Trust Mortuary Services Manager

Chelsea And Westminster Hospital Nhs Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced and compassionate Trust Mortuary Services Manager to lead the delivery of a high-quality mortuary and after-death care service across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, with potential support to Hillingdon Hospital.

The post holder will provide operational leadership for HTA-compliant mortuary services, ensuring dignified care of the deceased, support for bereaved families and

Qualifications

• Extensive experience managing mortuaries.
• Strong knowledge of HTA standards and relevant legislation.
• Experience delivering staff training and quality improvements.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Commitment to compassionate, person-centred care.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational and strategic leadership for Mortuary Services across trust sites.
• Ensure compliance with HTA standards, legislation and Trust policies.
• Oversee governance, quality assurance, risk management and service improvement.
• Lead mortuary workforce management, budget oversight and capacity planning.
• Collaborate with Medical Examiners, Coroners, Funeral Directors and clinical teams.

Skills

Demonstrates Trust Values

Team leadership

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Education

RSPH Diploma (Level 4) in Anatomical Pathology Technology

Job description

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Trust Mortuary Services Manager to lead the delivery of a high-quality mortuary and after-death care service across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, West Middlesex University Hospital, and potentially Hillingdon Hospital.

The post holder will provide operational leadership for all aspects of mortuary and after-death care, ensuring the dignified care of the deceased, support for bereaved families, and compliance with all relevant legislation, Human Tissue Authority (HTA) standards and Trust policies.

Working closely with clinical teams, Medical Examiners, Coroners and external partners, the post holder will ensure the safe, effective and responsive delivery of services while driving continuous quality improvement. They will promote high standards of after-death care across the Trust and provide leadership, guidance and support to staff involved in the care of deceased patients.

The successful candidate will have significant mortuary management experience, excellent communication and organisational skills, and a commitment to delivering compassionate, person-centred care.

Main duties of the job

The Trust Mortuary Services Manager will provide operational and strategic leadership for Mortuary Services across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, with potential future support to Hillingdon Hospital. The post holder will lead the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate after-death care, ensuring deceased patients and bereaved families are treated with dignity, respect and professionalism.

Responsible for the day-to-day management of the mortuary service, the post holder will ensure compliance with Human Tissue Authority (HTA) standards, legislation, national guidance and Trust policies. They will oversee governance, quality assurance, risk management, service improvement, workforce development, capacity management and emergency preparedness arrangements.

Working closely with Medical Examiners, Coroners, Funeral Directors, Chaplaincy and clinical teams, the post holder will provide specialist advice, lead education and training, manage resources and budgets, and provide assurance to senior leaders on service quality, safety, performance and compliance.

About us

Our Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites–Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital–along with award-winning clinics across North West London.

Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5m, providing full clinical services including maternity, A&E and children's services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health care. The CQC rates us Good in safety, effectiveness, care and responsiveness, and Outstanding in leadership and resource use.

We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Mid.

We are delivering sustainable healthcare through our Green Plan. In line with Greener NHS ambitions, we aim for net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Achieving this requires collective effort. We encourage staff to reduce their impact on carbon, waste and pollution wherever possible. Every action counts to create a healthier, more sustainable future.

We are committed to equal opportunities and believe diversity drives innovation and excellence. We welcome applications from the global majority, veterans and underrepresented communities, valuing the perspectives they bring.

Job responsibilities

The Trust Mortuary Services Manager will provide operational and strategic leadership for Mortuary Services across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, with potential future support to Hillingdon Hospital. The post holder will lead the delivery of a safe, compassionate and high-quality service, ensuring deceased patients and bereaved families are treated with dignity, respect and professionalism at all times.

They will be responsible for compliance with Human Tissue Authority (HTA) standards, legislation, national guidance and Trust policies, while overseeing mortuary operations, quality assurance, governance, risk management and service improvement. The role includes leadership of the mortuary workforce, management of resources and budgets, and oversight of capacity, business continuity and major incident arrangements.

Working closely with Medical Examiners, Coroners, Funeral Directors, Chaplaincy and clinical teams, the post holder will provide specialist advice, support education and training, and promote excellence in after-death care across the Trust. They will contribute to strategic planning and provide assurance to senior leaders and Trust committees regarding service quality, safety and compliance.

Person Specification

Essential

• Demonstrates Trust Values
• Extensive experience managing mortuaries
• Sound knowledge of HTA
• Sound knowledge of legislation relevant to duties
• Experienced with delivering relevant training
• Commitment to quality improvements
• Skills in audit and policy development
• Able to perform all takes e.g. manual and automated in the mortuary
• Proven team leader
• Sound communication and interpersonal skills
• Organised good management skills
• Demonstrating compassion with vulnerable patients

Desirable

• RSPH Diploma (Level 4) in Anatomical Pathology Technology

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).