Anatomical Pathology Technician (APT)

Whittington Maternity Voices Partnership; Greater London; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Whittington Hospital Mortuary is looking for a new Anatomical Pathology Technician to join the team. The role involves managing the autopsy suite and body handling, and supporting the ME system through documentation and admin duties.

The successful candidate will contribute to supervising junior staff, liaising with police and coroner services, and arranging Public Health funerals. Flexibility for early starts and on-call duties is essential.

Qualifications

• Must hold the Level 3 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology or equivalent.
• Motivated, enthusiastic and flexible; able to work in challenging environments.
• Frequent exposure to emotional and distressing situations required.

Responsibilities

• Manage autopsy suite and body handling area as required by the mortuary manager and Senior APT.
• Assist the mortuary manager and Senior APT in monitoring and training of junior staff.
• Administer documentation pertaining to patients who die within the hospital and local community for ME system.
• Assist with arrangement of Public Health funerals on behalf of London Borough of Islington.
• Liaise with Coroner's officers, police, doctors, nursing staff and funeral directors; communicate with bereaved families.
• Participate in the Out of Hours on-call system.
• Mortuary open 8am–4pm Monday to Friday; hours flexible to autopsy schedule.
• Reliability for early morning shifts; no on-site parking.

Skills

Organisational skills

Calm and professional attitude

Motivated and flexible

Effective communication

Education

Level 3 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology

Job description

Mortuary Services at the Whittington hospital incorporates a busy hospital mortuary as well as a public mortuary for the London Borough of Islington. The mortuary is fully licensed by the Human Tissue Authority, the UK regulatory body that oversees the use, storage and disposal of human tissue. An autopsy service of the highest standard is provided both for the hospital and H.M Coroner, Inner North London District.

The mortuary also offers a CT scan autopsy service to the police and wider community.

An opportunity has arisen within this mortuary for a newly qualified Anatomical Pathology Technician to join our team. The individual must hold the Level 3 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology or equivalent. They must be motivated, enthusiastic and flexible and able to work in a challenging and sensitive environment with a calm and professional attitude. Frequent exposure to emotional and distressing situations is required to carry out this role.

The successful candidate will also contribute to supporting the hospital Medical Examiner (ME) system. This involves the administration of documentation pertaining to patients that die within the hospital and local community.

The candidate will carry out the technical work of the department with particular reference to the management of the autopsy suite and body handling area as required by the mortuary manager and senior APT. They will assist the mortuary manager and Senior APT in the monitoring and control of work and supervision and training of junior staff.

The candidate will display good organisational skills, whilst carrying out varied and complex tasks.

The candidate will also be required to assist with the arrangement of ‘Public Health’ funerals’ on behalf of London Borough of Islington.

Close liaison with a variety of other professions including Coroner’s officers, police, doctors, nursing staff and funeral directors is therefore an essential function, as is communication with bereaved family and friends.

The candidate will be required to participate in the ‘Out of Hours’ on call system.

The Whittington mortuary is open 8am – 4pm Monday to Friday but these times will be flexible dependent on the autopsy schedule which often begins before 6am.

Candidates must have a reliable means of commuting to ensure consistent punctuality for the early morning shifts. Please note there is no parking on site

We have an excellent reputation for being innovative, responsive and flexible to the changing clinical needs of the local population. We are treating more patients than ever before and are dedicated to improving services to deliver the best for our patients.

Our mission

Helping local people live longer, healthier lives.

Our vision

Provide safe, personal, co-ordinated care for the community we serve.

Our goals

• To secure the best possible health and wellbeing for all our community
• To integrate and coordinate care in person-centred teams
• To deliver consistent, high quality, safe services
• To support our patients and users in being active partners in their care
• To be recognised as a leader in the fields of medical and multi-professional education, and population-based clinical research
• To innovate and continuously improve the quality of our services to deliver the best outcomes for our local population

Our values underpin everything we do. Our staff are committed to delivering the following values in everything they do.

Our ICARE values have been created by our staff and are embedded in our appraisal and planning processes and form part of our staff excellence awards.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Dean Jansen Job title: Mortuary Services Manager Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 020 7288 5696