Mortuary Medical Laboratory Assistant

Charitysociety; Darlington; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated Senior Medical Laboratory Assistant to join their Cellular Pathology team. This role involves working closely with a team of professionals in the mortuary and histology department, where attention to detail and excellent communication skills are paramount. You will be responsible for receiving and registering deceased patients, preparing bodies for viewings, and managing laboratory samples. The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment and demonstrate a keen interest in pathology. This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to vital healthcare services while developing your skills in a supportive setting.

Qualifications

• Experience in a laboratory or mortuary setting is essential.
• Ability to handle body fluids and human tissue samples.

Responsibilities

• Receive and register deceased patients and laboratory samples.
• Organize referral work and send samples to other Trusts.

Skills

Communication Skills

Manual Dexterity

Attention to Detail

Computer Literacy

Education

NVQ 3 in Health (pathology stream)

Science GCSE or above

Tools

Laboratory Computer Systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

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Job Summary

We are seeking to appoint a self-motivated Senior Medical Laboratory Assistant to join our Cellular Pathology team in the mortuary and histology department. The successful candidate will work closely with Anatomical Pathology Technicians, Biomedical Scientists and Associate Practitioners. Following training, you will work on a rotational basis within the mortuary at Durham and Darlington Hospital and the histology lab in Durham. The ability to travel across sites is essential. Please refer to the Job Description and Personal Specification for full details.

Job Summary

We are seeking to appoint a self-motivated Senior Medical Laboratory Assistant to join our Cellular Pathology team in the mortuary and histology department. The successful candidate will work closely with Anatomical Pathology Technicians, Biomedical Scientists and Associate Practitioners. Following training, you will work on a rotational basis within the mortuary at Durham and Darlington Hospital and the histology lab in Durham. The ability to travel across sites is essential. Please refer to the Job Description and Personal Specification for full details.

The ideal candidate will be a team player that possesses excellent communication skills, organisation and manual dexterity skills and have a keen eye for detail. Manual handling is a core part of the role. You will also have the ability to concentrate for long periods of time and have a keen interest in pathology. You should be able to demonstrate good keyboard skills and be computer literate. Previous experience of working in an NHS pathology laboratory or mortuary is desirable.

Main duties of the job

Main Tasks Include:

Receipt and registration of deceased patients and laboratory samples.

Release of deceased patients to funeral directors.

Entering patient details onto the laboratory computer system and inputting the correct tests, maintaining all required logs.

Answering reception and telephone queries and liaising with other Trust staff and the general public.

Preparing bodies for the purpose of relative viewings and police identification.

Organising referral work, packaging and sending of samples to other Trust sites and to other Trusts nationwide.

Stock control including receiving and receipting deliveries, documenting and organising batches of reagents and performing verification tasks.

Perform support duties during dissection of different samples within histology.

Prepare cases for discussion at Multi disciplinary Team Meetings.

Loading and unloading tissue processor machines.

Cleaning and decontaminating equipment and work areas.

Demonstrating duties to other staff.

Error logging and trouble shooting.

Please refer to the Job Description and Personal Specification for full details.

About Us

If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents

Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

From April 9th 2025 - Healthcare assistants - You must have a minimum of two years of experience working within the NHS as a HCA for the Trust to consider sponsorship (we will only consider sponsorship if you meet this criteria and have a current visa expiring within 3 months)

Date posted

02 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,625 to £25,674 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9439-2425-1652

Job locations

Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust

Hollyhurst Road

Darlington

County Durham

DL3 6HX

Job Description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and personal specification for full details.

This Senior Medical Laboratory Assistant role (Senior MLA) involves working closely with Pathologists, Anatomical Pathology Technicians, Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners and Medical Laboratory Assistants. They follow the laboratory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and complete the relevant quality documentation as required.

Upon completion of training and gaining competency, they will rotate throughout the specialist areas of the laboratory and mortuary. They perform duties in accordance to local policy to a high degree of standards whilst conforming to health and safety requirements. This includes working in the body store, and viewing room of the mortuary and histology specimen reception, MDT preparation and dissection support. They used a variety of specialist laboratory equipment to perform tasks and are responsible for the maintenance of equipment and completing maintenance documentation. This also includes temperature, xylene and formalin monitoring.

The role requires handling of body fluids and human tissue samples which can be of a sensitive nature. Work within the mortuary can often be upsetting. Manual handling is required daily.

Stock is managed by all staff. This includes monitoring stock levels of consumables, signing for deliveries, receipting goods delivered, unpacking, verifying if appropriate and ensuring paperwork is complete before placing in appropriate storage area in an orderly organised manner.

Generally the Senior MLA staff assist with tasks in the laboratory and mortuary in which they have been trained and are within their scope of practice. They provide supervision, training and leadership to junior staff.

In order to perform their daily tasks effectively, a senior MLA requires the ability to focus for long periods of time, have great attention to detail and possess the ability to organise tasks in priority order. A senior MLA also requires computer literacy skills as they are expected to use spreadsheets, access LIMS, write SOPs and perform audits as needed

Job Description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and personal specification for full details.

This Senior Medical Laboratory Assistant role (Senior MLA) involves working closely with Pathologists, Anatomical Pathology Technicians, Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners and Medical Laboratory Assistants. They follow the laboratory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and complete the relevant quality documentation as required.

Upon completion of training and gaining competency, they will rotate throughout the specialist areas of the laboratory and mortuary. They perform duties in accordance to local policy to a high degree of standards whilst conforming to health and safety requirements. This includes working in the body store, and viewing room of the mortuary and histology specimen reception, MDT preparation and dissection support. They used a variety of specialist laboratory equipment to perform tasks and are responsible for the maintenance of equipment and completing maintenance documentation. This also includes temperature, xylene and formalin monitoring.

The role requires handling of body fluids and human tissue samples which can be of a sensitive nature. Work within the mortuary can often be upsetting. Manual handling is required daily.

Stock is managed by all staff. This includes monitoring stock levels of consumables, signing for deliveries, receipting goods delivered, unpacking, verifying if appropriate and ensuring paperwork is complete before placing in appropriate storage area in an orderly organised manner.

Generally the Senior MLA staff assist with tasks in the laboratory and mortuary in which they have been trained and are within their scope of practice. They provide supervision, training and leadership to junior staff.

In order to perform their daily tasks effectively, a senior MLA requires the ability to focus for long periods of time, have great attention to detail and possess the ability to organise tasks in priority order. A senior MLA also requires computer literacy skills as they are expected to use spreadsheets, access LIMS, write SOPs and perform audits as needed

Person Specification

Special Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Follow protocols and instructions accurately
• Communication, verbal and written
• Computer literate
  
  

Desirable

• Microsoft Office applications
• Knowledge of procedures for viewing of the deceased
  
  

Special Requirements

Essential

• Able to handle tissue and body fluid samples
• Able to work flexibly and across site
  
  

Desirable

• Able to participate in shift working, weekend working, bank holidays as required.
  
  

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ 3 in Health (pathology stream) or equivalent
• Science and/or math's GCSE or above
  
  

Desirable

• Equivalent science qualifications
• Science A'Levels
  
  

Experience

Essential

• Previous laboratory or mortuary experience
  
  

Desirable

• Interaction of hospital services with external users i.e. funeral directors
  
  

Person Specification

Special Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Previous laboratory or mortuary experience
  
  

Desirable

• Interaction of hospital services with external users i.e. funeral directors
  
  

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 details

Employer name

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust

Hollyhurst Road

Darlington

County Durham

DL3 6HX

Employer's website

https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust

Hollyhurst Road

Darlington

County Durham

DL3 6HX

Employer's website

https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Science

• Industries

  Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories

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