Job summary
- Main area
- Decontamination
- Grade
- QF0A-220
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (full rota pattern)
- Job ref
- 297-QEF-7353836-A
- Employer
- QE Facilities
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- Town
- Gateshead
- Salary
- £27,143 Pro Rata
- Closing
- 18/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Decontamination technician
QF0A-220
In the event of excessive applications being received this vacancy may close earlier than the stated closing date, you are encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible
IMPORTANT NOTE ON COMPLETION OF REFERENCE SECTION OF APPLICATION FORM
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and MUST cover a minimum of 3 years employment or education references covering 3 years. If you have gaps you will be required to provide character references. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment or education references covering 3 years. Where possible this should be from two separate employers. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Job overview
The post holder will undertake decontamination and sterilisation duties according to equipment requirements and assist the supervisors and managers in providing a high-quality accredited (EN ISO 13485:2016 & JAG) service, this will be inclusive of logistical responsibilities and store management processes of reusable medical devices utilised within clinical care, and the sterilisation of pathology waste.
The post holder will be required to receive, disassemble, clean, disinfect, reassemble, pack, sterilise as appropriate, dispatch, transfer and store devices within controlled environments, ensuring comprehensive records of all tasks are maintained for tracking traceability purposes; this will necessitate the operation of specific computer and database applications.
Because some tasks expected within this role are governed by regulation (UK MDR) the employee must work in accordance to national guidance and published research; the departments Standard Operating procedures and quality management systems to ensure an effective and compliant service is delivered.
The role will be a rotational post working between sterile services, endoscopy decontamination services, SSD logistics, and theatre store and pathology decontamination.
Main duties of the job
Reprocessing of surgical instrumentation, Endoscopes, theatre logistics and reprocessing waste in pathology decontamination.
Working for our organisation
QE Facilities (QEF) is a wholly owned subsidiary company of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust (GHNT), based in the North East of England.
We provide a range of non- clinical services to GHNT and other NHS organisations. Our services include: estates, facilities services, procurement, medical engineering and devices, endoscopy decontamination and sterile services, transport, out-patient pharmacy, and prevention & management of violence & aggression training (PMVA).
In addition we provide consultancy services, advising clients on all aspects of establishing a subsidiary company within an NHS body to the provision of VAT compliance advice.
QE Facilities work to their own Terms and Conditions and these are not the same as Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust Terms and Conditions. This is not an Agenda for Change Pay Rate.
We do not hold a sponsorship licence and are unable to offer employment under any sponsorship arrangement.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
· Inform senior staff if asked or expected to work unsupervised without the relevant training or level of competence.
· Attend training courses and partake in any other training strategies (mandatory and non-mandatory) as required to maintain knowledge and skills as required, this may involve overnight stay away from home.
· Participate in own 1:1 meetings and PDP development.
· Assist with the supervision and teaching in decontamination practices to new and less experienced technicians.
· Support departmental needs to ensure monitoring, maintenance & servicing requirements of endoscopes and theatre instruments are undertaken in a way that offers little service disruption and report accordingly to senior staff
· Ensure routine tests are undertaken and recorded in accordance with the Planned Preventative Maintenance Schedules, Quality Standards and Guidance.
· Undertake regular audits of decontamination and sterilisation processes and action any discrepancies to departmental guidelines.
· To adhere to the recommendations for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and risk assessments appropriate to the clinical area.
· Inspect equipment within the decontamination cycle to ensure processes are effective
· Recognise devices by name and ensure theatre trays endoscopes are repacked correctly with correct instruments ancillary items, responsible for checking loan devices/trays and ensuring the correct items delivered prior to clinical use.
· Attend and participate in departmental meetings
· Support the development or refreshing standard operating procedures according to service change and modernisation
· Will come into contact with remnants of blood, body tissue or offensive by-products as part of the cleaning cycles
· The role is physically demanding and requires significant amounts of manual handling
Person specification
Knowledge & Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to train staff in decontamination systems
- Team worker
- Ability to stay calm/work under pressure
- Flexible
- Professional manner at all times
- Good communication skills, written and spoken
- Knowledge of Infection Control, Health & Safety, COSHH
- Manual handling
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge and experience in the decontamination of reusable medical devices
Experience
Essential criteria
- Ability to work as part of a team and autonomously
- work accurately under pressure
- Ability to work to Standard Operating Procedures
- A working knowledge of keyboard, typing and computer skills(
- Ability to use initiative
- Time management and organisational skills
Desirable criteria
- Supervisory experience
- Involvement with change, quality assurance and innovation work
- Decontamination/warehouse experience
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Education to GCSE or equivalent, including Maths and English
Desirable criteria
- NVQ3 (Technical Certificate Decontamination) or equivalent level of knowledge and experience through decontamination training
- Willingness to attend training throughout the duration of being in post
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- ashleigh Williams
- Job title
- Head of decontamination
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0191 445 8482
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