Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Medical Laboratory Assistant - Sample Reception

The closing date is 28 October 2025

Job summary

Band 2: £24,465

Hours: Full time - 37.5 (Part time hours may be considered)

Permanent contract

Do you have great customer service skills and willing to go the extra mile? Are you friendly and able to work as part of a team? If the answer is yes, then we would love to hear from you.

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic team player to join us in the busy Pathology Department at Queen Alexandra Hospital as a Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA).Our unit operates between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM. Each shift is typically 7.5 hours, and while we usually have set schedules, there may be opportunities to work a variety of hours to keep things flexible and meet the needs of the team.

Main duties of the job

You will undertake a range of duties which will include front of house reception, dealing with a diverse range of enquiries both on the telephone and face-to-face and the printing and dispatch of patient results. You will also be required to work in the stores area receiving deliveries and issuing consumables to wards and GPs. Some heavy lifting is involved. Full training will be provided but accurate keyboard skills are essential.

This position is primarily an administrative role with the requirement to work in the Stores area of Pathology when required. The position involves some manual handling in addition to the need to visit clinical areas to provide supplies of Pathology consumables.

Please note that the role does not offer any laboratory experience and may not be suitable, therefore, for applicants looking to pursue a career in biomedical or other sciences.

Occasional weekends and public holidays may be required with notice.

About us

Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

Date posted

16 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£24,465 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

REF1653O

Job locations

Queen Alexandra Hospital

Cosham

PO6 3LY

Job description

Job responsibilities

Facilitate the printing of all pathology results and ensure they are accurately dispatched to the required clinician in a timely manner
Handle enquiries (telephone and face-to-face) in an effective and efficient manner and according to departmental procedures
Receive patients and other visitors at reception in a polite and efficient manner. Adhere to the visitors policy
Provide administrative support to the Pathology invoicing team as requested
On request, telephone validated/authorised results to other healthcare professionals
Sort and distribute internal and external mail
Ensure the appropriate filing and/or scanning of specimen request forms and laboratory worksheets
Ensure all appropriate records are maintained and completed according to departmental policies
Undertake data entry of patient and test information ensuring accuracy at all times

If this sounds just what you are looking for then we would genuinely love to hear from you!

Job description

Job responsibilities

Facilitate the printing of all pathology results and ensure they are accurately dispatched to the required clinician in a timely manner
Handle enquiries (telephone and face-to-face) in an effective and efficient manner and according to departmental procedures
Receive patients and other visitors at reception in a polite and efficient manner. Adhere to the visitors policy
Provide administrative support to the Pathology invoicing team as requested
On request, telephone validated/authorised results to other healthcare professionals
Sort and distribute internal and external mail
Ensure the appropriate filing and/or scanning of specimen request forms and laboratory worksheets
Ensure all appropriate records are maintained and completed according to departmental policies
Undertake data entry of patient and test information ensuring accuracy at all times

If this sounds just what you are looking for then we would genuinely love to hear from you!

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Good general education including GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics (grade A* to C or 4 to 9)
Level 2 IT qualification or RSA II in Typing/Text processing
Science GCSE desirable (grade A* to C or 4 to 9)

Experience

Essential

MS Office including Word, Excel and Outlook
Customer service experience
Experience of working flexibly and as part of a team
Administrative/office experience

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Accurate keyboard skills
Good verbal and written communication skills
Able to work using own initiative
Able to demonstrate confidentiality and trustworthiness
Knowledge of medical terminology desirable

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Good general education including GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics (grade A* to C or 4 to 9)
Level 2 IT qualification or RSA II in Typing/Text processing
Science GCSE desirable (grade A* to C or 4 to 9)

Experience

Essential

MS Office including Word, Excel and Outlook
Customer service experience
Experience of working flexibly and as part of a team
Administrative/office experience

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Accurate keyboard skills
Good verbal and written communication skills
Able to work using own initiative
Able to demonstrate confidentiality and trustworthiness
Knowledge of medical terminology desirable

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.