Medical Laboratory Assistant

Job overview

Central Specimen Reception Medical Laboratory Assistant

We are looking for a Band 2 Medical Laboratory Assistants for the Central Specimen Reception Department.

This is a full-time permanent position. The department provides a 24/7 service. The successful candidate will be required to participate in a rotational shift pattern, including early, late, weekend, bank holiday and
night shifts.

The position will be based at Royal London Hospital. Cross site working is a requirement for all roles and the successful applicant will be required to work at any of the NHS Pathology Partnership sites.

The laboratories are UKAS and HCPC accredited. Our commitment to supporting continuing professional development is evidenced by an excellent training record.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to work as part of a team in Central Specimen Reception to undertake routine laboratory work and provide general laboratory assistance.

This will include entry of patient details and other data into laboratory information systems, operating laboratory equipment, maintaining and running checks, quality control and troubleshooting on equipment, preparation of reagents, pre analytical preparation of samples for testing, and general housekeeping duties.

The post holder will offer a helpful and professional service to visitors and telephone callers. Full local training and written standard operating procedures will be provided.

We are looking for a candidate with a positive attitude to working in a flexible manner and with the ability to work accurately when under pressure to meet deadlines.

The post holder will require a keen eye for detail and accuracy. The successful candidate should have the ability to follow written protocol, along with the ability to work with minimal supervision.

Working for our organisation

The NHS East and South East London Pathology Partnership is jointly owned by three NHS Trusts; Barts Health NHS Trust, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The Pathology Partnership is based on well-established models for pathology networks, with the Royal London Hospital becoming the main hub laboratory for the network and Essential Service Laboratories (ESL) as a minimum at all other Hospital sites. The Partnership is organised into three operational divisions; Blood Sciences including Biochemistry, Blood Transfusion, Clinical Transplantation, Haematology, Immunology, POCT and Specimen Reception; Cellular Pathology and Cancer Diagnostics including Cellular Pathology, Cytogenetics and Molecular Haematology, Immunohistochemistry, non-gynae Cytology, Mortuary Services and Retinoblastoma; Infection Sciences; Microbiology and Virology. Barts Health is the host trust to the Partnership, and all Partnership staff are employed by Barts Health. The Partnership carries out over 38m tests per year, has 860 funded WTE staff and a budget of £121m (June 2025).

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The requirements for this position are English, Maths, IT and Science GCSEs at A-C Level. Previous NHS experience is advantageous. The ability to work with minimal supervision, to be able to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines is essential.

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment(s).

We are dedicated to being an outstanding place to work and will work with you to get the best experience. We know flexible working is not a one size fits all and will mean something different to everyone. We are inclusive, so if you are interested in flexible working, please speak to the recruiting manager.

**We reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the advertised closing date, once a sufficient number of applications has been received and we regret that we are unable to provide notification if your application is unsuccessful**

*PLEASE NOTE – WE ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE*

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click on the link to check your eligibility before applying for this post -

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• GCSE passes in English and Maths or equivalent

Desirable criteria

• GCSE standard attained in other science subjects or equivalent

Experience

Essential criteria

• Able to follow and learn instructions and standard operating procedures Methodical and organised Manual dexterity

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Good literacy and numeracy

Skills

Essential criteria

• Able to undertake VDU work
• Good keyboard skills

Personal and people development

Essential criteria

• Ability to work on own initiative Polite, helpful and confident manner

Communications

Essential criteria

• Previous experience in answering and dealing with telephone enquiries

Specific Requirements

Essential criteria

• Able to undertake ‘housekeeping duties’
• Able to perform required duties with any appropriate aids or adaptations
• Hold no reservations in handling human body fluids, tissue, organs, or infected material in accordance with Health & Safety policies.
• The post holder must be willing to have appropriate vaccinations

**Visa Sponsorship Information**

Recent changes to UK immigration policy on the Health and Care Visa and Skilled Worker Visa could mean that this role is not eligible for sponsorship or that you may not meet the eligibility criteria.

Sponsorship can only be offered if this post and any individual offered employment meet all the Home Office’s requirements under the UK Skilled Worker visa scheme.

If you are applying from outside the UK or will require sponsorship, please mention this clearly in your application.

To be eligible for sponsorship, the following conditions must be met:

• Eligible role: The position must be on the UK Skilled Worker visa list. You can check your eligibility here: - .
• Salary threshold: The role must meet the minimum salary set by the Home Office. Please note that for roles employed under Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions, the High-Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) is not included when calculating the basic salary for the purposes of sponsorship.
• Skill level: The role must meet the minimum skill requirement of RQF Level 6 or above (graduate level).
• English language: Applicants must demonstrate English proficiency at CEFR level B2 or higher.
• Other criteria: Applicants must meet all other criteria as set out by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)