Senior Anatomical Pathology Technologist

The Methodist Church in Britain; Birmingham, Hawkesley; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a mortuary technician for a 12-month fixed-term post in the mortuary team, serving the Coroner, Local Authority and Trust. The role focuses on preparing the deceased for post mortem, supervising APTs and training porters and security staff to UKAS and HTA standards, with a part-time arrangement at 32.25 hours per week and flexible working.

The job includes an on-call rota, viewings of babies and children, and involvement in audits, SOP

Qualifications

• Requires four GCSEs including maths, English and science at grade 5 or above.
• Level 3 Diploma in APT or equivalent, or working towards it.
• At least two years post-qualification mortuary experience, or Annex 21 until criteria met.
• Experience working with the public one-to-one, under pressure, and with the bereaved in distressing situations.

Responsibilities

• Provide a reliable service meeting UKAS/HTA standards.
• Supervise and train APTs, porters, security staff and students.
• Prepare the deceased for post mortem and assist with autopsies.

Skills

Public interaction

Working under pressure

Bereavement care experience

Education

GCSEs including maths English and science

Level 3 Diploma in APT or equivalent

Job description

A 12-month fixed-term post in the mortuary team at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, serving the Coroner, Local Authority and Trust. The work centres on preparing the deceased for post mortem, supervising APTs and training porters and security staff against UKAS and HTA standards. Part-time at 32.25 hours a week and open to flexible working, it includes an on-call rota and viewings of babies and children. Two years' post-qualification mortuary experience, or Annex 21 status, is essential.

What the job involves

• Provide a reliable, high-quality service meeting UKAS or HTA standards
• Supervise, train and support APTs, porters, security staff, nurse bleep holders and students
• Perform specialist duties and supervise APTs in preparing the deceased before, during and after post mortem
• Assist in arranging autopsies with pathologists, the Coroner and bereavement services
• Take part in the out-of-hours on-call rota, including paediatric and Home Office post mortems, release of bodies and formal identification
• Take part in viewings, including foetuses, babies and children, advising the bereaved after sudden death
• Assist with tissue and organ retention for current autopsies
• Monitor capacity across both sites and alert the Mortuary Manager when trigger points are reached
• Help develop operating procedures that comply with health and safety, legal, UKAS, HTA and Trust requirements
• Perform and assist with monthly and quarterly mortuary audits and FOI requests
• Train internal staff on mortuary facilities and ensure compliance with SOPs and HTA guidelines
• Maintain flexibility for a variable workload, including county travel at short notice

Qualifications

• Four GCSEs including maths, English and a science at grade 5 or above
• Level 3 Diploma in APT or equivalent, or working towards it

Experience

• At least two years post-qualification mortuary experience, or Annex 21 until criteria met
• Experience working with the public on a one-to-one basis
• Experience working under pressure
• Experience working with the bereaved in emotive or distressing situations
• Experience in a profession allied to medicine
• Previous mortuary or funeral director experience in any capacity

Other

• Professional approach with prolonged exposure to unpleasant working conditions

Nice to have

• Good spoken and written English
• Previous supervisory experience
• Experience mentoring trainee APTs
• Experience in risk assessments and quality audits
• Experience reviewing SOPs and proposing changes to the mortuary service
• Registration with AAP
• Aggression and bereavement training
• Evidence of ongoing CPD

What’s offered

• Flexible working within a Timewise-accredited employer