Job summary
Surgical First Assistant
Full time (including evenings and weekends) - 37.5 hours per week

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Surgical First Assistant to join the Trauma and Orthopaedic Team at Mersey & West Lancashire NHS Teaching Hospitals.

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate skills in communication, co-ordination of care and an ability to work flexibly within a multi-disciplinary team. Providing excellent patient experience is critical for all our patients and you will play a key role in ensuring that experience is optimised through accessible and effective communication with compassion and empathy.

Self-motivation is essential along with a passion, drive, adaptability and resilience to cope with change within the Trust and wider NHS.

This role will include evening and potentially weekend working as well as assisting on theatre lists across all MWL Hospital sites depending on service need.

An Enhanced DBS with barred lists for both Adults and Children is required for the post.

Please note the JD and PS are subject to AfC review.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will assist in all aspects of Trauma and Orthopaedics and provide specialist perioperative expertise in the Surgical First Assistant role, facilitating evidence based patient centred care for patients undergoing surgery.

You will assist with the co-ordination and smooth running of the Trauma and Orthopaedic operating sessions by liaising with theatre and other personnel as appropriate to maintain safe levels of patient care throughout the surgical procedure.

This role will include evening and potentially weekend working as well as assisting on theatre lists across all MWL Hospital sites depending on service need.

About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers and Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing and AHP Preceptorship Programme

Details
Date posted: 20 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 409-8310881
Job locations: Whiston Hospital, Warrington Road, Prescot, L35 5DR, United Kingdom

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Registered General Nurse or Operating Department Practitioner
• Surgical First Assistant Course (Part 1, Part 2 and Enhanced Surgical Skills Course)
• Educated to degree level or equivalent theatre experience
• Evidence of continued professional development

Desirable

• Mentorship Course
• Leadership Course
• Advanced or Intermediate Life Support Training
• Enhanced Orthopaedic Surgical Skills course, or working towards

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• Substantial years post registration experience in Orthopaedic Surgical Environment
• Clinical supervision and clinical education experience
• Advanced clinical knowledge in field of Orthopaedics
• Knowledge of legal and ethical issues surrounding extended roles
• Knowledge of strategic issues which influence area of practice at a local or national level
• Knowledge of change management

Skills
Essential

• Excellent clinical skills
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Presentation skills
• Leadership and management skills
• Ability to prioritise effectively
• Ability to research outcomes to Clinical and Surgical problems
• Ability to work autonomously using own initiative, and as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Computer literate
• Ability to identify own learning needs and professional development in liaison with SCP or Directorate Manager
• Ability to assist in facilitating a learning environment conducive to the acquisition of further knowledge and skills
• Ability to share knowledge and expertise with other areas
• Ability to contribute to the development of teaching strategies appropriate to the learning needs of junior medical staff or colleagues
• Excellent problem solving and conflict resolution skills

Other
Essential

• Flexible approach to working pattern (including evening and weekend working)

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Address: Whiston Hospital, Warrington Road, Prescot, L35 5DR, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Advanced Surgical Nurse Practitioner, Kimberley Lucas, Kimberley.Lucas@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk, 01512904234

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