Mortuary Assistant

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW); Weston-super-Mare; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional NHS healthcare provider in Weston-super-Mare seeks a Mortuary Assistant to join their dedicated team. The role involves providing respectful care to the deceased and their families, ensuring the secure and efficient operation of the mortuary. Responsibilities include working under supervision, maintaining confidentiality, assisting with procedures, and potentially participating in a 24/7 on-call rota. Suitable candidates will have a good general education and experience in relevant environments, making this an invaluable role within the healthcare sector.

Qualifications

• Good basic general education including English and Maths.
• Knowledge of Trust IT systems.
• Experience in a hospital environment, handling deceased individuals.
• Understanding of Health and Safety regulations in Mortuary practices.

Responsibilities

• Ensure efficient operation of mortuary storage facility.
• Provide respectful service for deceased patients and their families.
• Assist in maintaining security and confidentiality of the facility.
• Participate in 24/7 on-call rota.

Skills

Good IT Skills

Excellent communication skills

Organisational skills

Ability to interact sensitively with the public

Attention to detail

Ability to multitask

Education

4 x GCSE grade C or above

Health and Safety Training

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

Mortuary Assistant

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

The closing date is 11 January 2026

The postholder will be part of a small team within the Mortuary service and be responsible for carrying out daily activities to ensure the efficient operation of the storage facility. They will be expected to provide a safe, secure, effective and comprehensive service to meet the needs of the hospital and Somerset Coroner to ensure that deceased patients and their families are treated with dignity and respect at all times.

They will be based at Weston General Hospital but could be expected to work cross site (BRI) when and if needed, to receive and release deceased patients, prepare deceased patients for viewing, as well as completing general disinfection and cleaning of all the areas. Other duties will include liaising with and assisting funeral directors, medical examiners, bereavement officers, coroner's personnel, police officers, doctors and multidisciplinary Trust teams as well as relatives and friends of the deceased patients.

The postholder will be required to participate in a 24/7 on‑call rota.

This job advert may close early if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been submitted.

Main duties of the job

Carry out all daily duties required for the efficient operation of the storage facility, under supervision from the Mortuary Manager and Deputy Mortuary Manager.

Complete all work to a high standard and within expected time frames to meet service demands.

Provide a safe, secure, effective and comprehensive service to meet the needs of the hospital and ensure that deceased patients and their families are treated with dignity and respect at all times.

Ensure security and confidentiality at all times including the monitoring of all activities by internal and external staff.

Report to the Mortuary/Deputy manager regarding the operational status of the department, including any issues or information relevant to the running of the department.

Assist the Mortuary Manager/Deputy in working towards improving departmental procedures to Human Tissue Authority regulatory standards.

Be able to multitask and prioritise when there are competing demands; evaluate and act upon anomalous situations when dealing with emotional families at viewings or over the telephone; give guidance, support and comfort to bereaved relatives and friends. They must have the emotional strength to deal with all duties whilst maintaining calm, mature and compassionate disposition.

About us

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as 'Good' overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward‑thinking multi‑award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world‑leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

• Good basic general education 4 x GCSE grade C or above - to include English & Maths)
• Health and Safety Training

Knowledge and Experience

• Knowledge of Trust IT systems
• Experience of the Hospital environment
• Previous experience of supervising
• Experience with the deceased
• Knowledge of Mortuary practices including Health and safety and Human Tissue Authority standards and regulations
• Understanding of the Coronial and Medical Examiners systems
• Understanding of infection control procedures
• Mortuary Experience

Skills and Abilities

• Good IT Skills specially the use of Microsoft Excel, Word etc
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Ability to interact sensitively with the public
• Understanding of Confidentiality
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in record keeping
• Ability to work alone or as a team member
• Ability to work methodically
• Ability to multitask
• Physically able to manoeuvre heavy loads

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.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum, pro rata for part time roles