Medical Laboratory Assistant - Microbiology

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Medical Laboratory Assistant - Microbiology to support the microbiology laboratory with essential duties including specimen reception, data entry into the lab management system and preparation of materials. You will work in a team to ensure accurate recording and timely processing of samples, with triage of urgent requests where necessary.

Applicants should have GCSEs in science, maths and English and prior laboratory experience.

Qualifications

• GCSE in Science, Maths and English.
• Experience working in a laboratory environment.

Responsibilities

• Undertake basic laboratory tasks including specimen reception, data entry into the laboratory management system and preparation of laboratory materials.
• Triage requests and ensure urgent work is fast tracked where appropriate.
• Record and prepare samples received into the Microbiology Laboratory to ensure accuracy and timeliness.

Skills

Independence and teamwork

Verbal and written communication

Confidentiality

Prioritisation

Attention to detail

Education

GCSE in Science, Maths and English

Tools

Laboratory information systems

Job description

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Medical Laboratory Assistant - Microbiology

The closing date is 06 November 2026

The department provides a wide range of analytical, diagnostic and interpretative service to hospitals, clinics and GP practices.

Main duties of the job

The appointee will be required to undertake basic laboratory tasks which include specimen reception, keyboard entry of data into the laboratory management system and preparation of laboratory materials.

Working in the Microbiology Laboratory area you will be responsible for ensuring that the samples received into the department are recorded and prepared appropriately. You will also triage requests ensuring that urgent work is fast tracked appropriately.

About us

At DCHFT, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.

Our Mission is to provide outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them, and our vision is Dorset County Hospital, working with our health and social care partners, will be at the heart of improving the well-being of our communities.

We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate's individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.

Right to Work in the UK:This role is not availablefor Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to support visa applications for this post in line with UKVI regulations.

Job responsibilities

Our DCHFT Job Description and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.

Person Specification

Education, Qualifications & Training

• GCSE in Science, Maths and English
• Experience working in a laboratory environment

Knowledge & Experience

• Ability to follow written procedures
• Familiarity and use of computers
• Work within healthcare environment in last 5 years
• Work carried out to meet specific deadlines

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to work independently or as part of a team
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing
• Ability to plan and prioritise own work
• Ability to define and maintain confidentiality
• Ability to accurately and legibly transcribe information
• Ability to identify personal requirements which are needed to maintain effective relationships with colleagues and service users
• Ability to evaluate self in terms of relationships with other people and a flexible approach to working patterns and hours

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

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust