Main area 317 Microbiology – Corporate Grade Band 2 Contract Permanent Hours
- Full time
- Part time
37.5 hours per week (22.5 hours per week also available) Job ref 317-2026-40-28-DR
Site Freeman Hospital Town 317 01 Freeman Hospital Salary £25,272 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 20/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 04/11/2026
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.
With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, w e’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.
As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job overview
The Microbiology and Virology Services Department is looking to recruit enthusiastic individuals to join the dynamic team as a Healthcare Science Assistant.
Healthcare Science Assistants process a wide range of clinical samples and enter data onto the laboratory computer system (LIMS). Other duties include answering telephones, reception duties, handling reports and discarding of laboratory waste.
- Interview Date: 4th & 6th November 2026
- 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week (Part time hours also available)
Main duties of the job
- To ensure samples are processed correctly according to departmental SOPs
- Ensure that samples arriving in the laboratory are checked and correctly input into LIMS system to ensure patient safety
- Courteously and professionally answer telephone calls from a variety of service users including GPs. Give out authorised results and transfer calls as appropriate to ensure efficiency
- Ensure stocks of reagents are maintained and that the work section is always clean and tidy
Applicants need to have a positive approach and be flexible to assist in all sections of the department as required to meet workflow. Good communication skills are essential. Previous experience of working in a clinical microbiology/virology department is desirable.
The successful applicant will be expected to participate in late shifts, weekend and Bank Holiday working once suitably trained.
Working for our organisation
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:
- Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- A Healthcare Scientist Assistant (HCSA) is part of a clinical support team whose purpose is to provide timely and accurate high quality scientific information that will assist service users from the hospital and community, in the establishment of a clinical diagnosis and monitoring of patient treatment.
- The HCSA will use practical skills to carry out a variety of laboratory duties including reception and data entry of requests received and some basic pathological tests under the supervision and guidance of a Biomedical Scientist.
Responsibilities:
- To abide by Trust policies and procedures.
- To assist in the reception, sorting and preparation of specimens for analysis, including the separation of blood, serum and plasma, the cataloguing and storage of specimens plus appropriate waste disposal.
- Entering requests into the laboratory computer system.
- To carry out, under supervision, some simple laboratory diagnostic tests/procedures and the operation of laboratory equipment.
- To assist in the department Quality Assurance programmes.
- To work in compliance with local health and safety rules to ensure a safe working environment for you, colleagues and visitors. To adhere to department and Trust Health and Safety policies (including COSHH, Risk assessments and Standard Operating Procedures) and to report any non-compliances to a senior member of staff.
- Answering telephone enquiries and retrieving results in accordance with the standard operational procedure.
- Manually transcribe, record, scan laboratory data, input to and manipulation of the laboratory computer system including Quality management system tool – QPulse and derivation of worksheets for qualified staff.
Additional responsibilities specific to individual sections:
- To order blood products from the National Blood Authority and to transfer blood stocks as appropriate under the supervision of a senior member staff.
- To label and issue patient intended blood/blood products.
- To assist in sterilisation, disinfection procedures and media preparation.
- To carry out under supervision embedding, and microtomy of simple cases.
- Label stained microscope slides and match them to correct request form.
Person specification
KNOWLEDGE
- Understanding of Health and Safety
- Basic understanding of Human Biology
SKILLS
- Self-organisation skills and the ability to prioritise
EXPERIENCE
- Previous experience working in a Clinical Microbiology/Virology department
- Previous NHS experience
- Experience in a Molecular diagnostics
QUALIFICATIONS
- Educated to a minimum level of 5 GCSE Grade 4 or above, to include English, Maths and Science or equivalent qualifications
- NVQ 2 or equivalent in Biomedical Science related subject
Whilst Newcastle Hospitals are a forward thinking and highly innovative organisation, the use of Third-Party Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a risk to the integrity of our Recruitment & Selection processes. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual application or to the recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.
Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e‑mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.
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