Job summary
- Main area
- Operating Department
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 430-SURG1557A-B5
- Employer
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Theatres (Dept)
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Salary
- £29,970 - £36,483 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 24/04/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 28/04/2025
Employer heading

Theatres Practitioner
Band 5
MKUH staff scored highest for ‘I look forward to coming to work’ (NHS Staff Survey 2023).
You can expect a warm welcome at Milton Keynes University Hospital, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At MKUH we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:
- Free on-site parking
- Free refreshments
- Great flexible working opportunities
- Discounted gym membership
- Lease car scheme
- Generous annual leave and pension scheme
- On site nursery (chargeable)
- Extensive staff health and well-being programme
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.
Job overview
Are you a band 5 Nurse looking to work in busy and challenging Operating department? We would love you to come and join our fantastic Operating Team at Milton Keynes University NHS Hospital.
Milton Keynes University Hospitals NHS Trust is a medium sized, level 2 trauma facility, comprising approximately 500 beds.
This is an excellent opportunity for qualified Theatre nurses/ Anaesthetic nurses/ registered ODP, with experience as scrub/ anaesthetic practitioners, to join our team within the busy operating department. Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) consists of 12 theatres and 2 recovery areas, over two sites within the hospital. We cover a range of specialities including trauma and orthopaedic, general surgery, urology, gynaecology, obstetrics, ENT and ophthalmology.
At MKUHFT there are exciting opportunities to train to be part of our Surgical teams performing procedures with the use of the Versius Surgical Robot. Milton Keynes was one of the first Trusts in the country to use this innovative system that enables clinicians to perform complex procedures with reduced impact on our patients resulting in faster recovery times, less time in hospital and a reduced risk of infections in Colorectal, General Surgery and Gynaecology.
We also routinely run Paediatric Super Days, Cancer Surgery Super Days and high volume, low complexity lists for ophthalmology and orthopaedics.
Interview date: 28th April 2025
Main duties of the job
Flexibility is embraced, with 64% expressing satisfaction with the flexible working patterns available to accommodate diverse needs. (NHS Staff Survey 2023)
This is a 37.5 hour a week full-time post covering 24 hours/7 days a week service and will therefore internal rotation between and day and night shifts and on-calls. You will be given a rotation plan to ensure you maintain competencies in 2 or 3 areas of practice to support your professional development. Multi-skilled nurses, ODPs, and Anaesthetic/scrub with current experience are also encouraged to apply.
This opportunity will give you the opportunity to work alongside our outstanding teams within the Operating Departments. You are expected to work to high standards and maintain clinical excellence within the operating theatres, providing excellent care to all patients visiting the department. Good communication and interpersonal skills are essential.
To ensure safe and effective supervision within our theatre team and to provide skilled assistance in at least two of the three areas of the operating department (anaesthetics, scrub and recovery) whilst being responsible for providing the highest level of care to our patients at all times within the framework of the HPC & NMC codes of professional conduct.
Working for our organisation
We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute
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.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical:
· Assess, develop, implement and evaluate patient care when receiving the patient into the theatre environment, whilst supporting the patient through invasive procedures and during handover at the completion of the anaesthetic/surgical procedure.
· Prepare, assemble and check theatre and anaesthetic equipment, planning and organising their own time. Ensuring the provision of equipment and stock for procedures planned. Assist senior staff in forward planning of theatre stock as directed Rotating stock as necessary and notify senior members of staff when applicable.
· Able to act as scrub practitioner ensuring safe provision of peri-operative care to the patient within national guidelines
Quality:
· Follow directorate and trust policies that impact on the role.
· Occasionally being involved in hospital audits and clinical trials
· Be responsible for maintaining a safe environment for our patients, staff & visitors.
· Always present a professional image of his/herself
Education:
· Mentoring & teaching of unqualified staff
· Take own responsibility to attend mandatory training and participate in Trust Personal Development Review Program
· Take responsibility for the teaching and repair and maintenance of specific pieces of equipment/medical devises.
· Maintain stock levels of specialist items associated with lead areas of interest. Ensure that ongoing requirement for replacement of equipment is made known to theatre management
Managerial Responsibilities:
· Act as a role model to other staff and demonstrate specialist knowledge
· Supervision of HCA's, junior staff and less experienced staff with our clinical areas
· Ensures the theatre department is maintained in good order and that the supplies and stock levels are at adequate levels
· Liaise frequently with the sister or manager in charge of the department to ensure effective communication is maintained throughout our team
· To have a good understanding of the the hospitals policies and procedures.
Confidentiality:
All employees of the trust are required to maintain confidentiality and abide by the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential criteria
- NVQ Level 3 Operating Department Practice OR Registered General Nurse OR accredited additional qualification in anaesthetic practice equivalent to AAGBI
Desirable criteria
- DipHE Operating Department Practice
- Mentorship qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working within 2 out of 4 operative areas of anaesthetics, scrub, recovery and circulating
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to communicate sensitive and complex information to people with widely varying levels of understanding
- Ability to assess patients and plan and organise their care
- Ability to manage own workload and support more junior staff
- Ability to maintain accurate records
Personal and people development
Essential criteria
- Self motivated
- Acts as a role mode
- Has a flexible attitude
- Encourages and develops juniors and trainees
Communication
Essential criteria
- Excellent and accurate written and verbal communication skills
Specific requirements
Essential criteria
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
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
- Emma Sarnecki
- Job title
- Elective Pathway Matron - Theatres
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Informal visits are encouraged to meet our team and get a feel for the great work we do. For any further information please contact Audrey Hanopol at [email protected], or Jeff Mejares on [email protected]
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