Job summary
- Main area
- Cellular Pathology
- Grade
- Band 2
- Contract
- 6 months (fixed term - End December 2025)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 438-PB2845
- Employer
- Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Preston Hospital
- Town
- Preston
- Salary
- £24,169 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 05/05/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 03/06/2025
Employer heading

Medical Laboratory Assistant - Cellular Pathology
Band 2
Job overview
Are you an enthusiastic individual looking to work as part of a busy Cellular Pathology team? Then look no further!
The role is not for the faint hearted and no two days look the same. It is a very physical role, that will keep you fit. This is a mixed role carrying out laboratory and clerical duties. These may include assisting Pathologists at cut up, retrieving material for MDTs and preparing MDT documentation, filing and general housekeeping duties supporting the team.
You may be required to work in all areas of Cellular Pathology. You must be able to use Microsoft Office applications.
Main duties of the job
You will undertake a range of Pre Analytic duties for the Pathology Department which may include patient and specimen reception, printing/despatch of reports, mail preparation and telephone enquiries.
You will also be responsible for sample processing including the receipt, labelling and preparation of specimens for the departments of Pathology.
You will need good written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work as part of a team are required. Please ensure you comply with the personal specification.
Working for our organisation
We have 10,000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.
Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.
You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.
You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Duties will include, but not be limited to:
- Communicate effectively with clinical staff, laboratory staff and external clients regarding advice/clarification of test requests in a professional and approachable manner.
- Answer the telephone in a clear and concise manner ensuring all results given & received are logged.
- Assist in effective verbal and written communication
- Communicate, as appropriate, using information technology.
- Order stock from Main Stores to maintain adequate supplies of stock items.
- Supply stock to Wards/Departments and GP practices as requested in a timely manner.
- Receive delivery of supplies for other Departments and notify of arrival.
- Report any issues and complaints to appropriate person
- Report on delivery of goods & services
- Record date and time & sort all relevant specimens coming into Pathology.
- Check that the correct specimen, collected under appropriate conditions has been supplied for investigations requested.
- Ensure urgent samples fast tracked through system
- Check sample and request form meet minimum data set requirements.
- Use computer accurately to input patient demographics using the laboratory CPR system.
- Learn and retain a good knowledge of Consultant/GP/Location and test codes.
- Correctly label samples with computer generated labels.
- Uses PC to find requested result enquiry information using agreed formats and procedures.
- Correctly and safely prepare, use and disinfect equipment e.g. centrifuge.
- Perform day to day maintenance & load, unload and top up of the consumables on analysers as appropriate
- Identify problems on mechanical systems, perform simple repairs, notify appropriate individual or call engineer if necessary.
- Sort printed reports, file and despatch to correct location
- Ensure report printers are constantly supplied with report paper.
Person specification
Qualifications and Education
Essential criteria
- Educated to GCSE standard, or equivalent to grade C in Maths English and Science
Desirable criteria
- NVQ2 Clinical Support
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with others
- General appreciation of the importance of Health & Safety issues
- Computer literate
- Understands the need for confidentiality
- Basic IT skills
- Excellent written English language skills with ability to take notes during dictation
- Archiving / filing skills in an alphanumeric format
Desirable criteria
- Previous Data Input experience
- Previous Cellular Pathology experience
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Carron Wilson
- Job title
- Lead Biomedical Scientist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01772 523108
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