Theatre Healthcare Support Worker - Band 3 in Cheltenham

At Gloucestershire Hospitals, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the county’s largest employer, we are proud to provide high-quality acute, elective, and specialist services to over 650,000 people across our county. Our care is delivered across Gloucestershire Royal, Cheltenham General and Stroud Maternity Hospital. With over 9,000 employees representing more than 95 nationalities, we bring together a mix of cultures and experiences to the care that we deliver.

Whether you’re beginning your NHS journey or looking to take the next step in your career, this is an exciting time to join us. We’re investing heavily in innovation, research, and transformation, with more than 100 active clinical studies and major developments underway across our hospitals. We take pride in working as one team, driven by a shared ambition to grow, develop, and continually improve. Every contribution is valued, and by combining our collective strengths, we support not only our diverse communities but one another.

You can expect a warm, supportive culture and colleagues who are passionate about teamwork, professional development and delivering exceptional care. We offer structured development programmes, mentoring and leadership opportunities to help you progress in your career. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong.

By joining our Trust, you will benefit from a comprehensive package that includes flexible working opportunities, generous annual leave, the NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, local discounts, access to on-site nurseries, reduced public transport costs, reward and recognition schemes and a wide range of health and wellbeing initiatives.

Job overview: We are looking for enthusiastic, motivated and dynamic team members to join our theatre teams within Gloucestershire Hospitals. This is an exciting opportunity to prove yourself by becoming an integral part of Gloucestershire Hospitals Theatre team. We provide a 24-hour service, covering all surgical specialties. Previous experience is desirable; however, a full, robust package of training will be provided as well as an allocated team of mentors to ensure competence in the new role is obtained.

Main duties of the job:

• Performing in a circulating role within the theatre environment.
• Ability to work where the work pattern may be unpredictable e.g. prioritising patient demands and unexpected changes to theatre operating lists and location.
• Ability to work a flexible shift pattern covering a 24-hour service, including night shifts, weekends and bank holidays.
• Maintaining a sterile environment.
• Ensuring appropriate documentation is complete.
• Checking of equipment prior to surgery following appropriate training.
• Safe transfer of patients, in line with training and manual handling.
• Restocking of theatre supplies relevant to speciality.
• Use of specialist equipment relevant to emergency surgery and all related areas.
• Handling and delivery of specimens.
• Maintenance and ordering of stock where appropriate.
• Contribution to appropriate infection & prevention control.
• Handling of speciality related refuse.
• Use of all related IT systems.

Working for our organisation: We are one of the largest Trusts in the country, with a turnover of £420 million. We employ more than 8,000 staff and provide specialist, personalised care. We have 30 operating theatres across 3 sites. In addition to Trauma and Orthopaedics, we cover a range of other operating specialities, including Upper and Lower GI, Breast, Gynaecology, Urology, Vascular, Emergency Surgery, ENT, Oral and Maxillofacial, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Paediatrics. Both the emergency and obstetric theatres provide 24/7 service, 365 days a year, and our other specialities work a variety of shifts to cover a 7-day service.

Most Challenging Part of the Job:

• Ability to adapt to a challenging specialist environment.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Occasionally dealing with difficult people and situations.

Physical Effort and Working Conditions:

• Will be required to work within the recognised Manual Handling Guidelines.
• May be expected to frequently manoeuvre patients/objects over 15kg for short periods of time.
• Will have possible exposure to unpleasant working conditions and will be required to follow policies and procedures pertaining to bodily fluids, Infection Control and COSHH regulations.
• Ability to work where the work pattern may be unpredictable e.g. prioritising patient demands and unexpected changes to theatre operating lists.
• Will be required to work flexibly including weekends and evenings on a rostered basis.

Person specification:

• Qualifications: GCSE Maths and English grade C or above (grades 4-9).
• Experience Knowledge / Skills: Insight into the roles and responsibilities of the position, excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work flexibly, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received. You will only be contacted by the Recruitment Team via email if you are shortlisted for this post. Please ensure therefore that you check your e-mail account regularly.

If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points-based system.

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.