Mortuary Services Manager

University College London Hospital; City Of London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in London is seeking an experienced Mortuary Service Manager to oversee safe and dignified services. Your responsibilities include managing post-mortem arrangements, leading a skilled team, and ensuring compliance with all legal standards. You will liaise with clinical teams and external agencies to provide sensitive communication to bereaved families. This position requires a diploma in Anatomical Pathology and significant experience in a mortuary setting.

Benefits

Interest free season ticket loan

Access to mental health support

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• 5 years post-qualification experience in a mortuary.
• Proficiency in mortuary techniques.
• Experience of staff supervision and management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee mortuary operations ensuring compliance with all legal standards.
• Manage post-mortem arrangements and maintain accurate records.
• Provide leadership and training to mortuary staff.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

IT literacy

Manual dexterity

Education

Diploma in Anatomical Pathology

Tools

Laboratory Information System

Job description

Job overview

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Mortuary Service Manager to lead the delivery of safe, dignified, and efficient mortuary services within our NHS Trust. You will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the mortuary, ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation, professional standards, and Trust policies. In this pivotal role, you will oversee a team of skilled staff, providing leadership, training, and support to maintain the highest standards of care for the deceased and their families. You will liaise closely with clinical teams, bereavement services, coroners, funeral directors, and external agencies to ensure smooth processes and sensitive communication.

Main duties of the job

The Mortuary Service Manager will oversee the safe, respectful, and efficient operation of the hospital mortuary, ensuring compliance with all legal, professional, and Trust requirements. You will manage post-mortem arrangements, maintain accurate records, and ensure the facility, equipment, and processes meet the highest standards. Leading a team of mortuary staff, you will provide compassionate leadership, foster professional development, and uphold dignity in all aspects of care for the deceased and their families. The role also involves close liaison with pathologists, coroners, bereavement services, and external agencies, alongside contributing to service improvements and ensuring robust health, safety, and infection control practices.

Working for our organisation

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff. UCLH tops the trust to work at in England according to the NHS staff survey for the third year in a row.

UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff.

To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?

Person specification

Knowledge & Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Hold Diploma in Anatomical Pathology from RIPHH.
• Demonstrate an awareness of developments in specialty being applied for
• Awareness of role within a Mortuary

Experience

Essential criteria

• Have at least 5 years post-qualification experience in a mortuary and proficiency in mortuary techniques
• Experience of working as part of a team and of training others in the practical aspects of the work.
• Experience of using a Laboratory Information System
• Experience of staff supervision and management
• Experience of staff appraisal and recruitment and selection
• Experience in operating mortuary equipment according to manufacturer\'s guidelines

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate efficiently with other members of the department both verbally and in writing in English.
• Demonstrate good interpersonal and relationship skills — ability to deal with bereaved relatives in a sympathetic manner and with Funeral Directors in a firm, professional manner.
• Ability to work accurately, neatly and efficiently. Attention to detail is very important.
• Demonstrate IT literacy e.g. with Microsoft Office Suite as well as Trust IT systems
• Have good hand-eye coordination/manual dexterity skills.

Values

Essential criteria

• Demonstrate ability to meet Trust Values of safety, kindness, teamwork and improving

Communication

Essential criteria

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to liaise, negotiate and influence effectively at Divisional management and all senior levels.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills with ability to motivate and engage individuals and teams
• Demonstrable experience of communicating effectively and appropriately with patients

Personal and People Development

Essential criteria

• Proven experience in effective management of budget and effective leadership of staff.

Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion

Essential criteria

• Demonstrate understanding of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and/or Knowledge of the NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties

Ensure the risk of infection to self, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by:

Essential criteria

• Being familiar with, and adhering to Trust policies and guidance on infection prevention and control.
• Completing all required training and education (both via e-learning and face to face) on infection prevention and control.
• Including infection prevention and control as an integral part of your continuous personal/professional development and included in your annual appraisal
• Taking personal responsibility so far as is reasonably practicable, in helping ensure that effective prevention and control of health care associated infections is embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently.

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

• Ability to be painstaking and dexterous and have good hand-eye coordination

Other requirements, including:

Essential criteria

• Requirement to handle bodies and transfer from the store to the PM room and back
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.

At UCLH, we have a real 'One Team' ethos, and our values - safety, kindness, teamwork and improving, are central to the way we work. This is supported by our staff, who voted us as the #1 NHS Acute Trust to work for in the whole of England.

At UCLH we take equality of opportunity seriously and are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer, with a culture that creates a real sense of belonging and trust. It is our fundamental aim, to recruit, retain and promote a diverse mix of people who are representative of our local communities. Applications are encouraged from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to support our world class research, innovation and creativity.

UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff and has a dedicated policy which allows staff to apply for flexible working right from the beginning of employment. For more information please go to: Flexible working.

We offer our permanent staff an interest free season ticket loan for travel, all our staff have access to free independent and confidential support, large retail discounts, a staff discount platform, cycle to work scheme and on-site accommodation to name a few.

Additionally, UCLH Arts and Heritage\'s staff wellbeing programme, Creative Comfort, offers a variety of ways to engage with the arts as a member of UCLH staff. You can try out the weekly choir, weekly art club and join the Culture Club for exclusive access to free and discounted tickets for opera, exhibitions, theatre and more.

We recognise, reward and thank colleagues by nominating them for our annual Celebrating Excellence Awards, which are funded by UCLH Charity.

We are also members of www.mytrustbenefits.co.uk which offers discounts on high street retail stores, offers on travel deals, and also to take advantage of cash back schemes.

This vacancy may close before the current listed closing date. You are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.

Please note that all correspondence regarding your application will be via email. The emails will be sent to you via TRAC.jobs and not via NHS Jobs, we encourage you to check your inbox regularly.

Please note that if you are at present in a training position on the 2016 new junior doctor's contract and are applying for a Trust doctor role your salary will not be pay protected.

You will be placed on the appropriate point of the Trust Doctor pay scale based on your previous experience.

Please note that if you have not heard from us within 3 weeks of the closing date of the advert to assume that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion.

The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.

For further support on submitting an application please refer to the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit: https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 928.2KB)
• Functional Requirements (PDF, 262.3KB)
• UCLH Values (PDF, 860.9KB)