Job Title: Surgical First Assistant
Department: Main Theatres
Location: 20 Devonshire Place, London
Salary: Depending on experience
Job type: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week, early and late shifts, plus on-call participation
Bring your Surgical First Assistant expertise to our theatre team
We are looking for an experienced Theatre Scrub Practitioner with a recognised Surgical First Assistant qualification to join our Operating Theatres team.
Based in Main Theatres, you will work a mix of early and late shifts and participate in the on-call rota. This is an opportunity to bring your expertise to a busy and highly skilled theatre department, where you will play an important part in delivering safe, personalised care and maintaining excellent clinical standards.
A little about the role
As an experienced Surgical First Assistant, you will work closely with our consultants and wider theatre team to deliver safe, high-quality care throughout each patient’s surgical journey.
Based in Main Theatres, you will support a varied range of procedures across specialties including general surgery, vascular, gynaecology and robotic surgery. You will bring strong clinical expertise to a busy and highly skilled department, helping operating lists run smoothly while sharing your knowledge and experience with colleagues.
You will be part of a collaborative team where patient safety and personalised care are at the heart of everything we do.
What you’ll be doing
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Undertaking the Surgical First Assistant role and providing a high standard of support to consultants
- Using your scrub expertise across a range of procedures, ensuring patients receive consistent and well-coordinated care
- Anticipating the needs of the surgeon and wider theatre team to help procedures run safely and efficiently
- Completing all required surgical safety checks and maintaining accurate perioperative documentation
- Sharing your SFA knowledge and experience with the wider theatre team, helping colleagues develop their clinical skills and confidence
- Contributing to quality improvement, clinical governance and infection prevention to help maintain excellent standards across the department
- Completing mandatory patient and surgical safety checks throughout the perioperative journey
- Coordinating operating lists to support safe and efficient patient flow
- Monitoring theatre bookings and ensuring the correct instruments, equipment and implants are available
- Supporting quality improvement, clinical governance and infection prevention standards
- Acting as a role model and mentor, helping colleagues develop their clinical knowledge and practical skills
- Supporting the investigation of clinical incidents and the implementation of improvement plans
What we’re looking for
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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
- Experience of supporting and leading colleagues within a theatre environment
- The ability to work confidently and safely without direct supervision
- A strong understanding of clinical governance, patient safety and evidence-based theatre practice
- Excellent communication, organisation and interpersonal skills
What you’ll be part of
At The London Clinic, everything starts with our people. Whether you’re at the bedside or behind the scenes, your part of something bigger - making a real difference to patients and to each other, every day.
As the UK’s largest independent charitable hospital, we care for over 120,000 patients each year. What makes us different is what we do with that success - we reinvest it back into our services, our technology, and, most importantly, our people. From developing, innovative, new ways of delivering care to supporting continuous learning and career progression, we’re always looking ahead.
Based in our main hospital, you’ll be part of a team delivering care across 234 beds, 10 theatres, and a 13-bed intensive care unit - working alongside over 1300 colleagues, in specialist teams, combined with over 700 consultant surgeons and physicians, we are all united by a shared commitment to high-quality, compassionate care.
We are incredibly proud to be the only independent healthcare provider included in the Top 10 of the Financial Times’ UK Best Employers Survey 2026.
What's in it for you
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Life insurance – Get life cover worth four times your salary, whether you’re full-time or part-time.
- Private medical cover – Once you’ve passed probation, our employee medical scheme gives you fast-track access to private healthcare.
- Pension – Join our matched pension scheme and enjoy up to 10% contributions.
- Employee assistance programme – From stress to practical guidance, our counselling service has your back.
- Blue light card – Unlock thousands of discounts! From supermarkets to holidays, fashion, tech, and days out, your Blue Light Card makes it all cheaper.
- Cycle to work – Pedal your way to a healthier, greener commute! Enjoy tax-free benefits while reducing your carbon footprint.
- Electric car scheme – Our Electric Car Scheme makes switching to a cleaner, eco-friendly ride simple and affordable.
- Subsidised staff restaurant – Dig into a variety of tasty, healthy meals without denting your wallet.
- Recognition programmes – Celebrate wins big and small! Our Recognition Programmes make sure your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.
How to find us:
Our main hospital is based at:
20 Devonshire Place, London, W1G 6BW
Located in central London near Harley Street, we are within walking distance of:
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Oxford Circus
- Bond Street
- Baker Street
- Great Portland Street
We are committed to safeguarding and protecting all adults at risk, children and young people by implementing robust safer recruitment practices during our selection process. Pre-employment checks are undertaken in accordance with industry standards and regulations, and successful applicants may be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). If you would like further information about our safer recruitment policy, then please contact a member of our recruitment team.
The London Clinic values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all backgrounds. If you have the skills and experience for the role, we encourage you to apply. We are committed to supporting candidates throughout the recruitment process and will make reasonable adjustments where needed - please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you.
