Job summary
- Main area
- 317 Electronics - Corporate
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 317-2025-20-40-DR
- Employer
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Victoria Infirmary
- Town
- 317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary
- Salary
- £29,970 - £36,483 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 27/05/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 20/06/2025
Employer heading

Instrument Curator
Band 5
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job overview
There is a requirement for an enthusiastic person to join a small team responsible for the care, maintenance and repair of the Trust’s stock of surgical and mechanical instruments and power tools covering a wide range of devices from General, Gynaecological, ENT, Dental, Laparoscopic, Ophthalmic, Neurological, Arthroscopic and Orthopaedic surgical specialities.
- Interview Date: 20 June 2025
- 37 hours 30 minutes/week
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
Main duties of the job
Applicants should be qualified in a mechanical engineering discipline to HNC level or equivalent and possess a sound knowledge of current mechanical engineering techniques along with a proven mechanical aptitude. Applicants should be dexterous and have experience of working with standard mechanical hand tools, lathes, grinders, drills, taps and dies. Experience of tool cutting/grinding would be advantageous.
Previous healthcare experience and a familiarity with surgical instruments would be a benefit but not essential.
You will use a range of engineering techniques and equipment in your day to day role to maintain surgical instruments to a high level.
Working for our organisation
Our staff oversee over 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:
• Freeman Hospital
• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
• Northern Genetics Service
• Cramlington Manor Walks
These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- The Instrument Curator is responsible for the maintenance, fault diagnosis and repair of a wide and complex range of surgical instruments and power tools including General, Gynaecological, ENT, Dental, Laparoscopic, Ophthalmic, Arthroscopic and Orthopaedic Instruments requiring a sound knowledge of current mechanical engineering techniques.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- A comprehensive knowledge of current mechanical engineering practice is essential
- Understanding of metallurgy
- Proven machining/fabricating skills
Skills
Essential criteria
- Good interpersonal skills, in person and by telephone
- Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with staff, suppliers, and customers
- Excellent analytical skills
Desirable criteria
- Toolmaker, skilled mechanical engineer
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience in a mechanical maintenance/repair related discipline
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- A minimum of a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering
Desirable criteria
- ECDL or recognised IT competency qualification
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Andrew Mountain
- Job title
- Chief Technician
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0191 2821802
List jobs with The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Support Services or all sectors