Job summary
- Main area
- Ophthalmology
- Grade
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent: on calls
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (shifts and on calls)
- Job ref
- 390-SUR-SO-5191-A
- Employer
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Southend
- Town
- Essex
- Salary
- Per Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time)
- Closing
- 24/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Senior Health Care Assistant - Theatre
Band 3
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.
Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.
We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.
Job overview
-
Do you want to make a difference to people’s lives?
We are looking for individuals with experience to work in healthcare, to join the NHS family helping people from your local community. Healthcare Support Worker opportunities are available in Acute Opthalmology.
No experience? No problem. We will teach you everything you need to know. To us, it is more important that you are a caring and kind person with a genuine desire to help and support patients and their families. If this sounds like you, then you already have the skills that make a great Health Care Support Worker.
Right from the time you join us, you will have access to learning, development and training opportunities. As you progress in your NHS career you will acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to provide safe and compassionate patient care.
Mid and South Essex is a great place to work, offering a working environment with an inclusive culture that looks after and values our people and creates a sense of belonging. We encourage applications from people who embrace our values and who will enable us to expand our diverse workforce.
The Healthcare Support Worker role can also lead to a range of career opportunities. With the right support, those who want to can undertake the necessary training to become our future nurses, nursing associates and midwives. You is expected to work within Ophthalmology MSE across the three sites
Main duties of the job
-
As a Health Care Support Worker, you will be a hugely valuable support to our Nursing and Midwifery teams providing care to our patients. Every day will be different and you will work alongside the rest of the team carrying out a wide range of tasks and assisting with care to support the needs of the patients and their families.
Examples of what you may do as part of your role:
· Washing and dressing patients
· Serving meals and feeding patients
· Helping patients to move around
· Making beds
· Talking to patients and their families
· Monitoring patient condition
Skills and personal attributes needed:
· Caring and kind
· Cheerful and friendly
· Keen to support patients with their personal needs including washing and toileting
· Able to follow direct instructions
· Happy to work in a team but also able to use own initiative
· Have good listening and communication skills
· Be well organised
Full time and part time positions are available, and we are open to discuss flexible working arrangements. This opportunity is available for candidates who have the right to work in the UK. Applications from underrepresented groups including LGBT+, Ethnic Minority or disabled people are particularly welcome.
Working for our organisation
Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.
We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- What we Offer:
- Range of opportunities for flexible working
- Strong team ethos
- NHS salary structure and pension
- 27 days holiday plus days off for bank holidays worked
- Enhanced pay when you work unsocial hours
- Maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Childcare vouchers
- Wide range of LGBTI+ initiatives
- Health service discounts and online benefits
- Health and wellbeing support
- Discounts on public transport
- Disability Confident Reasonable adjustments
For further details please refer to the job description.
** We look forward to hearing from you and wish you good luck **
Person specification
worked in hospital setting
Essential criteria
- previous experience as a HCA
- care certificate and evidence of CPD
Desirable criteria
- previous experience in theatre
ophthalmology experience
Essential criteria
- technical skills
Desirable criteria
- previous ophthalmology experience
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Georgina Overell
- Job title
- Ophthalmic Theater Nurse Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01702 345555
- Additional information
01702 435555 ext 37955
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