Medical Laboratory Assistant - Histopathology

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Sutton-in-Ashfield; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS foundation trust in Sutton-in-Ashfield seeks a motivated Medical Laboratory Assistant for the Histopathology team. In this role, you will support essential tissue analyses influencing cancer diagnostics and contribute to mortuary operations. Candidates should possess at least 4 GCSEs, excellent communication skills, and a background in laboratory work. This full-time position involves 37.5 hours per week, with flexibility for a mortuary out-of-hours rota. Apply now to join a respected team!

Qualifications

• Understanding of basic laboratory practice.
• Knowledge of scientific terminology.
• Understanding the functions/environment of a mortuary.
• Experience in a laboratory work environment.

Responsibilities

• Support sample analysis for timely diagnostic outcomes.
• Assist with mortuary operations including admissions and releases.
• Maintain high standards of patient care and efficiency.

Skills

High levels of accuracy

Ability to organise own work to meet required deadlines

Good communication skills (written and verbal)

Ability to contribute to effective team working

Education

Minimum of 4 GCSE at Grade C or above

Job description

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Medical Laboratory Assistant - Histopathology

The closing date is 01 January 2026

Sherwood Forest Hospitals are seeking an enthusiastic and highly motivated Medical Laboratory Assistant to join our Histopathology team at King's Mill Hospital.

The Histopathology department provides a wide range of tissue analyses to aid diagnosis, supporting appropriate outcomes for patients attending the Trust, General Practice, or private clinics. This includes vital work in the diagnostic phase of cancer screening programmes.

While the main responsibilities will be within the laboratory areas, an element of the role will involve supporting the mortuary with admission and release tasks.

Key Responsibilities

• Support sample analysis to ensure timely and accurate diagnostic outcomes.
• Assist mortuary operations including admission and release tasks.
• Maintain high standards of patient care through personal actions and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to departmental efficiency by supporting processes and workflows in the laboratory.

Apply now to join our team!

Main duties of the job

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

About us

We are an award-winning NHS Foundation Trust working alongside health and social care colleagues across the county to provide acute and community healthcare services to more than 420,000 people across Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood, and parts of Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

We put the patient at the heart of everything that we do and it is our aim to make sure that every patient is treated as we would want a member of our own family to be treated. At the same time, we expect our staff to be caring, kind and courteous to each other and to look out for each other. We believe that we are truly a clinically-led organisation.

We are proud that our Trust colleagues have voted us the best acute Trust to work for in the East Midlands for seven years running in the National NHS Staff Survey, while the Care Quality Commission has rated our Trust as 'outstanding' for care and our King's Mill Hospital as the only 'outstanding' NHS-run hospital in the East Midlands.

Not all of our roles are eligible for visa sponsorship. To find out which roles are eligible, please refer to the shortage occupation list found here:

Skilled Worker visa: eligible healthcare and education jobs - GOV.UK

Home Office guidance has changed as of 9th April. Anyone that requires switching visa type may not be eligible for sponsorship even if the role is on the shortage occupation list.

Job Responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Person Specification

Knowledge requirements

• Understands Basic laboratory Practice
• Scientific Terminology
• Understands the functions/environment of a mortuary

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 GCSE at Grade C or above

Skills/Attributes

• High levels of accuracy
• Ability to organise own work to meet required deadlines
• Good communication skills (written and verbal)
• Ability to contribute to effective team working

Experience

• Work experience within the NHS or a laboratory work environment

Further Training

• NVQ 2 (Clinical Laboratory Support) or equivalent work-based portfolio

Contractual Requirements

• Full time working 37.5 hours per week to work 5 out of 7 days (equivalent if working part time hours)
• Able to participate in a mortuary out of hours rota

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

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust