Go back County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Mortuary Medical Laboratory Assistant
The closing date is 01 April 2026
We are seeking to appoint a self‑motivated Mortuary Medical Laboratory Assistant to join our Cellular Pathology team in the mortuary and histology department. The successful candidate will work closely with Anatomical Pathology Technicians, Biomedical Scientists and Associate Practitioners. Following training, you will primarily be based within the mortuary at University Hospital North Durham, and occasionally the Histology Lab. You will be required to work on a rotational basis within the mortuary at Darlington Memorial Hospital when needed. The ability to travel across sites is essential. Please refer to the Job Description and Personal Specification for full details.
The ideal candidate will be a team player that possesses excellent communication skills, organisation and manual dexterity skills and has a keen eye for detail. Manual handling is a core part of the role. You will also have the ability to concentrate for long periods of time and have a keen interest in mortuary and pathology services. You should be able to demonstrate good keyboard skills and be computer literate. Previous experience of working in an NHS pathology laboratory or mortuary is desirable.
Main duties of the job
* Receipt and registration of deceased patients and laboratory samples.
* Release of deceased patients to funeral directors.
* Entering patient details onto the laboratory computer system and inputting the correct tests, maintaining all required logs.
* Answering reception and telephone queries and liaising with other Trust staff and the general public.
* Preparing bodies for the purpose of relative viewings and police identification.
* Organising referral work, packaging and sending of samples to other Trust sites and to other Trusts nationwide.
* Stock control including receiving and receipting deliveries, documenting and organising batches of reagents and performing verification tasks.
* Perform support duties during dissection of different samples within histology.
* Prepare cases for discussion at Multi‑disciplinary Team meetings.
* Loading and unloading tissue processor machines.
* Cleaning and decontaminating equipment and work areas.
* Demonstrating duties to other staff.
* Error logging and troubleshooting.
* There may also be an opportunity to take part in an on‑call rota.
About us
If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.
You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre‑employment checks.
We provide hospital services from two acute sites – Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester‑Le‑Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community‑based settings and providing care in patients' homes.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under‑represented.
Job responsibilities
This Mortuary Medical Laboratory Assistant role involves working closely with Pathologists, Anatomical Pathology Technicians, Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners and Medical Laboratory Assistants. They follow the laboratory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and complete the relevant quality documentation as required.
Upon completion of training and gaining competency, you will rotate throughout the specialist areas of the laboratory and mortuary. You will perform duties in accordance to local policy to a high degree of standards whilst conforming to health and safety requirements.
You will work in the body store, view room of the mortuary and histology specimen reception, MDT preparation and dissection support. You will use a variety of specialist laboratory equipment to perform tasks and are responsible for the maintenance of equipment and completing maintenance documentation, including temperature, xylene and formalin monitoring.
Handling of body fluids and human tissue samples which can be of a sensitive nature is required. Work within the mortuary can often be upsetting. Manual handling is required daily.
Stock is managed by all staff. This includes monitoring stock levels of consumables, signing for deliveries, receipting goods delivered, unpacking, verifying if appropriate and ensuring paperwork is complete before placing in appropriate storage area in an orderly organised manner.
Generally the MLA staff assist with tasks in the laboratory and mortuary in which they have been trained and are within their scope of practice.
Effective daily tasks require the ability to focus for long periods of time, great attention to detail and the ability to organise tasks in priority order. An MLA also requires computer literacy skills as they are expected to use spreadsheets, access LIMS and perform audits as needed.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* NVQ 3 in Health (pathology stream) or equivalent
* Science and/or math's GCSE or above
* Science A'Levels
Special Requirements
* Able to handle tissue and body fluid samples.
* Able to work flexibly and across site.
* Able to participate in shift working, weekend working, bank holidays as required.
Special Skills & Knowledge
* Follow protocols and instructions accurately.
* Communication, verbal and written.
* Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
* Knowledge of procedures for viewing of the deceased.
Experience
* Previous laboratory or mortuary experience.
* Interaction of hospital services with external users i.e. funeral directors.
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
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum, pro rata
#J-18808-Ljbffr