Recruitment drive for new surgical centre at Victoria Infirmary in Northwich

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is launching a recruitment drive for a new surgical centre being built at the Victoria Infirmary in Northwich.

The Cheshire & Merseyside Surgical Centre will provide state-of-the-art clinical areas to support patient care. These include two theatres covering ophthalmology, orthopaedics, pain, ENT (ears, nose and throat), dermatology, and general surgery. There will also be a recovery area and consulting rooms.

The Trust aims to treat a large number of ‘high volume low complexity’ patients from across the region who require less complex operations and procedures.

This will help reduce waiting times for patients, with an immediate focus on those who have been waiting 52 weeks for treatment. The Trust also aims to reduce the overall backlog.

To help deliver this ambition, the Trust is looking to recruit around 80 people to fill both full and part time positions. For the theatres, the Trust will be recruiting nurses and operating department practitioners, as well as support roles.

In ophthalmology, the Trust is recruiting health care assistants, pre-operative assessment care nurses, telephone triage nurses, and imaging technicians. Meanwhile, for the waiting area, the centre needs senior nurses, nurses, and health care assistants.

Other roles include C-arm trained radiographers, pharmacy assistants, security and porters, along with medical engineers, estates and IT support, and domestic and administration staff.

A recruitment event will be held on Thursday, 25 July from 10am to 2.30pm at Northwich Memorial Court, where people can learn more about the centre and vacancies.

Gemma Morgan-Lees, general manager of the Victoria Infirmary, said:

“We want the new Cheshire & Merseyside Surgical Centre to become a cataract centre of excellence, providing eye care for people across the region. This will mean there will be fewer people wating for eye surgery across the region, as well as greatly improving patient care, and reducing pressures on other parts of the system.

“But to deliver this, we need great people who are passionate about serving our communities. The centre is looking for a good mix of skilled and entry level posts and a wide mix of areas, including nursing, IT, management, and clerical.

“Victoria Infirmary Northwich is a great place to work, so I’m sure we’ll get a lot of interest.”

The centre is scheduled to open in spring 2025 and will treat around 12,000 patients each year.

Visit the Victoria Infirmary Northwich (VIN) recruitment page for further details at: 

https://www.mcht.nhs.uk/work-us/surgical-centre-recruitment

The Victoria Infirmary provides a range of services to the local community. These include a nurse-led minor injuries unit, therapy services, and outpatients clinics, such as for cardiology, dermatology, and ENT. In 2022, a community diagnostic centre opened at the site providing diagnostic testing seven days a week.

For more information about the range of services provided by Victoria Infirmary Northwich, visit: 

https://www.mcht.nhs.uk/our-services/victoria-infirmary-northwich

Pictured - An artist’s impression of the new surgical centre.