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Job summary

Main area
Clinical Biochemistry Lab
Grade
Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
259-7928194ESEL
Employer
Barts Health NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Royal London Hospital
Town
London
Salary
£31,554 - £33,270 per annum inc
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
19/04/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Barts Health NHS Trust logo

Medical Laboratory Assistant- Biochemistry

Band 3

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

Barts Health supports the Pregnancy Loss Pledge and commits to supporting their staff through the distress of miscarriage.

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.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen in Biochemistry department within the NHS East and South East London Pathology Partnership (ESEL).

We are looking for a strong team player with a positive attitude to working in a flexible manner, committed to supporting the clinical services of the Trust and meeting the needs of our patients by participating in an Agenda for Change shift system.

The successful candidate will be based at one of the following sites; Royal London Hospital but as the ESEL Pathology Partnership evolves, the primary location of work may be subject to change reflecting service demand. HCAS will be depended on the allocated site

Main duties of the job

The post holder will play a key support role within the Biochemistry laboratory contributing to the safe, efficient, and high-quality delivery of diagnostic services.

They will work as part of the technical and scientific team, undertaking a range of pre-analytical and support tasks to ensure the smooth operation of the department. The post holder will take direction from Senior Biomedical Scientists and provide assistance to Operational Leads in the continuous improvement and transformation of laboratory services.

Key responsibilities will include:
•    Technical and Scientific 
•    Laboratory Informatics
•    Quality and Governance
•    Training 
•    Financial and Resource Management
•    Health and Safety
•    Research and Development

Working for our organisation

The NHS East and South East London Pathology Partnership is an arms-length organisation providing pathology services to Barts Health NHS Trust, Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.  The Pathology Partnership is hosted by Barts Health.
The Pathology Partnership was formed in May 2021.  Between 2021 and 2024 the Partnership undertook a complex transformation programme to establish a single network of laboratories, underpinned by a single Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and single Quality Management System (QMS).
The Partnership has a main hub laboratory at the Royal London Hospital and Essential Service Laboratories (ESL) as a minimum at the six other hospital sites served by the Partnership. 
The Partnership has three operational divisions:
•    Blood Sciences including Haematology, Blood Transfusion and Biochemistry
•    Microbiology and Virology
•    Cellular Pathology and Cancer Diagnostics
The 2024/25 total operating costs across the Partnership were c. £121m per annum with a workforce establishment of circa. 860 WTE.
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 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 below.

**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: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK
  • 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

Please note: When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included for non-medical roles. This ensures fairness and consistency within our organization, as some of our sites fall under inner HCAS, while others are classified as outer HCAS.  

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • • GCSE passes in English and Maths or equivalent.
  • • GCSE standard attained in other science subjects or equivalent.
Desirable criteria
  • • Holder of the IBMS Certificate of Achievement.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • • Ability to work with pathological specimens.
  • • Dealing with telephone enquiries and VDU work.
Desirable criteria
  • • Worked as an MLA within a hospital laboratory.
  • • Familiar with the named equipment: - c8000 (Roche Diagnostics) - c8100 (Roche Diagnostics) - p612 (Roche Diagnostics)
  • • Familiar with the named software: - WinPath Enterprise (Clinisys) - Infinity (Roche Diagnostics) - Optimal Inventory (Roche Diagnostics) - Q Pulse (Ideagen Products Ltd)

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • • Confidentiality and data protection.
  • • Logical with a common sense approach

Skills

Essential criteria
  • • Literate and numerate.
  • • Good communications skills and ability to comprehend and give clear statements that are understood by patients/staff.
  • • Able to follow instructions and learn standard procedures.
  • • Methodical and organised.
  • • Manual dexterity.
  • • Accurate and careful.
  • • Ability to work under pressure.
  • • Good keyboard/VDU skills.
Desirable criteria
  • • Polite, helpful and confident manner.

Other

Essential criteria
  • • Fully aware of the shifts required for the post to include night shifts and weekend working
  • • Sufficient to perform the duties of the post with any aids and adaptations
  • • Hold no reservations in handling human tissue, organs or infected material in accordance with health and safety policies.
  • • Willingness to undertake 'house-keeping', laboratory cleaning duties.
  • • Able to lift up to 20kg with help of lifting equipment.
  • • The post holder must be willing to have relevant vaccinations.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Green@Barts HealthNHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveInvestors in People: GoldImproving working livesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Pregnancy Loss PledgeDisability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Happy to Talk Flexible Working

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.

Application numbers

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications has been received.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Shatha Abu-hijleh
Job title
Automation Operational Lead
Email address
[email protected]
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