Job summary
- Main area
- Surgical Assistant
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (May be required to work out of hours and weekends where service demand indicates)
- Job ref
- 408-25-809
- Employer
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Clatterbridge Hospital
- Town
- Wirral
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Surgical First Assistant
Band 6
To discover why you should consider applying for a role at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, please watch our video and hear directly from our staff about what it’s truly like to work at WUTH and its surrounding areas: https://youtu.be/Z5oMaNXprn8
Job overview
Wirral University Teaching Hospital is proud and excited to be the Cheshire and South Mersey Elective hub for elective recovery. Our development on our Clatterbridge Hospital site has commissioned 4 operating theatres, a 35 bedded phased recovery unit and associated inpatient beds. Clatterbridge Hospital currently has 6 operating theatres and a minor procedure room within the Perioperative Medicine Directorate. Operating theatres are managed with the Directorate of Perioperative Medicine. The directorate has over 440 staff and supports services including:
- Pre-operative Assessment
- Surgical Elective Admissions Lounge (SEAL) at the Arrowe Park Hospital site
- Acute & Chronic Pain services
- Operating Theatres
- 3 Phase recovery
- Clatterbridge Hospital (CGH) Day Ward
- Department of Anaesthesia
- Sterile Services Department
- Surgical Inpatient Ward (M2) CGH Site.
This is an exciting development on the site and to support delivery, we are looking for motivated, innovative, and patient focused staff to join our surgical assistant team. We have a dynamic plan to support regional activity in specialisms such as Orthopaedics, Breast, General Surgery, Plastics, and Urology with future developments including a robot to support urology cancer delivery on site.
We will consider a trainee surgical first assistant if trainee criteria and experience are met.
Interviews will be held on the 6th October 2025.
Main duties of the job
The role of the surgical first assistant is to provide skilled surgical assistance throughout the perioperative journey of our patients . Working as part of the perioperative multi disciplinary team the surgical first assistant under the direction of senior medical teams and perioperative leaders will provide optimal surgical assistance across a number of specialisms to the highest standards of care.
We are looking for a qualified Surgical first assistant to support delivery of patient care, and welcome applications from existing perioperative practitioners (Nurse and ODP ) who are looking to develop into surgical first assistants. This role will cover surgical assisting in :
Orthopaedics, General Surgery, Urology, Gynaecology, Breast & Plastic Surgery
There will be cross site expectation - APH & CGH
This role also encompasses scrub duties, as required.
Working for our organisation
All new colleagues can expect to receive a warm and friendly Wirral welcome from the very first time they make contact with us. We are described as “competent and caring staff” by our patients.
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is situated on The Wirral peninsula which has a stunning coastline and beautiful countryside surroundings, with great activities for its residents.
We are one of the largest and busiest acute Trusts in the North West of England, comprising of the Wirral’s only Emergency Department. We provide a high quality range of acute care services and employ over 6,000 staff, who serve a population of approximately 400,000 people across Wirral, Ellesmere Port, Neston, North Wales and the wider North West footprint.
We have approximately 855 beds trust-wide and our financial turnover is in excess of £337m.
The Wirral is easily accessible with excellent transport links including motorway, train, bus or ferry and within easy reach to the major cities of Liverpool, Chester and Manchester as well as neighbouring North Wales.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We can support practitioners to gain the skills they need to develop both their leadership and clinical journeys. We are able to offer you education and training (role specific) in
- Advanced Life Support
- Paediatric Life Support
- Post registration Degree pathways in:
- Healthcare leadership and management
- Perioperative care of the patient
- Care Certification
- Quality Assessment Framework in clinical support activities
- Modern Apprentices - both registered and unregistered
- Masters Level education (course dependent)
- Mentorship
- Preceptorship
The successful candidate will be supported into their new role with a preceptorship pack for new starters, a period of supervised practice for registered practitioners and a local training programme for all staff who start within perioperative medicine. The directorate is supported by a dedicated perioperative education team who will provide induction, guidance, and support during your career at WUTH.
For further information about the Surgical First Assistant role available with WUTH, please see Job overview & attached Job description.
Person specification
Qualifications, Specific Experience & Training
Essential criteria
- Registered General Nurse or Operating Department Practitioner
- Surgical First Assistant Course (Part 1, 2 & Enhanced Surgical Skills Course)
- Evidence of continued professional development
Desirable criteria
- Mentorship – Leadership Course
- Educated to degree level
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Substantial years post registration experience in Surgical environment
- Advanced clinical knowledge in field of General Surgery
- Knowledge of legal and ethical issues surrounding extended roles
- Knowledge of change management
- Excellent clinical skills
- Presentation skills
- Ability to research outcomes to Clinical and Surgical problems
- Ability to assist in facilitating a learning environment conductive to the acquisition of further knowledge and skills
- Ability to share knowledge and expertise with other areas
Desirable criteria
- Clinical supervision and clinical education experience
- Knowledge of strategic issues which influence area of practice at a local/national level
- Leadership and management skills
- Excellent organisational and time management skills
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to prioritise effectively
- Ability to work as autonomously using own initiative, and as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- Ability to identify own learning needs and professional development in liaison with SCP/Directorate Manager
- Excellent problem solving/conflict resolution skills
- Flexible approach to working pattern
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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
- Claire Kilbride
- Job title
- Lead Surgical Care Practitioner
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0151 678 5111
- Additional information
Claire Kilbride Internal extension: 5069
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