. The position offers a rotating schedule across sterile, endoscope, logistics and theatre decontamination services, with emphasis on compliance to EN ISO 13485, JAG, UK MDR and COSHH guidelines.

Responsibilities

• The post holder will undertake decontamination and sterilisation duties according to equipment requirements and assist supervisors and managers in providing a high-quality accredited service, including logistical responsibilities, store management processes of reusable medical devices and pathology waste sterilisation.
• The post holder will receive, disassemble, clean, disinfect, reassemble, pack, sterilise, dispatch, transfer and store devices within controlled environments, maintaining comprehensive records for traceability and operating specific computer and database applications.
• The employee must work in accordance with national guidance, published research, departmental SOPs and quality management systems to ensure an effective and compliant service.
• The role is rotational across sterile services, endoscopy decontamination, SSD logistics, theatre store and pathology decontamination, reprocessing of surgical instrumentation, endoscopes, theatre logistics and pathology reprocessing waste.
• Inform senior staff if asked or expected to work unsupervised without the relevant training or level of competence.
• Attend training courses and partake in mandatory and non-mandatory training strategies, which may include overnight stays away from home.
• Participate in own 1:1 meetings and PDP development.
• Assist with the supervision and teaching of decontamination practices to new and less experienced technicians.
• Support departmental needs to ensure monitoring, maintenance and servicing of endoscopes and theatre instruments, minimizing service disruption and reporting to senior staff.
• Ensure routine tests are undertaken and recorded in accordance with planned preventive maintenance schedules, quality standards and guidance.
• Undertake regular audits of decontamination and sterilisation processes and address any discrepancies to departmental guidelines.
• Adhere to COSHH recommendations and conduct risk assessments appropriate to the clinical area.
• Inspect equipment within the decontamination cycle to ensure processes are effective.
• Recognise devices by name, ensure theatre trays and endoscopes are repacked correctly with ancillary items, and check loan devices/trays to deliver correct items before clinical use.
• Attend and participate in departmental meetings.
• Support the development or refreshing of SOPs according to service changes and modernisation.
• Come into contact with remnants of blood, body tissue or offensive by-products as part of the cleaning cycles.
• The role is physically demanding, requiring significant manual handling.

Application Process

Applicants who have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date are to assume their application has been unsuccessful.