Apprentice Healthcare Science Assistant | North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust

North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is offering an exciting opportunity for a Healthcare Science Apprenticeship in Pathology. The role involves working under supervision in clinical settings, performing sample reception and processing duties, and distributing specimens to labs. Candidates must demonstrate commitment and flexibility while working across sites. The position provides a pathway into scientific careers, emphasizing the importance of both work and study commitments. Join us in delivering safe, high-quality patient care.

Benefits

Health and well-being initiatives

Staff recognition programs

Opportunities for personal and professional development

Qualifications

• Must be aged 18+ to participate in the apprenticeship.
• Commitment to provide high quality care within a clinical setting is essential.
• Ability to cope with work and study responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality care within a clinical setting.
• Perform sample reception duties including receiving and sorting samples.
• Support in manual pre-analytical sample processing.
• Distribute specimens to relevant laboratories.

Job description

Are you a self-motivated, hardworking and enthusiastic individual looking to take your first step into a Healthcare Science Career? Why not earn, learn and make a difference with a Healthcare Science Apprenticeship with a NHS Pathology Service. Our apprenticeships offer routes into scientific careers within the Pathology Service, through a mix of on-the-job training and classroom learning.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a professional, motivated and innovative individual to join the Pathology Laboratory at North Tees and Hartlepool NHSfT working in Pathology Reception as an apprentice Healthcare Science Support Worker. The department has full UKAS accreditation and IBMS training approval. CPD is actively encouraged.

What you need to know about Level 2 - Healthcare Science apprenticeships

• If you are aged 18+ in your first year of an apprenticeship, the minimum you should receive is £4.81 an hour (the National Minimum Wage for apprentices)
• Many NHS Pathology employers will pay you more than the minimum wage
• They take 16 months to complete
• Anyone over the age of 18 can do one
• You’ll develop your skills, and gain a competence qualification (based on what you can do in the workplace together with a knowledge qualification)

The pathology departments at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundations Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are working collaboratively to develop a joint service with services being delivered on both hospital sites.

This post is mainly based at the University Hospital of North Tees site, but cross site working may be required. The department operates a 24 hour, 7 days per week shift system and the successful candidate is expected to be fully flexible and work the full range of shifts.

Main duties:

• Work under supervision to provide high quality care within a clinical setting
• Perform sample reception duties including, receiving, sorting, labelling, barcoding and racking of samples on arrival including aliquoting urine samples.
• Load samples onto centrifuges, pre-analytical automation, tracking systems or other preparation equipment
• Support in manual pre-analytical sample processing
• Distribute specimens to relevant laboratories, fast tracking urgent samples as appropriate. This may include packaging of samples for referral to external and internal agencies.

Applying for a Healthcare Science apprenticeship

There has never been a better time to start an NHS apprenticeship but often there's a lot of competition for a place. This means your application and interview are crucial. Some things to think about:

• show that you are committed
• make sure you are aware of your responsibilities
• demonstrate that you are able to cope with work and study

At North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust our main priority is, and always will be, to provide safe and high quality care to our patients every day; the kind of care we would want for ourselves and our loved ones.

We want our organisation to be the best place to work with the right staff, in the right roles, at the right time, to ensure we deliver exceptional patient care and experience.

We will support staff through providing an inclusive and supportive workplace with health and well-being initiatives, staff benefits and opportunities for personal and professional development. Staff recognition is very important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognise staff through Star and Team of the month, colleague recognition – a note of thanks, Managers Awards, Shining Stars and Service Awards.

We actively encourage staff involvement with staff networking events and staff survey

“Together we are North Tees & Hartlepool”

See attached Job Description for details of the role, for the full details of the positions roles and responsibilities.

This advert closes on Friday 12 Dec 2025