Senior Medical Laboratory Assistant

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a Senior Medical Laboratory Assistant for the Microbiology department at Worcester Royal Hospital. The role involves rotating through bacteriology, serology and molecular biology, with a 37.5-hour week and a roster including nights, weekends and bank holidays.

The successful candidate will work within a busy pathology team, supporting QA/IQC processes and contributing to a high standard of patient care.

Qualifications

• Has experience working in a laboratory and performing routine investigations.
• NHS laboratory experience.
• Good written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Unpack and process microbiology samples, check request details and labeling.
• Book in samples on the laboratory information system.
• Monitor stock levels and assist with quality management and audits.
• Support housekeeping, equipment upkeep and safe handling of specimens.
• Contribute to training of MLAs and adherence to SOPs.
• Work flexibly across shifts including nights and weekends as rostered.

Skills

Laboratory experience

NHS lab environment

English communication

Education

GCSEs or equivalent

NVQ 2 in Clinical Laboratory Support

Working towards NVQ Level 3

Job description

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Senior Medical Laboratory Assistant

The closing date is 15 November 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Medical Laboratory Assistant in the Microbiology department at Worcester Royal Hospital, Worcester.

The successful applicant will be joining the microbiology team consisting of Biomedical scientists, Microbiology consultants, and the wider pathology department.

This is a full time role 37.5 hours per week, excludingmeal breaks.

Rostered shifts include core hourshifts (09:00 17:00), late shifts (12:00 20:00), weekends (08:00 - 16:00) Bank Holidays (08:00 16:00) and overnight shifts(20:00 08:00).

Weekends and BankHolidays are additional to core hour Participation on the overnight shiftroster is mandatory.

We are a busy department which includes a wide repertoire of tests including general Bacteriology, Serology, and Molecular biology.

During the pandemic we were and remain a vital service ensuring patients are getting COVID tests 24/7.

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will be rotated throughout the whole of the department, becoming competent in housekeeping, general bacteriology including urines, enteric and swab processing. Serology and molecular biology sample processing.

They will be expected to contribute to the quality management system and participate in audits and the processing of IQC and IQA.

They will need to be adaptable and organised as this is a fast paced department where changes can occur quickly, therefore a positive attitude towards the work and services users is required.

Please note:This post does not support with the completion of registration portfolios.

This is a re-advertisement of a previous job listing. Candidates who applied in the last 6 months and were unsuccessful need not apply.

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is over 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

• Best services for local people
• Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
• Best use of resources
• Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

Job responsibilities

To unpack Microbiology samples, checking details on request form and pot to ensure thatsample data is correct. To attach consecutively numbered bar code labels to the form andpot.

To deal with customers or visitors attending Pathology Reception. To process clinical samples according to departmental SOPs.

To book in the samples onto the laboratory computer system.

To reject specimens which do not conform to acceptable requirements, contacting senderor returning them to sender and monitoring the action taken and date and time of return tothe laboratory, and inform a Senior member of staff.

To select the appropriate discard specimens and transfer them to the correct area fordisposal.

To monitor stock levels of consumables within the laboratory and notify the AssociatePractitioner or Senior BMS when ordering is necessary.

On a rotational basis, supervises and receives stock deliveries to the bacteriologydepartment, ensuring that storage is in accordance with CE mark and departmentalprocedures.

Processes goods receipt documentation in accordance with SFIs and knows when toinform a Senior BMS of anomalies

To collect specimens from specimen reception regularly throughout the day inconjunction with work colleagues. Coordinate and process samples for Internal Quality assurance in conjunction withQuality Team

To empty clinical waste bins and autoclave tins, transferring bags and containers to theappropriate site.

To collect dirty linen and laboratory coats for laundering and replace clean linen in thestorage cupboard.

To maintain the equipment on a daily basis by emptying used reagents, cleaningcontainers and re-filling with fresh reagents. Daily performs general housekeeping and maintenance duties including automatedequipment, defrosting fridges and freezers, decontaminating incubators, centrifuges andwater baths.

To carry out such monitoring as is required, e.g. temperatures, airflows etc.

Completes non-conformance record forms and submits to the Quality Manager and, or Senior BMS18. Respond to telephone enquiries giving outauthorised results, referring enquiries to appropriate member of staff and where appropriatetake accurate and detailed messages To participate in the training and induction of MLAs and visitors as directed by theLaboratory Manager.

Contribute to the revision and development of Standard Operating Procedures

Daily assist with general office and laboratory duties including, scanning, filing andrecording details of samples referred to other laboratories

To follow agreed protocols and policies seeking advice where appropriate from moresenior staff.

To work in an efficient and timely manner and to be adaptable to change.

To work in a safe manner in accordance with departmental and Trust Health and Safetypolicies.

To contribute to care, maintenance and security of the laboratory premises andequipment.

Under the supervision of an Associate Practitioner or Biomedical Scientist perform tasksthat include accuracy and precision including use of specialist and automatedequipment.

To demonstrate a positive attitude to the work of the laboratory, colleagues and serviceusers.

To respond to requests for information in a polite, helpful and concise manner.To maintain confidentiality and conform with the Data Protection Act.

To work to quality standards for all aspects of the service as defined by the PathologyDirectorate Quality Management System.

The postholder will participate in an annual Personal Development Review appraisalprocess as well as all necessary mandatory training. As part of the PDR process thepostholders involvement and contribution to Quality Management will be reviewed alongwith their understanding and compliance with the current, relevant Trust objectives.

To participate in the competency assessment scheme.

To participate in Mandatory Training as required.

For further details please refer to Job description attached

Experience

• Has experience of working in a laboratory and has practical experience of performing regular routine laboratory investigations. (University/College practical's do not count)
• NHS laboratory experience.

Personal Qualities

• Ability to concentrate for prolonged periods of time and under pressure
• High level of dexterity.
• Ability to work in a team.
• Ability to work on own initiative.
• Flexible attitude to tasks.Conscientious approach to work.
• Because manual handling of loads is required, the applicant must be physically capable of undertaking this aspect of the duties
• Basic IT skills
• Previous experience of working with the public
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality.
• Awareness of Health and Safety
• Presentable appearance

Qualifications

• Good standard of education to at least GCSE level.
• Willing to undertake any necessary in-house training required.
• NVQ 2 or above in Clinical Laboratory Support or Certificate of Achievement
• Working towards NVQ Level 3 in or equivalent qualification.
• Good spoken and written English.

Other requirements

• Understanding of importance of confidentiality.
• Awareness of Health and Safety.
• Presentable appearance.
• Fully aware of the shifts that are required for the post to include night shifts and weekend working.
• Willingness to undertake the house keeping laboratory cleaning duties.
• The post holder must be willing to have relevant vaccinations.

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 name

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust