Job summary
The closing date is 17 July 2026

Band 6 Theatre Practitioner (Nurse or Operating Department Practitioner) Theatres - Scrub - Orthopaedics 2 x 37.5 hour posts and General Surgery Part time 28 hours per week Band 6 £39,959 - £48,117 per annum, pro rata if part time Hours: 37.5 per week all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working

Milton Keynes University Hospital is recruiting enthusiastic Band 6 Theatre Practitioners with current NMC or HCPC registration to join its expanding theatre service. The successful candidates will deliver safe, high-quality perioperative care within a multidisciplinary team and take on a leadership role in supporting colleagues, promoting best practice, and contributing to service development.Applicants should have significant experience in orthopaedic and/or general surgery theatres, excellent communication and organisational skills, leadership experience or potential, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.MKUH continues to invest in innovation, having completed its 1,000th robotic surgery in August 2025. Robotic-assisted procedures are now routinely carried out across colorectal, urology, gynaecology, and general surgery specialties.For further information or an informal visit, contact:
Jeff Mejares, Senior Team Leader Orthopaedics - 01908 995585Alicia Tabada, Senior Team Leader General Surgery - 01908 995561
Interviews: Week commencing 20 July 2026.

Main duties of the job
94% feel that their role makes a difference to patience and service users. ''NHS Survey, 2024''
'We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute'

The theatres at MKGH are split into two suites with a total of 12 operating theatres, and a procedure room suite which undertakes both elective and emergency work. The role of the Band 6 is to assist in theatres in the delivery of safe and effective care to the patient.

About us
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.

As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.

We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.

Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards - and the recently approved Women and Children's Centre, set to open by 2030.

Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -
For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes

Job responsibilities
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.
Apply through our website

Managerial and Leadership Responsibilities
Manage overall responsibility of the running of specific clinical theatre list within a given day, including organising resources [to include staff] and dealing with emergency requests, re-establishing priorities as required to meet service needs.Act as team leader undertaking delegated tasks from Senior Team Leader / Manager to include Personal Development Review, sickness and performance management.

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.Be able to deal with more complex cases such as paediatric patients (6 months onwards) and able to assist with difficult airways (awake fibre optic intubations).

Quality
Follow directorate and trust policies that impact on the job role. Will be expected to take an active role in proposing and implementing changes, updating and revising policies and guidelines that effect their specialist work area.Have regular participation in hospital audit, clinical trials and risk management processes

Education
Plan and organise ad hoc teaching sessions on theatre practice issues for the theatre team.Take responsibility for mentoring small groups of staff and trainees, this includes appraisals with the ability to adjust supervision and training plans, assessing competence and reporting on progress

Please refer to the attached job description for further details.

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge
Essential

• NVQ Level 3 Operating Department Practice OR Registered General Nurse OR DipHE Operating Department Practice OR accredited additional qualification in anaesthetic practice equivalent to AAGBI
• Evidence of degree level study

Desirable

• Able to demonstrate a good level of understanding and skill of paediatric anaesthetics
• First Line Management Course/Team Leadership course or equivalent

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working in the theatre environment
• Experience of mentoring students

Desirable

• Experience of addressing multiple service priorities, including staffing, equipment, theatre availability and availability of surgeons/anaesthetists

Skills
Essential

• Ability to communicate sensitive and complex information to people with widely varying levels of understanding
• Ability to assess patients and plan, organise and evaluate their care
• Ability to manage own workload and that of junior staff
• Ability to work with high levels of physical skill
• Ability to maintain accurate records
• Ability to assess patients as fit for transfer
• Ability to organize the ongoing provision of staff, kit and disposables
• Ability to help develop and implement new policies and procedures

Personal and people development
Essential

• Self-motivated
• Acts as a role model
• Has a flexible attitude
• Encourages and develops juniors and trainees
• Has good organizational skills

Communication
Essential

• Excellent and accurate written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to communicate sensitive and complex information to people with widely varying levels of understanding

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).