Job summary
- Main area
- Pathology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday. A degree of flexible working is available.)
- Job ref
- 297-7829198
- Employer
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead
- Town
- Gateshead
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 26/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Pathology Training Manager
NHS AfC: Band 8a
In the event of excessive applications being received this vacancy may close earlier than the stated closing date, you are encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible
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. Where possible this should be from two separate employers. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
PLEASE NOTE it is a requirement of this Trust that all successful applicants pay for their DBS certificate if a check is required for the post. This will be done through deduction from your monthly pay over a maximum of three months. It is also a requirement that all successful applicants register or are registered with the DBS update service where a DBS is required.
All new entrants to the NHS will be appointed on the minimum of the pay scale in line with Terms & Conditions.
Job overview
South of Tyne and Wear Clinical Pathology Services provide high quality diagnostic services to improve the health care of the people of South of Tyne and Wear. The service also provides bowel and cervical screening services for populations across the North East and Yorkshire.
The post holder will be responsible for developing and implementing the workforce strategy to support the recruitment and retention of healthcare scientists and support staff across all pathology disciplines.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be responsible for assisting the Pathology Service Manager and Departmental Managers in ensuring that pathology maintains a sustainable workforce. They will:
- Establish, implement and monitor the training frameworks across the Pathology service.
- Be responsible for directing and coordinating all Training and Competency activities.
- Work in partnership with all senior management and clinical teams to ensure all personnel of the laboratory, either internal or external that influence laboratory activities be competent and work in accordance with the laboratories management system of recording training and development that meets as a minimum ISO 15189, MHRA, HTA, SQAS, HSE, standards and others as required.
- Work in partnership with NENC colleagues to shape and adopt a regional coordinated approach to workforce planning.
Working for our organisation
Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.
Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.
We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.
Our values should be the ‘golden thread’ which runs through everything we do – they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronym ICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.
We have a number of staff networks including the BAME network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women’s Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our armed forces network is one of our emerging networks.
The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our ‘Balance’ programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The provision of quality diagnostic services is a high priority for the organisation. The post-holder will be responsible for maintaining the biomedical workforce and supporting training across all pathology departments including:
- Biochemistry
- Haematology & Blood Transfusion
- Microbiology
- Cellular Pathology
- Bowel Cancer Screening Hub
- Cervical Screening Service
The service transitioned to ISO15189:2022 at our last UKAS assessment in July 2025. The post holder will be responsible for any ongoing requirements related to training and competency across all areas to ensure maintenance of our scope of accreditation.
The Training Manager is an integral part of the overall laboratory management team and, within this structure, is responsible for overseeing the implementation, development and coordination of training processes within pathology.
The post holder will:
- be a member of key departmental meeting to ensure that all staff are aware of the training and competency requirements relating to their area of work and that all departments remain compliant.
- Work in partnership with NENC colleagues to shape and adopt a regional coordinated approach to workforce planning.
- Establish and maintain training routes from Level 2 apprenticeship, through to Higher Specialist Scientist programs.
- Secure funding and liaise with outside agencies such as Health Education England.
- In collaboration with the Pathology Quality Manager, work to ensure that pathology becomes progressively more efficient in delivering a high-quality service across all pathology sites.
- Work with the Quality Team to ensure that training and competency are recorded and meets the requirements of ISO 15189, MHRA, HTA, SQAS, HSE, and other regulatory and accrediting bodies.
- Develop a program of CPD.
- Be responsible for the departmental training needs analysis and for promoting a learning culture.
- Develop a system to ensure that training and development needs identified in individual personal development plans are coordinated to form a departmental training needs analysis.
- Manage the departmental training needs analysis to ensure that individual staff training needs are prioritized and actioned. are followed up and assist staff to identify their development needs.
- Work closely with all senior management and clinical teams to ensure an efficient and effective corporate approach in dealing with all Training matters.
- Support Healthcare Scientist training and development initiatives in the Trust and be the pathology point of contact for the Trust Lead Healthcare Scientist if this is an appointment outside of pathology.
- Be committed to supporting the recruitment, retaining, and training the best pathology staff.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- BSc in Biomedical Sciences or equivalent
- MSc/FIBMS/Higher specialist or equivalent relevant to Discipline
Desirable criteria
- Post Graduate Management Diploma or equivalent
- Recognised Training Qualification
Skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent Communication Skills
- Self motivated and able to work under pressure, prioritising workload
Experience
Essential criteria
- Working to ISO15189
- Experience of working as a senior Biomedical Scientist
- Experience of delivering a range of training programs across pathology
Desirable criteria
- Experience of gaining access to training funding
- Experience of all levels of training from apprenticeships and pre registration programmes to advanced practice qualifications.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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
- Tracey Chrystal
- Job title
- Pathology Service Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0191 4456550
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