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Job summary

Main area
Surgery
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
282-SB1076
Employer
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
The Royal Marsden Chelsea
Town
Chelsea
Salary
£56,276 - £63,176 Per Annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
08/12/2025 23:59
Interview date
15/12/2025

Employer heading

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust logo

Theatre Sister (Scrub)

NHS AfC: Band 7

Job overview

Interviews will take place on the 15th December 2025

The Royal Marsden is a centre of excellence with an international reputation for ground-breaking research, complex major surgery and pioneering the very latest in cancer treatments and technologies.
At the Royal Marsden we have a distinct set of values that define what we are and how we behave. Our values encompass showing kindness and compassion and putting our patient care first, offering ideas for improving the quality and safety of services and supporting others in new ways of working, taking responsibility for personal and team performance and priorities and striving to ensure quality of services and make the best use of resources. 
We have 7 state of the art theatres in Chelsea and 2 in Sutton, totalling 9 across the trust.
The successful candidate will play a central role in working as part of a motivated and committed scrub team in Chelsea.
We strive for excellence in all that we do and value the importance of reflection, critical thinking and promote professional development.

Main duties of the job

  • To be a professional and clinical role model, leading and coordinating theatres, recovery and sterile services department (SSD) in conjunction with the Theatre Matron. To co-ordinate, organise and take full responsibility and accountability for the daily management and organisation of theatres in Chelsea; this involves managing a wide range of complex and sometimes conflicting priorities including staff management.
  • Perform all the tasks of an ODP/theatre scrub nurse including all checks and procedures as laid down in National and Trust Theatre Policy.
  • Responsible for leading on instrumentation and consumable service delivery within Chelsea Theatres. Responsible for the safe use of complex theatre equipment (diathermy, laparoscopy, robotic, etc) with responsibility for ordering stock and non-stock supplies and arranging timely servicing of this equipment, both routine and urgent.
  • Responsible for leading on instrument decontamination and sterilisation within Chelsea Theatres. Demonstrate sound knowledge of safe decontamination processes and practices, particularly relating to the safe decontamination of flexible scopes & sterilisation of instruments whilst collaborating with the Trust decontamination lead.
  • As a member of the surgical theatre team perform the tasks of theatre runner, supporting the instrument nurse/surgeon and other members of the multidisciplinary team

Working for our organisation

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.

At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.

At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification

  • Assess, plan, implement and evaluate programmes of care, actively seeking evidence based practice which will support clinical outcomes as appropriate.
  • Ensure that all theatre documentation (including nursing & ODP) is maintained to the Trust standard (including electronic records) and implement clinical audit of records to measure and evaluate care planning.
  • Provide sound clinical leadership and develop support mechanisms for sharing good practice within the Department and Trust wide.
  • Monitor the quality of clinical care and action audit information to achieve agreed standards and take the lead on customer care initiatives.
  • In conjunction with the staff team, to lead in developing implementing, evaluating and maintaining a Departmental ethos and a standard approach to the delivery of excellent patient centred care.
  • Work in partnership with support staff to ensure that care, treatment and service needs are met, ensuring a standard approach to the delivery of excellent patient care.
  • Act as patient advocate in line with current health policy and Trust strategy and to actively apply in depth knowledge of holistic/ socio-economic and cultural aspects of the care to clients within your specific speciality, acting as a role model and resource for patients, relatives and staff.

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • First level registered Nurse / HPC registered ODP
  • Relevant degree or working towards
  • Post registration education in a relevant speciality
  • Evidence of continuing education and development
  • Mentorship / teaching and assessing qualification
Desirable criteria
  • Working towards a degree or masters degree in a relevant subject
  • Recognised Surgical First Assistant training programme completed

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Current experience in a senior operating theatre role
  • Experience in recruitment, selection, and retention of staff
  • Experience of clinical governance issue such as investigation incidents / complaints
  • Evidence of organising and delivering education for multi professional staff
  • Experience in staff development plans and appraisal
  • Experience of working with IT systems in theatre
  • Experience of managing theatre instruments
Desirable criteria
  • Experience in 2 or more of the peri-operative disciplines
  • Experience working as a surgical first assistant
  • Experience in a senior leadership role
  • Experience of disseminating work through presentation or publication
  • Experience of managing financial budgets; cost containment strategies
  • Experience of dealing with HR issues relating to performance / capability

Skills / Abilities / Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Excellent communication skills - verbal, written, presentation
  • Ability to plan and prioritise own and other workload
  • Evidence of ability to work collaboratively in a multi disciplinary team
  • Basic IT skills including work, excel
Desirable criteria
  • Relevant skill and ability in the SFA role
  • Experience of delivering change and management iniatives
  • Audit skills

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDApprenticeships logoLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardDisability confident employerCare quality commission - OutstandingStep into health

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Robin Hurst-Baird
Job title
Matron
Email address
[email protected]

If you have problems applying, contact

Address
Recruitment Support Team
Telephone
01629 690825