Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust

Senior Medical Laboratory Assistant

The closing date is 05 March 2026

Job summary

The principle roles are to provide day to day line management and professional supervision to the MLA Team working within Blood Sciences, ensuring best practice and adherence to Trust policies and procedures. Providing senior technical support work through all sections within Blood Sciences.

The post holder will be responsible for the allocation of work within MLA Team. The innovative postholder will ensure that staffing and other resources within the remit of Blood Sciences Labs are managed to achieve objectives and key performance indicators.

The main duties of this job description are explained; however, these will continue to evolve as the Trust develops to meet corporate objectives and NHS targets.

Main duties of the job

People Management

Manage day-to-day the MLA Team ensuring workflow and output is managed to meet Trust targets and escalating poor performance to lab leads,

Deliver an effective Development Review structure that ensures all individuals receive an annual review against NHS KSF Core Competency Standards,

Manage sickness absence and attendance to include, recording and reporting all absences ensuring that self-certification or GP certification of sickness absence is received and appropriately held on personnel files, undertaking back to work interviews,

Participate sickness absence management meetings with staff whose attendance give cause for concern or exceed the Trust absence management targets,

Participate in the recruitment, selection and induction process of new staff within the Care Group in line with Trust Policy, including local induction into relevant departments,

Oversee training and competency assessment of MLA staff,

Responsible for ensuring that all team members receive mandatory training,

Manage and plan for periods of absence due to holiday and sickness ensuring acceptable levels of cover during these periods.

Resource Management

Manage the MLA staffing levels within a pre-determined level of funded resource,

Identify, in conjunction with the Lab Leads when additional staff are required to maintain safe service delivery,

Provide guidance to the MLA Team, ensuring that all procedures are accurately followed giving on the job training and advice as appropriate,

About us

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is the main provider of acute and specialist care services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We serve a population of around 500,000 people - a figure that can increase significantly with

visitors during the busiest times of the year. We employ approximately 6,700 staff and have a budget of approximately £580 million.

We are a teaching hospital in partnership with the University of Exeter Medical School, University of Plymouth School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Peninsula Dental School.

The Knowledge Spa on the Royal Cornwall Hospital site is the base for medical and nursing as well as ongoing education for health professions in clinical and non-clinical roles.

Keeping at the forefront of medical advances, we are continually developing our clinical services as well as our facilities and are committed to maximising the range of specialist care that can be offered locally. Allied to this is a growing reputation for research and innovation.

Details

Date posted

19 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

156-7731740

Job locations

RCHT

TRURO

TR1 3RX


Job description

Job responsibilities

PLEASE NOTE: To view the full Job Description and Person Specification, please click the supporting document on the right-hand side.

To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:

  • Identity Checks
  • Professional registration and qualification checks
  • Employment history and reference checks
  • Occupational Health clearance
  • Satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check
  • Right to work in the UK

For further information please visit:

https://www.nhsemployers.org/topics-networks/employment-standards-and-regulation

We reserve the right to close this advert early.

We may be able to offer flexible working. Please discuss at interview.

We may be able to offer sponsorship but this is not guaranteed.

Job description

Job responsibilities

PLEASE NOTE: To view the full Job Description and Person Specification, please click the supporting document on the right-hand side.

To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:

  • Identity Checks
  • Professional registration and qualification checks
  • Employment history and reference checks
  • Occupational Health clearance
  • Satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check
  • Right to work in the UK

For further information please visit:

https://www.nhsemployers.org/topics-networks/employment-standards-and-regulation

We reserve the right to close this advert early.

We may be able to offer flexible working. Please discuss at interview.

We may be able to offer sponsorship but this is not guaranteed.

Person Specification

Qaulifications

Essential

  • CSE / GCSE (or equivalent) in 4 subjects including Math's, Science and English

Experience

Essential

  • previous NHS Laboratory experience.
  • Experience of working in an Acute NHS Service Provider
  • Previous experience of co-ordinating a team and staff management, delivering training and competency checks
Person Specification

Qaulifications

Essential

  • CSE / GCSE (or equivalent) in 4 subjects including Math's, Science and English

Experience

Essential

  • previous NHS Laboratory experience.
  • Experience of working in an Acute NHS Service Provider
  • Previous experience of co-ordinating a team and staff management, delivering training and competency checks

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust

Address

RCHT

TRURO

TR1 3RX


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust

Address

RCHT

TRURO

TR1 3RX


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Blood Sciences Reception Lead

Kevin Weaver

kevin.weaver@nhs.net

01872252567

Details

Date posted

19 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

156-7731740

Job locations

RCHT

TRURO

TR1 3RX


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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