Medical Laboratory Assistant

NHS

  • Durham
  • £24,465 per year
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 1 hour ago
We are seeking an individual with excellent literacy and numeracy skills to work as a Senior Medical Laboratory Assistant in our very busy Department of Blood Sciences which processes 1500-2000 samples per site each day.The Medical Laboratory Assistant role involves working as a member of staff providing support to Specimen Reception, Biochemistry, Immunology, Haematology and Blood Transfusion. You will be working alongside a team of Biomedical Scientists and Associate Practitioners.Main duties of the jobMain tasks include:Prioritising urgent and AE samples to avoid delays and ensure best patient care.Receipt of samples from within the Hospital via a vacuum tube system or in person and from GP surgeries via courier services.Booking a large volume of patient samples on to the Laboratory Computer System and ensuring the correct test requests are inputted. There are thousands of different test codes and you must have excellent attention to detail to select the correct codes.Centrifuging samples and correctly loading the samples on to the relevant laboratory analysers.Organising referral and packaging and sending of samples to other Trust sites and to other Trusts nationwide.Answering reception and telephone queries and liaising with other Trust staff and the general public.Receiving deliveries, ensuring they go to the correct department within Pathology and unpacking and organising the stock as requested.Scanning request forms and ensuring printed reports are sent to the correct requesting departments, GPs or clinics in a timely manner.Please refer to the Job Description and Personal Specification for full details.About usIf you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the managerYou must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checksWe 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-representedFull Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documentsOver reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of successFor the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.From April 9th 2025 - Healthcare assistants - You must have a minimum of two years of experience working within the NHS as a HCA for the Trust to consider sponsorship (we will only consider sponsorship if you meet this criteria and have a current visa expiring within 3 months)DetailsDate posted03 September 2025Pay schemeAgenda for changeBandBand 2Salary£24,465 a yearContractPermanentWorking patternFull-timeReference numberC9439-2526-0587Job locationsUniversity Hospital Of North DurhamNorth RoadDurhamDH1 5TWJob descriptionJob responsibilitiesYou should be able to demonstrate good keyboard skills and be computer literate and have experience of working in a reception or clerical environment. Previous Laboratory experience would be an advantage. If you are well organised, have excellent attention to detail, are a good communicator, team player, conscientious and flexible this job may suit you. You must be able to ask questions and take on board information given.You must be able to work on a 24/7 shift rota which includes dayshifts, late shifts, nightshifts, weekend dayshifts and nightshifts, Bank Holiday dayshifts and nightshifts including Christmas Day. This is a requirement of the post. Dayshifts and late shifts are 7.5 or 8 hours. Nightshifts and some weekends and Bank Holidays are 12 hours. On weekends, bank holidays and nightshifts you will often be the sole Pathology Reception worker on site (there will be Biomedical Scientists on site also). Job descriptionJob responsibilitiesYou should be able to demonstrate good keyboard skills and be computer literate and have experience of working in a reception or clerical environment. Previous Laboratory experience would be an advantage. If you are well organised, have excellent attention to detail, are a good communicator, team player, conscientious and flexible this job may suit you. You must be able to ask questions and take on board information given.You must be able to work on a 24/7 shift rota which includes dayshifts, late shifts, nightshifts, weekend dayshifts and nightshifts, Bank Holiday dayshifts and nightshifts including Christmas Day. This is a requirement of the post. Dayshifts and late shifts are 7.5 or 8 hours. Nightshifts and some weekends and Bank Holidays are 12 hours. On weekends, bank holidays and nightshifts you will often be the sole Pathology Reception worker on site (there will be Biomedical Scientists on site also).Person SpecificationQualificationsEssential
  • Basic Numeracy and literacy
Desirable
  • NVQ 2 CLS or equivalent
  • Science and/or math's GCSE or above
  • IBMS Certificate of Achievement Part 1
Special Skills and KnowledgeEssential
  • Follow protocols and instructions accurately
  • High level of attention to detail
  • Ability to concentrate for long periods
  • Excellent communication skills, verbal and written
  • Computer literate
Desirable
  • Microsoft Office applications
ExperienceEssential
  • Clerical work
  • Reception work
Desirable
  • Previous hospital laboratory experience
  • Employment with public Interaction
Special RequirementsEssential
  • Able to handle blood and body samples
  • Able to lift and move multiple boxes/cartons of up to 20kg
  • Able to work flexibly
  • Able to participate in shift working,
  • weekend working and bank holidays
Person SpecificationQualificationsEssential
  • Basic Numeracy and literacy
Desirable
  • NVQ 2 CLS or equivalent
  • Science and/or math's GCSE or above
  • IBMS Certificate of Achievement Part 1
Special Skills and KnowledgeEssential
  • Follow protocols and instructions accurately
  • High level of attention to detail
  • Ability to concentrate for long periods
  • Excellent communication skills, verbal and written
  • Computer literate
Desirable
  • Microsoft Office applications
ExperienceEssential
  • Clerical work
  • Reception work
Desirable
  • Previous hospital laboratory experience
  • Employment with public Interaction
Special RequirementsEssential
  • Able to handle blood and body samples
  • Able to lift and move multiple boxes/cartons of up to 20kg
  • Able to work flexibly
  • Able to participate in shift working,
  • weekend working and bank holidays

NHS