Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Medical Laboratory Assistant

The closing date is 10 September 2025

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic individual with excellent interpersonal skills to become part of our team within the Wexham Park Hospital Microbiology Specimen Reception Department.

Excellent typing skills, an eye for detail and a positive approach are absolutely essential.

Please note: this role is not suitable for recent graduates looking for progression into the Biomedical Scientist role.

Main duties of the job

You will need to be organised, yet flexible and a good team player, yet comfortable working on your own; in addition to a friendly and approachable personality. Your role will be varied with duties including the receipt, sorting and preparation of patient samples, bodily fluids and other general laboratory and clerical duties.

PURPOSE OF JOB:

To work with other members of staff to provide an efficient and effective service to all users of the Pathology department. To ensure the rapid and timely turnaround of Pathology samples by receiving, labelling and entering onto the Pathology computer system.

The Pathology Laboratory is situated in Wexham Park Hospital and part of Berkshire Surrey Pathology Services (BSPS) which is a successful and progressive merged pathology network which is a contractual joint venture between Ashford & St Peter's, Frimley Health, Royal Berkshire and Royal Surrey County Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts. It provides services to NHS Acute Trusts, CCGs, academic centers, and the private healthcare sector undertaking approximately 20 million tests per year serving a population of 2 million. We provide a service 7 days a week.

About us

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme. We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.

Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.

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Date posted

03 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£25,768 a year per annum incl HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

151-NM156

Job locations

Wexham Park Hospital

Wexham road

Slough

SL2 4HL

Job description

Job responsibilities

To maintain good communication with the Specimen Reception Team Leader in order to minimise errors and maximise efficiency through agreed priorities and to achieve the aim of completing all work within the working day.
To maintain a close working relationship with senior laboratory staff.
To assist in the electronic production and distribution of Pathology reports by post or fax.
To deal with telephone enquires directed to Specimen Reception to give Pathology results for Microbiology, where appropriate and to re-direct calls to the various laboratories.
Verbal contact with external laboratories on those tests not performed in-house.
To inform relevant requesting Consultants, Doctors or nursing staff over the phone and face-to-face when incorrect sample or information is received.
To provide information to all users on the appropriate specimen collection procedure, under the guidelines of the Pathology Handbook.
To receive all visitors to the laboratory in a professional and courteous manner.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To maintain good communication with the Specimen Reception Team Leader in order to minimise errors and maximise efficiency through agreed priorities and to achieve the aim of completing all work within the working day.
To maintain a close working relationship with senior laboratory staff.
To assist in the electronic production and distribution of Pathology reports by post or fax.
To deal with telephone enquires directed to Specimen Reception to give Pathology results for Microbiology, where appropriate and to re-direct calls to the various laboratories.
Verbal contact with external laboratories on those tests not performed in-house.
To inform relevant requesting Consultants, Doctors or nursing staff over the phone and face-to-face when incorrect sample or information is received.
To provide information to all users on the appropriate specimen collection procedure, under the guidelines of the Pathology Handbook.
To receive all visitors to the laboratory in a professional and courteous manner.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Good basic education

Desirable

Interest in working to higher level of qualification

Willingness to work

Essential

Cover different shift pattern
Be prepared to volunteer when there is need
Be willing to learn and help any shift as needed

Desirable

Work weekends and late shifts

Experience

Essential

Good keyboard skills
Experience of working in a busy environment
Good team player

Desirable

Ability to work on own
Experience of working in a specimen reception department in pathology
Experience working with Laboratory applications Winpath, Enterprise etc.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Good basic education

Desirable

Interest in working to higher level of qualification

Willingness to work

Essential

Cover different shift pattern
Be prepared to volunteer when there is need
Be willing to learn and help any shift as needed

Desirable

Work weekends and late shifts

Experience

Essential

Good keyboard skills
Experience of working in a busy environment
Good team player

Desirable

Ability to work on own
Experience of working in a specimen reception department in pathology
Experience working with Laboratory applications Winpath, Enterprise etc.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Wexham Park Hospital

Wexham road

Slough

SL2 4HL

Employer's website

https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Wexham Park Hospital

Wexham road

Slough

SL2 4HL

Employer's website

https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)