Medical Laboratory Assistant

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust in Derbyshire is advertising a Medical Laboratory Assistant in the Histology Department on the Royal Derby Hospital site, with occasional cross-site work. The service operates Monday to Friday 07:30-19:30, including Saturday working on a rolling 5-week roster.

The role supports clinicians and expects good teamwork, with in-house training provided.

Qualifications

• GCSE English, Science and Maths or NVQ 2 Clinical Lab Support.
• Evidence of customer/patient facing roles.
• Evidence of clerical/admin experience.
• Evidence of stock and consumable handling.
• Evidence of working with health and safety guidance.
• Knowledge of IT software systems and data entry processes.

Responsibilities

• Data entry and admin / filing.
• Assisting senior staff with sample handling.
• Maintenance of laboratory equipment.
• Replenishing laboratory stocks and reporting low levels.
• Human tissue handling and chemical disposal procedures.
• Laboratory housekeeping and compliance with in-house protocols.

Skills

IT software systems

Data entry

Customer service

Education

GCSE English, Science and Maths or NVQ 2 Clinical Lab Support

Job description

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

Medical Laboratory Assistant

The closing date is 10 November 2026

Derbyshire Pathology has a vacancy for a Medical Laboratory Assistant within the Histology Department on the Royal Derby Hospital site, although cross-site working may be required in the future. The service is currently provides a service Monday to Friday 07:30-19:30 including Saturday working over a rolling 5 week roster.Histopathology provides a diagnostic service to Clinicians and GPs in a timely and efficient manner handling approximately 50,000 patient sample requests a year.The role of the MLA is well established within the department. The successful candidate will be expected to have a good level of general education including English and Science, be IT literate, Admin (Filing and dealing with queries) and be familiar with safe load handling practices.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, committed individual who has a keen interest in medical science to join the Derbyshire Pathology team. A person who has an adaptable nature, can cope with the stresses of a frequently changing environment and someone who is willing to contribute and participate in a busy team.

Laboratory experience is not essential as the tasks and duties will be taught in-house, however candidates will be expected to demonstrate experience of good team working, use of initiative and ability to follow protocols.

Main duties of the job

Key roles and responsibilities for this include:

• Data entry and admin / filingo
• Assisting senior staff with sample handling
• Maintenance of laboratory equipment
• Replenishing laboratory stocks and reporting low level
• Human tissue handling, and chemical disposals
• Laboratory house keepingTraining will be provided in-house with competency assessment and reviews undertaken on a regular basis.

Closing date of applications: 10 November 2026

Interview date: 24 November 2026

About us

As a trusted organisation at the heart of our communities, we recognise the important role we can play in supporting the public, patients, our own people and local partners in achieving the best of health for the local population and the communities in which they live by providing Exceptional Care Together

Our fundamental Values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence underpin how we intend to work as a Trust and the associated behaviours are becoming embedded in all aspects of how we work.

In return we will offer:

• Development opportunities, both professional and leadership development
• On-going support from recruitment to when you join our team and beyond.
• Staff benefits including employee assistance programme, discounted gym membership, onsite fitness classes, car schemes

Key Facts:

• We see on average 4810 OP appointments a day.
• We are the 4th busiest Trauma & Orthopaedic outpatients department in England - an average of 2077 per week.
• An average of 1115 patients are seen in A&Es across our network every day - 3rd largest in the country.
• Our hospitals admit an average of 195 emergency patients daily.
• Last year we undertook almost 33,700 planned surgical operations in our 57 operating theatres.
• We are one of only 7 Trusts nationally with more than 50 operating theatres.
• We carry out more than 140 elective procedures each working day.
• UHDB is a research active University Hospital with a large and varied portfolio of clinical trials and research opportunities for all staff.

UHDB is committed to fair and transparent recruitment. We welcome authentic applications that reflect your own skills, experience and motivations for the role. While we understand that candidates may use AI tools for grammar, formatting or accessibility purposes, applications that appear to be substantially AI-generated may be subject to additional review. If this applies to your submission, we will let you know and may ask for clarification. Please ensure your application accurately represents your experience and is written in your own words.

Important visa information: Due to UK Home Office immigration rule changes effective from 22 July 2025, applicants sponsored under Occupation Code 6131 (Nursing Auxiliaries and Assistants) may not be eligible to bring dependants under the Skilled Worker route if their Certificate of Sponsorship is issued on or after this date. Applicants are responsible for understanding how these rules apply to their individual circumstances. The Trust cannot provide immigration advice. Further information is available on the Skilled Worker visa: Your partner and children - GOV.UK

Your application (for shortlisting purposes) is assessed based on the Person Specification in the job advert (below).

Person Specification

Qualification

• GCSE English, Science and Maths or NVQ 2 Clinical Lab Support

Experience and knowledge

• Evidence of customer/patient facing roles
• Evidence of clerical/admin experience
• Evidence of stock and consumable handling
• Evidence of working with health and safety guidance

Skills

• Evidence of knowledge of IT software systems
• Evidence of data entry experience

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust