Job summary
- Main area
- 317 Cell Path Non Medical Staff
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent: Fixed Term post available
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Participation in Saturday rota)
- Job ref
- 317-2025-30-16-DR
- Employer
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Victoria Infirmary
- Town
- 317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary
- Salary
- £31,049 - £37,796 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 29/07/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 07/08/2025
Employer heading
Registered Biomedical Scientist
Band 5
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.
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 (Shine) 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 Cellular Pathology department within the Royal Victoria Infirmary has exciting opportunities for enthusiastic and motivated individuals to join our team as Registered Biomedical Scientists.
We are looking for dynamic Biomedical Scientists to support our expanding service needs and welcome applicants with experience from all areas of Cellular Pathology. Applicants must demonstrate knowledge of Cellular Pathology and have technical skills gained from experience in an NHS laboratory. It is an essential requirement that all candidates are HCPC registered. Applicants who have completed registration portfolios and are waiting for a verification date will also be considered. You should have excellent communication skills and be able to work effectively either as part of a team or independently. The laboratory is progressive and well equipped and is accredited for training, with participation in CPD being actively encouraged.
The laboratory is open Monday – Friday, 7am – 6pm, with some rotation to cover a Saturday morning, flexibility is encouraged to support the staff and the service.
3x permanent and 1x fixed term (07 July 2025 - 05 April 2026)
- Interview date: 7th August 2025
-
37 hours 30 minutes/week
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.
Main duties of the job
The department provides Histopathology, Cytopathology and Mortuary services housed within a purpose-built facility in a prime city-centre location. The laboratory is one of the largest services in the country and handles around 80,000 requests per annum. We receive a broad range of specimens from within the Trust, General Practitioners and as a specialist referral centre handle cases regionally, nationally and from overseas. We work closely with genomics services, accommodating the increasing complexity of integrated pathology and molecular diagnostics.
The laboratory is divided into a number of sections encompassing Specimen Reception, Slide Production, Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Muscle & Nerve, Electron Microscopy, Neuropathology, Diagnostic Cytology, Mohs and research facility ‘NovoPath’. Rotation between sections is encouraged as we endeavour to support training and personal development.
Working for our organisation
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:
• Freeman Hospital
• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
• Northern Genetics Service
• Cramlington Manor Walks
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
The purpose of the role is to contribute to the provision of an effective clinical Cellular Pathology service to the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, General Practitioners, other Trusts and other users of the service. This will be achieved by working as part of a team under the guidance of a Senior Biomedical Scientist to carry out a wide range of laboratory duties which includes:
- Receipt of specimens, recording details on laboratory information system, and assisting in specimen dissection and preparation of samples for processing
- Orientation and embedding tissue samples, microtomy, tissue staining, immunohistochemistry, validating results and quality control of stained slides.
- Cryotomy on intraoperative samples
- Operation and programming of laboratory equipment, including taking X-rays, programming tissue processors and use of staining machines
- Actively participate in the maintenance and basic trouble shooting of laboratory equipment, reporting faults and non-compliances to senior members of staff, able to take prompt and appropriate action in unexpected situations.
- To ensure laboratory diagnostic tests and procedures are performed accurately and efficiently and results validated microscopically and judgement used in determining if further tests/procedures are necessary.
- To microscopically interpret tissue and/or fluid samples, select and dissect areas for diagnosis e.g. renal biopsies
- The post holder will work in compliance with local health and safety rules to ensure a safe working environment, adhere to department and Trust Health and Safety policies (including COSHH, Risk assessments and Standard Operating Procedures) and to report any non-compliances.
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.
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.
Person specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential criteria
- BSc in Biomedical Sciences or equivalent qualification approved by the IBMS
- Health and Care Professions Council registration (HCPC)
Desirable criteria
- Member of the IBMS
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of Cellular Pathology
- Previous laboratory experience as a Trainee Biomedical Scientist/Healthcare Scientist in an NHS Laboratory Familiarity with Health & Safety and COSHH Participates in CPD
Desirable criteria
- Computer literacy
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Keyboard skills
- Able to organise and prioritise own work activities
- Communication, Planning and organisational skills
- Analytical and judgemental skills
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Joanne Cunningham
- Job title
- Histology Operations Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0191 2826917
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