University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)
The closing date is 26 June 2026
An exciting job opportunity has arisen at the Mortuary at Bristol Royal Infirmary. We are looking for a member of the team to take the position of Mortuary Assistant in our busy city centre Hospital.
The post holder will work in a small team within the body storage facility and be responsible for supporting the daily activities and processes within the storage facility for adult and paediatric patients. They will be expected to provide a safe, secure, effective and comprehensive service to meet the needs of the hospital and ensure that deceased patients and their families are treated with dignity and respect at all times.
This post will be based at Bristol Royal Infirmary but could be expected to work cross‑site (Weston) when and if needed, to receive and release deceased patients, prepare deceased patients for viewing, as well as completing general disinfection and cleaning of all the areas. Other duties will include liaising with and assisting funeral directors, medical examiners, bereavement officers, coroner's personnel, police officers, doctors and multidisciplinary Trust teams as well as relatives and friends of the deceased patients. The postholder will be required to participate in a 24/7 on‑call rota.
This job advert may close early if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been submitted.
Main duties of the job
* Carry out all daily duties required for the efficient operation of the storage facility, under supervision from the Mortuary Manager/Deputy Mortuary Manager and Body Store Supervisor.
* Complete all work to a high standard and within expected time frames to meet service demands.
* Provide a safe, secure, effective and comprehensive service to meet the needs of the hospital and ensure that deceased patients and their families are treated with dignity and respect at all times.
* Ensure security and confidentiality at all times including the monitoring of all activities by internal and external staff.
* Report to the Body Store Supervisor regarding the operational status of the department, including any issues or information relevant to the running of the department.
* Assist the Deputy/Mortuary Manager in working towards improving departmental procedures to Human Tissue Authority regulatory standards.
* Be able to multitask and prioritise when there are competing demands; evaluate and act upon anomalous situations when dealing with emotional families at viewings or over the telephone; give guidance, support and comfort to bereaved relatives and friends.
A successful candidate must have the emotional strength to deal with all duties whilst maintaining calm, mature and compassionate disposition.
About us
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward‑thinking multi‑award‑winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world‑leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
Qualifications and Training
* Good basic general education 4 x GCSE grade C or above – to include English & maths.
* Health and Safety Training.
Knowledge and Experience
* Knowledge of Trust IT systems.
* Experience of the hospital environment.
* Previous experience of supervising.
* Experience with the deceased.
* Knowledge of mortuary practices including Health and Safety and Human Tissue Authority standards and regulations.
* Understanding of the coronial and medical examiners systems.
* Understanding of infection control procedures.
* Mortuary experience.
Skills and Abilities
* Good IT skills, especially the use of Microsoft Excel, Word etc.
* Excellent communication and organisational skills.
* Ability to interact sensitively with the public.
* Understanding of confidentiality.
* Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in record keeping.
* Ability to work alone or as a team member.
* Ability to work methodically.
* Ability to multitask.
* Physically able to manoeuvre heavy loads.
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.
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)
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