Mortuary Assistant - Other Healthcare Scientist

NHS; Southampton; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Southampton seeks a Mortuary Assistant to support dignified mortuary services. You will assist in handling the deceased, maintain hygiene standards, and communicate compassionately with bereaved families. Candidates should have strong organizational skills, previous administrative experience, and an empathetic approach. This full-time position offers a yearly salary of £24,937 to £26,598 pro rata.

Qualifications

• Experience working in a busy administrative environment.
• Experience in a customer-facing role.
• Able to use judgement and initiative to provide information.
• Empathetic approach to dealing with enquiries.

Responsibilities

• Support respectful care and handling of the deceased.
• Manage samples, ensuring compliance with health standards.
• Maintain cleanliness in the mortuary environment.
• Coordinate release of deceased individuals to funeral directors.

Skills

Compassion

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Organizational skills

Communication

Education

NVQ3 in Administration or working towards

ECDL or equivalent

Job description

Mortuary Assistant - Other Healthcare Scientist

The closing date is 27 November 2025

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

The Mortuary Assistant plays a vital role in supporting the delivery of safe, dignified, and professional mortuary services. This position provides essential assistance to the Anatomical Pathology Technologists (APTs) and wider Bereavement and Mortuary Estates teams, ensuring the respectful care and management of the deceased while maintaining the highest standards of hygiene, security, and operational efficiency.

As a key member of the mortuary team, the post holder contributes to the smooth running of daily activities, including preparation areas, post‑mortem support, and liaison with funeral directors and clinical teams. By upholding strict procedural and infection control standards, the Mortuary Assistant helps safeguard both staff and public confidence in the service.

This role directly supports the organisation's commitment to providing compassionate end‑of‑life and bereavement care, promoting excellence in service delivery and compliance with national and local regulations.

The Mortuary Assistant will work under the supervision of the Senior Anatomical Pathology Technologist and collaborate closely with Anatomical Pathology Technologists, Bereavement Care Officers, Estates personnel, and other healthcare professionals to ensure an efficient and sensitive service at all times.

About us

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI‑generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we're committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We're committed to creating an anti‑racist, anti‑discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive and contribute.

Job responsibilities

What you’ll do:

• Provide day‑to‑day support within the mortuary, ensuring the respectful care, handling and identification of the deceased at all times, including adult and paediatric cases.
• Manage and transport samples, tissues and documentation accurately, maintaining full traceability and complying with infection control and health and safety standards.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene within the mortuary environment, including equipment cleaning, waste disposal and preparation of work areas.
• Support the coordination and release of deceased individuals to funeral directors and relevant authorities, ensuring timely, professional and compassionate communication.

UHS mortuary department continuously seeks opportunities to develop our service and we actively encourage the suggestions & involvement of all staff in all improvement projects. We collaborate widely with a range of other teams and staff groups within the Trust to improve the experience of our service users and raise the profile of mortuary services and the importance of care after death. We also support research and development and have close links with the University of Southampton faculties of Medicine and Life Sciences.

What we’re looking for – Applications are invited from candidates who are enthusiastic about learning and embrace positive change.

We are looking for a highly motivated, flexible & resilient individual, who values & works well within a team environment. You must be capable of working effectively and efficiently in a fast‑paced and dynamic mortuary environment, whilst prioritising the care & dignity of the deceased. High attention to detail and organisational skills are a must, and you must be able to communicate compassionately and professionally when interacting with bereaved relatives and a diverse range of service users.

The role may include participation in an out of hours rota covering nights, weekends and bank holidays to ensure consistent service delivery. A driving licence is necessary to support out hours working. The successful candidate will be required to undergo enhanced DBS clearance and Occupational Health screening due to the sensitive nature of the work.

Person Specification

Trust Values

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

• Experience of working in a busy administrative environment
• Experience in a customer facing role.
• ECDL or equivalent.
• NVQ3 in Administration or working towards.
• Able to present information to others.
• Able to use judgement and initiative to provide information and support
• Able to apply tact and sensitivity to establish trust and confidence
• Empathetic approach to dealing with and resolving enquiries
• Previous administrative experience in a similar setting
• Able to compose correspondence and reports.
• Be able to cope with seeing and hearing sensitive & distressing information within a bereavement setting
• To have read and understood basics of Caldicott principles and GDPR
• Uses of empathy and emotional intelligence when dealing with difficult situations
• Able to communicate clearly and sensitively with a wide range of patients, in situations where there may be barriers to understanding (e.g. language difficulties, anxious or distressed parents/families
• Understands the importance of confidentiality and takes responsibility for protecting confidential information.
• NHS or public sector experience
• Working with funeral directors/coroner's service
• Knowledge & Experience in using Patient Management System
• Knowledge of medical Terminology
• Knowledge of patient management systems. Good understanding of the coronial system
• Good working knowledge of mortuary practices.

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 Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

£24,937 to £26,598 a year pro rata per annum