Job summary
- Main area
- Sterile Services
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Early shift 8am – 4pm – Late shift 11am – 7pm(This also includes 1 Saturday in 4 and full participation in the weekend on call rota))
- Job ref
- 430-SURG26-827A
- Employer
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- H.S.D.U. (Dept)
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Salary
- £28,392 - £31,157 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 30/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
HSDU Decontamination Team Leader
Band 4
At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.
MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).
Our benefits
We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:
- Free on-site parking including EV charging
- Complimentary refreshments
- Flexible working arrangements
- Discounted gym membership
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
- Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
- On-site nursery (charges apply)
- A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
- VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing
Job overview
Decontamination Team Leader
Department: HSDU
Band 4 £28,392 - £31,157 per annum
Hours: Full Time 37.5 hours per week Permanent
Early shift 8am – 4pm Late shift 11am – 7pm
(This also includes 1 Saturday in 4 and full participation in the weekend on call rota)
The role includes supervision of technicians with participation in operational aspects of the department.
The unit processes reusable surgical equipment, medical devices and provides a decontamination service to theatres, wards and departments within the hospital .
The department operates from 8am – 7pm (Monday – Friday) and 8am – 4pm Saturday. An on-call system operates from 4pm Saturday until 8am Monday which forms part of this role. The on call covers trauma & emergency service for theatres and departments out of hours. Hours are being reviewed and shift times may vary with expectations the department will operate from 06.00-20.00.
The current shift patterns are 8am – 4pm (early) and 11am – 7pm (late) on a rotational basis however the person appointed would need to be flexible and change shifts at short notice to manage service needs.
You will have recent HSDU experience and be familiar with the operational aspects of a Quality Management System .You should hold an e-learning qualification in decontamination and you will be required to complete the introduction certificate in team leading.
Interview Date: 20 May 2026
Please note that we are not able to offer sponsorship for this role.
Main duties of the job
73.8% of this team would strongly recommend their organisation as an excellent place to work. NHS Staff Survey2024
'We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute'
To participate in the provision of a specialised decontamination of medical devices service contributing to the clinical care of the patient.
To perform a full range of decontamination duties.
Manages Decontamination records in own area of work.
Provide a high quality and timely service to all customers.
To ensure Departmental Standard Operating Procedures are adhered to by all
Healthcare Science staff in accordance with Quality Management Systems.
Plan your own workload and work with minimal supervision.
To supervise a team in the HSDU Department to ensure the team objectives are achieved.
Working for our organisation
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a “Good” rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.
As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.
We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.
Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards – a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards – and the recently approved Women and Children’s Centre, set to open by 2030.
Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -
For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Join #TeamSurgery at Milton Keynes University Hospital
The surgery division at MKUH, which covers specialties including theatres and the Intensive Care Unit, offers a variety of roles and opportunities, both clinical and non-clinical. The division are looking for passionate, enthusiastic and forward-thinking professionals to join the team.
MKUH is one of the leading hospitals in Europe for implementing robotics to assist in surgery, becoming the first in the continent to use the CMR Versius robot for gynaecological surgery. Since its introduction in 2019, the theatres team have completed over 500 surgical cases, the first hospital in the UK to reach this milestone, achieving this in March 2023.
As well as being an innovator in robotics, the Trust is proud to be part of the New Hospital Programme, with plans to expand and increase our surgical capacity to meet the health needs of our communities now and in the future.
With a leading benefits package, and a growing hospital estate to meet one of the fastest growing populations in the country, it is a great time to join MKUH.
Find out more about working in #TeamSurgery at MKUH from the people who work across the division in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mYel-Y9nrU
Communications/Working relationships
To communicate all relevant information within the team to ensure the continual and efficient running of the service.
To communicate and supervise the enquires from users, and other members of healthcare staff in a polite and helpful manner, seeking scientific advice from Senior Team Leader or manager where required.
Scientific, Technical & Analytical
To direct the reprocessing of reusable medical devices: disassembly, cleaning, disinfection, checking, assembly, sterilisation, despatch and tracking in a controlled environment.
To ensure routine testing of decontamination equipment at the appropriate intervals to analyse and take appropriate action on any malfunction.
Resources
To monitor stocks of raw materials as requested and to take appropriate action on any deficiencies, assist in the evaluation of new products.
To operate decontamination equipment and carry out routine tests in accordance with Planned Preventative Maintenance Schedules, Quality Standards and Guidance.
Policies/Audit
To attend quality group meeting, to discuss objectives and action plan for improvement.
To have an understanding of the Department’s Quality Policy, Quality Manual and Standard Operating Procedures to ensure that a high standard of work is maintained at all times.
Education and training
Attend staff meetings and mandatory training sessions and contribute by making constructive suggestions on how services can be improved.
To maintain compliance to all statutory and mandatory training as defined by the organisation and service needs.
Research
To participate in the Department’s audits, and assist in the audit of data held on the decontamination information systems.
Coordinate, monitor and record trials as requested.
Management
To provide practical support and training to new and less experienced/qualified staff.
To monitor technicians’ performance and provide support
To monitor compliance with dress code, maintenance of the clean working environment.
Training and Development
Attend mandatory training updates as required.
Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.
Autonomy
Required to work within the limits of their own competence and level of responsibility.
Required to prioritise their own workload and organise their own work to meet these priorities and reduce risks to quality.
Major Incident
In the event of a major incident or civil unrest all Trust employees will be expected to report for duty on notification. All Trust staff are also expected to play an active part in training and preparation for a major incident or civil unrest.
This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.
Please refer to the attached Job Description for further details
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of current guidance and legislative requirements for decontamination
- 5 GCSE’s including maths & english
- Basic IT Skills
- Certificate in Decontamination Practices (e-learning Decontamination) or equivalent experience
- NVQ 4/5 (diploma level or equivalent or equivalent level of experience)
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of Decontamination Principles
- Understanding of the ISO 13485 accreditation
Experience
Essential criteria
- Previous experience in Sterile Services Decontamination 9SSD) environment
- Previous experience in handling delicate equipment
- Working to set timeframes
- Experience of working within Decontamination guidelines
Desirable criteria
- Previous team leader experience
Skills
Essential criteria
- Leadership with a strong focus on timely delivery of service
- Ability to develop staff and motivate team working
- Identify staff training needs
- Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
- Maintain a flexible approach
- Interpret Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Able to interpret Independent Monitoring System (IMS) results and train others to do so
Desirable criteria
- Participate in writing/reviewing SOP's
- Demonstrate negotiation skills
Personal and people development
Essential criteria
- Ability to instruct and mentor staff
- Carry out staff Personal Development Plans (PDPs)
Communication
Essential criteria
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Strong influencing skills
- Ability to instruct and inform in a clear concise manner
- To communicate effectively even when under pressure
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Marea Lawford
- Job title
- Head Of Decontamination
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01908 996683
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