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

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

Job summary

A leading NHS healthcare provider in Tees Valley is offering an exciting opportunity for an Apprentice Healthcare Science Support Worker. This role involves providing high-quality care in a clinical setting, performing sample reception duties, and supporting pre-analytical sample processing. The apprenticeship lasts 16 months, offering a mix of on-the-job training and classroom learning, with a minimum starting wage of £4.81 per hour for those aged 18+. Flexible shift patterns required across hospital sites.

Benefits

Inclusive workplace culture

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Opportunities for personal development

Qualifications

• Ability to perform sample reception duties in a clinical setting.
• Flexibility to work a range of shifts, including nights and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality care within a clinical setting.
• Perform reception duties for incoming samples.
• Support manual pre-analytical sample processing.
• Fast-track urgent sample distributions.

Skills

Self-motivated

Hardworking

Enthusiastic

Job description

Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a professional, motivated and innovative individual to join the Pathology Laboratory at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust 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.

Responsibilities

• 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, and packaging samples for referral to external and internal agencies.

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 an 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.

Benefits and Workplace Culture

North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust prioritises safe and high quality care for patients and aims to be an outstanding place to work. We provide an inclusive and supportive workplace with health and wellbeing initiatives, staff benefits, and opportunities for personal and professional development. Staff recognition is very important to us; we celebrate achievements through Star and Team of the Month, colleague recognition notes, Managers Awards, Shining Stars and Service Awards. We actively encourage staff participation in networking events and our staff survey "Together we are North Tees & Hartlepool".

Compensation and Apprenticeship Details

• 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.
• The apprenticeship takes 16 months to complete.
• Anyone over the age of 18 can do one.
• You will develop your skills and gain a competence qualification (based on what you can do in the workplace together with a knowledge qualification).

Worklocation and Shift Pattern

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 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.