Surgical First Assistant | SFA qualified Theatre Practitioner

Job Title: Surgical First Assistant | SFA qualified Theatre Practitioner

Department: Main Theatres

Salary: Competitive salary, reflective of your experience and specialist SFA expertise - Band 6

Job type: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, early and late shifts, plus on-call participation. No night shifts

Bring your SFA expertise to a theatre team working at the forefront of modern surgery

Are you an experienced Surgical First Assistant looking for greater exposure to complex procedures, robotic surgery and advanced surgical practice?

This is an exciting opportunity to bring your specialist expertise to our Main Theatres team at The London Clinic, working alongside leading consultants within a highly skilled and technologically advanced surgical environment.

• No night shifts
• Exposure to robotic and complex surgery
• A varied caseload across general surgery, vascular, gynaecology and other specialties
• The opportunity to work alongside some of the UK’s leading consultant surgeons
• Advanced surgical technology and evolving approaches to patient care
• A permanent position within one of the UK’s largest independent charitable hospitals
• Ongoing professional development and opportunities to expand your specialist experience

As a Surgical First Assistant, you will work closely with our consultants and wider theatre team to deliver safe, high quality and personalised care throughout each patient’s surgical journey.

You will support a varied and complex caseload across specialties including general surgery, vascular, gynaecology and robotic surgery. You will use your clinical judgement and specialist SFA expertise to anticipate the needs of the surgeon, support procedures to run safely and efficiently, and help achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients.

This is an exciting time to join our Theatre team. We continue to invest in advanced surgical technology and innovative approaches to care. In March 2026, The London Clinic became the first hospital in the UK to successfully perform remote robot assisted telesurgery, with a surgeon in London operating on a patient in Gibraltar more than 2,400 kilometres away.

You will be joining a department that is actively developing its surgical services, giving you valuable exposure to complex procedures, robotic surgery and emerging technology.

A recognised Surgical First Assistant qualification is essential for this position.

As a Surgical First Assistant, you will:

• Work directly with consultants to provide skilled assistance throughout surgical procedure
• Anticipate the needs of the surgeon and wider theatre team to support safe and efficient operating lists
• Use your scrub expertise across general surgery, vascular, gynaecology, robotic surgery and other specialties as required
• Complete surgical safety checks and maintain accurate perioperative documentation
• Coordinate operating lists and support the safe and effective flow of patients through theatres
• Ensure the correct instruments, equipment, implants and consumables are available for each procedure
• Share your SFA knowledge with colleagues and support the development of clinical skills and confidence across the team
• Contribute to clinical governance, audit, infection prevention and service improvement
• Act as a positive role model and uphold the highest standards of patient safety and personalised care

• Current NMC or HCPC registration
• A degree in nursing, operating department practice or another relevant healthcare subject
• A recognised Surgical First Assistant qualification
• At least three years’ post registration experience within operating theatres
• Extensive scrub experience and strong knowledge within your clinical speciality
• The confidence and clinical judgement to practise safely within your professional scope
• Experience supporting and developing colleagues within a theatre environment
• A strong understanding of clinical governance, patient safety and evidence-based theatre practice
• Excellent communication, organisation and interpersonal skills

At The London Clinic, everything starts with our people. Whether you are at…