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East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

About
Contact
https://www.esht.nhs.uk/working-for-us/Recruitment
Eastbourne DGH
Kings Drive
Eastbourne
BN21 2UD
0300 13 14 500
Pathology Assistant - Specimen Reception - EDGH
Closed for applications on: 27-Jun-2025 00:00
Vacancy status: Closed
Closed for applications on: 27-Jun-2025 00:00
Key details
Location
- Site
- Eastbourne General Hospital
- Address
- Kings Drive
- Town
- Eastbourne
- Postcode
- BN21 2UD
- Major / Minor Region
- East Sussex
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Will also cover weekends and late shifts)
Salary
- Salary
- £24,625 - £25,674 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (NHS AfC: Band 3)
Specialty
- Main area
- Pathology Assistant - Specimen Reception
We are proud to provide ‘Outstanding’ care and be a great place to work.
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust provides safe, compassionate and high quality hospital and community care to the half a million people living in East Sussex and those who visit our local area.
We are one of the largest organisations in East Sussex with an annual income of £568 million and we are the only integrated provider of acute and community care in Sussex.
Our extensive health services are provided by over 8,000+ dedicated members of staff working from two acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, three community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield, over 100 community sites across East Sussex, and in people’s own homes.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated us as ‘Good’ overall, and ‘Outstanding’ for being Caring and Effective. The Conquest Hospital in Hastings and our Community Services were rated ‘Outstanding’ and Eastbourne DGH was rated ‘Good’ Our two acute hospitals have Emergency Departments and provide 24 hour a day care, offering a comprehensive range of surgical, medical, outpatient and maternity services, supported by a full range of diagnostic and therapy services.
Job overview
Pathology specimen reception are looking for two new team members. We ensure every sample sent to pathology is checked, registered and labelled correctly before going into our laboratories for testing. We receive thousands of samples every day from wards, community sites and GP practices and work to exacting ISO standards for the safety of our patients.
Hospital workflow is steady throughout the day and GP bloods start arriving early afternoon, continuing into the evening. Our shift patterns match this workflow with more of us on in the afternoon and evening ensuring that every sample is processed by the laboratory the day it is taken. There will be bursts of activity as samples arrive from across East Sussex needing to be unpacked, followed by data entry before taking the samples into the labs. Pathology runs 365 days a year and our shifts reflect this.
The skills required for specimen reception are very much administration and not clinical or scientific but we do work very closely with our Biomedical Scientist colleagues in ensuring safe and correct management of patient samples. Attention to detail and computer skills are key. Our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is quite unlike any other Hospital system but these skills can be taught as part of our competency program so no prior clinical knowledge is required.
Advert
Specimen Reception Pathology Assistants support the work of the
laboratory and Biomedical Scientists (BMS) by carrying out
non-interpretative laboratory procedures. A significant part of this role is data entry using the laboratory computer system, correctly identify patient’s details and handling of samples of a potentially hazardous nature.
Typical duties are unpacking, sorting and booking in samples,
packing specimens to send away to referral laboratories, preparing
specimens for testing, performing simple analytical procedures and
some more general tasks of this nature.
Working for our organisation
A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.
In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.
There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.
Statement on the Use of AI
We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.
Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.
We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the job description attached.
If you have any questions about this position please do not hesitate to contact us.
Patients come first at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
Our vision is to be:
- The healthcare provider of first choice for the people of East Sussex.
Our mission is to:
- Deliver better health outcomes and an excellent experience for everyone we provide with healthcare services.
Our strategic objectives are to:
- Improve quality and clinical outcomes by ensuring that safe patient care is our highest priority.
- Play a leading role in local partnerships to meet the needs of our local population and improve and enhance patients’ experiences.
- Use our resources efficiently and effectively for the benefit of our patients and their care to ensure our services are clinically, operationally and financially sustainable.
Our aims are that all services delivered by the Trust are:
- Safe
- Effective
- Caring
- Responsive and
- Well led
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of and commitment to healthcare
- Accepts responsibility whilst recognising limits.
Desirable criteria
- Experience in Pathology laboratory techniques.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to perform delicate work to a high standard
- Good communication and interpersonal skills both verbal and non-verbal
Desirable criteria
- Good knowledge of relevant laboratory techniques as required for staff in this post
- Good knowledge of relevant health & safety issues
- Ability to train inexperienced staff
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Good general education to GCSE level including English and Maths
- NVQ 3 level qualification in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience and knowledge
Desirable criteria
- Completion of NVQ level 2 in Clinical Laboratory Support.
- Completion of formal one year Laboratory Training and Assessment Programme
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lesley White
- Job title
- Pathology Specimen Reception Supervisor
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0300 1314500
- Additional information
No longer accepting applications
Sorry, this vacancy is no longer accepting applications.
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