Medical Laboratory Assistant

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust; Stoke Mandeville; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

NHS pension and benefits

Career development

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking a conscientious Band 2 Lab Assistant for the Blood Sciences team at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. You will handle specimens, label and barcode, and support assay workflows across multiple areas within the department.

The role requires accuracy, good communication, and a commitment to patient safety. Flexible working options and NHS benefits are available, with training and career development supported.

Qualifications

• Clear communication in spoken and written English.
• Basic maths and numeracy skills for data handling.
• Willingness to work in a laboratory environment and follow SOPs.

Responsibilities

• Follow Standard Operating Procedures and participate in reviews.
• Prepare, store and use reagents, ensuring COSHH compliance.
• Record results and maintain accurate sample labels and data input.
• Support blood science analysis across hospital sites.

Skills

Communication

Numeracy

Pipetting

MS Office basics

Keyboard and mouse

Education

GCSE in science (Basic science education)

NVQ 3

CPD (Continuing professional development)

Tools

Automated analysis equipment

Job description

Main area Health Science Services Grade Band 2 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time
• Job share
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (Contribution to out of hours rota upon completion of training) Job ref 434-SCS8247365

Site Stoke Mandeville Hospital Town Stoke Mandeville Salary £25,272 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 06/10/2026 23:59

Be part of our BHT family

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) is an integrated provider of acute hospital and community services for people living in Buckinghamshire and the surrounding area.

We care for over half a million patients every year:

• Provide specialist spinal services at our world renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympics
• Nationally recognised for urology and skin cancer services
• Regional specialist centre for burns, plastic surgery, dermatology, stroke and cardiac services
• Deliver community services in health centres, schools, patients’ own homes, community hospitals and community hubs.

More than 6,500 people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds work for us.

We would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options. We strive to be a family friendly, inclusive employer.

If you require any assistance in making this application, please contact [e-mail] or phone [phone].

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work and invite you to join our BHT family.

Job overview

We require a conscientious and enthusiastic individual to join the laboratory team in providing Blood Science services at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Working in different areas within Blood Sciences, duties will include: collecting, checking and labelling of specimens, filing, and data input duties.

Main duties of the job

• To follow Standard Operating Procedures and to participate in their regular review and update.
• To prepare, store and use reagents and consumables in a manner suitable for patient investigations, being aware of COSHH
• To report quality control procedures indicating loss of performance.
• To report when there is a situation which may cause a service failure.
• To be conversant with the safe methods of handling and using toxic, carcinogenic, harmful and flammable substances.
• To receive and check the integrity of requests and samples based on the Minimum Identification Criteria required by the laboratory.
• To check the correct samples have been received.
• To barcode samples and forms and distribute samples

What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?

• As part of our BHT family, you’ll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.
• We offer flexible and agile workingopportunities,alongside your NHS benefits ofgenerous annual leave entitlement, pension andaccess toNHS discount schemes.
• We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.

Why work for us?

• We’re committed to promoting inclusion and making sure all colleagues feel they belong. We encourage new colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.
• As an employer, we aim to create a workplace where differences are valued and colleagues treat one another with dignity and respect.
• Greater diversity withinourBHT familyimprovespositive outcomes for the people and communities we serve.
• A keen supporter of the Armed Forces Community who know the value of employing a service leaver/veteran and their families.

What do we stand for?

• Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.
• Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.
• Our care values are collaborate, aspire, respect and enable.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a comprehensive list of responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to the Job Description and Person Specification by downloading the JD and PS attachment in the advert.

If you are an internal applicant there is the option for secondment, all applicants must have the endorsement/support of their line manager prior to application.

If you have a disability that makes submitting this online application difficult and would like assistance, please contact us on [e-mail] quoting the vacancy reference number.

Person specification

Special Circumstances

• Work Overnight
• Travel to other sites
• Work internal rotation
• Work in laboratory team with 25 scientists

Skills, Abilities & Knowledge

• Communication – spoken and written.
• Command of English language.
• Keyboard and Mouse.
• Standard operating procedures
• Minimum identification criteria for samples and requests
• Numeracy – statistical and mathematical.
• Basic Microsoft packages.
• Assays referred to other laboratories.
• Safe handling of potentially infectious samples.
• Accurate pipetting.

Education, Qualifications & Training

• Basic science education at GCSE
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• NVQ 3

Experience

• Working as a member of a team
• Automated analysis with complex equipment
• Laboratory experience

PPE requirements: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.

Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.

Application deadline: This post will close on the closing date stated at midnight, however if we receive a large number of applications or there is a change in circumstance, we may be required to close a job before the advertised date.

Contacting you: We will contact candidates through the email address supplied on their application form. Please make sure you check this regularly.

Application information: If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records (ESR) system.

Shortlisting: The monitoring and safeguarding sections are not made visible to the shortlisting panel. The safeguarding section may be made visible to the interview panel, dependent on the role being recruited into.

Travel expenses: It is Trust policy that travel expenses for interviews will not be reimbursed.

Smoking: All Trust sites are NO SMOKING. Smoking in all areas of the buildings and premises is prohibited.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Name Ben Powell Job title Head Biomedical Scientist for Blood Sciences Email address [e-mail]