Job summary
- Main area
- 317 Mortuary Staff - Corporate
- Grade
- Band 2
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 317-2025-21-060
- Employer
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Trustwide
- Town
- 317 Trustwide
- Salary
- £24,465 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 10/08/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 27/08/2025
Employer heading
Mortuary Technical Assistant
Band 2
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 provides Histology, Neuropathology, Diagnostic Cytology, Research and Mortuary Services. We have an exciting opportunity in support of our autopsy service expansion for which we have vacancies for two Mortuary Technical Assistants.
We provide a regional centralised autopsy service including CT scanning alongside end of life and post mortem care. As a specialist centre we conduct forensic, perinatal and neuropathology post mortem, and receive multiple coroner jurisdiction referrals. We work closely with the chaplaincy and bereavement teams in supporting families and facilitate viewings. The postholders will be points of contact for visitors to the Mortuaries and support the team within the department.
- Interview Date Wednesday 27 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.
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
Main duties of the job
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals occupies two mortuary sites at Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospitals. Applicants will be working alongside the Anatomical Pathology Technician team, and other assistants and should meet the essential criteria of the role. We have out of hour shift cover for PMCT scanning, which successful applicants will rotate onto, offering a combination of daytime, night and weekend shifts for the PMCT scanning to support the growing service delivery. Previous NHS or end of life care experience such as with funeral directors is advantageous, full training will be provided.
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.
Our staff oversee over 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
- To participate as part of a team in providing a mortuary and autopsy service to the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Medical Staff, Police and HM Coroner together with Funeral Directors and other legitimate users of the service.
- To assist the Anatomical Pathology Technicians (APT) by handling “front of house” duties such as receiving and releasing bodies, answering telephone calls, helping undertakers with bodies etc.
Person specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential criteria
- Good general level of education (literacy and numeracy) or equivalent experience
- Driving Licence
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of dealing with bereaved relatives
- Good communication
- Dextrous – good hand-eye co-ordination
- Requirement to move bodies of up to 256kg with the aid of mechanical equipment
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in the NHS
- Understanding of Health & Safety
- Experience of operating mechanical equipment
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Self-organisation and the ability to prioritise
- Able to concentrate for long periods
- Keyboard Skills
- Able to lift weights of 10kg or more
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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
- Gary Miller
- Job title
- Mortuary Operations Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0191 2821590
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