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The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

About

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Contact

Address: Royal Victoria Infirmary; Queen Victoria Road; Newcastle upon Tyne; Tyne and Wear; NE1 4LP
Contact Number: 0191 282 0999 option 2

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Open

Ref: 317-2026-08-042 Vacancy ID: 7830499

Healthcare Science Associate Practitioner

Accepting applications until: 22-Apr-2026 23:59

Vacancy status: Open

Accepting applications until: 22-Apr-2026 23:59

Location

Gwefan: Royal Victoria Infirmary
Tref: 317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary
Cod post: NE1 4LP
Major / Minor Region: Tyne and Wear

Contract type & working pattern

Contract: Permanent
Oriau: Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Salary

Cyflog: £28,392 - £31,157 per annum
Cyfnod cyflog: Yearly
Gradd: (Band 4)

Specialty

Prif leoliad: 317 Cell Path Non Medical Staff

Dyddiad y cyfweliad: 30/04/2026

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.

With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, we’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.

As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.

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.

Swydd-ddisgrifiad a phrif gyfrifoldebau manwl

A Healthcare Science Associate Practitioner is part of a clinical support team whose purpose is to provide timely and accurate high quality scientific information that will assist service users from the hospital and community, in the establishment of a clinical diagnosis and monitoring of patient treatment.
The Healthcare Science Associate will use practical skills to carry out a tasks associated with the pre-analytical preparation of specimens within the Histopathology Department. The tasks undertaken are more advanced than those of an HSA.
Specimen reception: To deal with the reception, sorting and labelling of patient specimens, identifying inadequate and mis-labelled specimens and ensuring urgent samples are prioritised.
Recording specimen dissection descriptions, data entry including macroscopic descriptions onto APEX, preparing specimens for analysis, including booking in patient and specimen details, storing, retrieving and disposing of specimens. Assessing x-rays to determine end part of decalcification.
Carefully prepare samples for diagnostic testing or storage. This may involve delicate procedures to manually handle category A samples, describe samples and place into a labelled cassette matching necessary paperwork and documentation
As directed, undertake basic testing under supervision of BMS staff, record and enter results onto laboratory computer systems e.g. macroscopic descriptions of category A specimens
Assist in the training of new members of staff in the standard operational procedures required of them
As directed by BMS in technical charge of section, assist in the induction, basic training and competency assessment (as appropriate) of new or less experienced staff by demonstrating duties and providing advice and guidance
Loading/unloading tissue processors and initiating processing programmes.
To carry out, under supervision, laboratory procedures:
o Embedding. Morphological alignment of surgical biopsies within molten wax
o Microtomy. Cutting 4 micron sections of tissue
o Special stains; Undertake staining procedures to identify specific tissue structures or organisms
o Antigen retrieval procedures (heat mediated and enzyme digestion)
o Processing of biopsies into epoxy resin for electron microscopy
o Identifying and labelling electron micrographs
o Undertaking manual immunocytochemistry procedures
o Pipette body fluids, which require manipulation of transfer pipettes and manual dexterity.
Use laboratory equipment:
o Faxitron X ray equipment,
o Cassette labelling machines
o Cytospins and centrifuges
o Slide staining machines,
o Immunocytochemistry autostainers (programming daily runs, loading/unloading of slides, preparation of reagents general maintenance)
To work in compliance with local health and safety rules to ensure a safe working environment for you, colleagues and visitors.
To adhere to department and Trust Health and Safety policies (including COSHH, Risk assessments and Standard Operating Procedures) and to report any non-compliances to a senior member of staff.
Oversee HSAs working in the section
Train new members of staff (HSAs)
Answer telephone enquiries, retrieving results in accordance with SOPs

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. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

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.

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.

Person specification

Qualifications & Education

Meini prawf hanfodol

NVQ 4 in Healthcare Science or equivalent
GCSE in 4 subjects 2 of which must be Maths and English or equivalent

Knowledge & Experience

Meini prawf hanfodol

Previous experience as an HSA in a Cellular Pathology Laboratory or an equivalent level of knowledge and skills acquired through laboratory based practice
Knowledge and understanding of the role of Cellular Pathology in the diagnosis and treatment of disease
Technical terminology. Basic medical, anatomical and disease terminology