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Job summary

Main area
Frailty
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
374-LBCG1926
Employer
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
EDGH
Town
Eastbourne
Salary
£25,760 - £27,476 per annum, pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
01/05/2026 23:59

Employer heading

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust logo

Doctors Assistant

NHS AfC: Band 3

We are proud to provide ‘Outstanding’ care and be a great place to work.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust provides safe, compassionate and high quality hospital and community care to the half a million people living in East Sussex and those who visit our local area. 


We are one of the largest organisations in East Sussex with an annual income of £700 million and we are the only integrated provider of acute and community care in Sussex. 


Our extensive health services are provided by over 8,000+ dedicated members of staff working from two acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, three community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield, over 100 community sites across East Sussex, and in people’s own homes. 


The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated us as ‘Good’ overall, and ‘Outstanding’ for being Caring and Effective. The Conquest Hospital in Hastings and our Community Services were rated ‘Outstanding’ and Eastbourne DGH was rated ‘Good’ Our two acute hospitals have Emergency Departments and provide 24 hour a day care, offering a comprehensive range of surgical, medical, outpatient and maternity services, supported by a full range of diagnostic and therapy services. 

 

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Care of the Elderly team at Litlington Ward Eastbourne District General Hospital.
The Doctors’ Assistant will work as part of a multidisciplinary team supporting the care of frail older patients, contributing to timely assessment, treatment, and discharge planning. The role involves both clinical and administrative support to medical staff, helping to improve patient flow and experience.

You will work closely with doctors, nurses, and therapists, requiring excellent communication, organisation, and prioritisation skills. Experience in caring for older adults, including those with frailty, dementia, and complex needs, is desirable.

Main duties of the job

Doctors’ Assistants work alongside Doctors to support their inpatient/ward work. The role combines a range of clinical and administrative competencies. The post holder will work with some autonomy alongside Resident Doctors, with Clinical supervision provided by a supervising Consultant body.

The post holder works as part of the medical team under the supervision of the Doctors and supports them by participating in the delivery of patient care. The post holder will be expected to be self-motivated and use judgement and initiative where appropriate, supported by relevant training.

The post holder is an integral part of the medical team and may be embedded within the team of medical staff / service leads attached specifically to Litlington EDGH.The post holder may in the future form part of an internal rota; that is working shifts to meet service needs, and may include Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank holidays if required.

This post has no involvement with medication – transcription and prescription are not part of this role.

Working for our organisation

A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.

In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year. 

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.

Statement on the Use of AI

We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.

Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.

We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the job description attached.

 If you have any questions about this position please do not hesitate to contact us.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Qualified to NVQ level 3 in healthcare in an acute hospital setting, or equivalent level of knowledge and experience AND/OR Commits to undertake the level 3 apprenticeship programme for Doctors Assistant within 9 months of being in post
  • Care certificate
Desirable criteria
  • Completion of ESHT Trust Certification for:  Venepuncture  Cannulation,  Blood cultures  Female Catheterisation

Experience

Essential criteria
  • At least 12 months experience working at Healthcare Assistant level in an Acute setting.
  • A range of clinical experience in both medical and surgical settings.

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Good IT skills
  • Ability to record personal generated information
  • Strong organisation and time management skills
  • Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team
  • Ability to work with colleagues in other specialities
  • Ability to communicate effectively using persuasion, tact, empathy, and reassurance
  • Ability to overcome communication barriers with patients
  • Ability to organise and prioritise own day to day work tasks and activities
  • Ability to plan own work from tasks delegated by medical professionals
  • Possessing a personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources including safe use of equipment
  • Ability to demonstrate duties to new starters
  • Professional appearance and manner
  • Flexible approach
  • Self-starter

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyDisability confident leaderImproving working livesCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardNational Preceptorship for Nursing Quality MarkGold Award 2026 - Wellbeing at Work - East Sussex

Applicant requirements

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Yones Castro
Job title
Service Manager
Email address
[email protected]
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