Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT

Microbiology Support Worker

The closing date is 01 August 2025

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Job summary

The Microbiology department are looking to recruit an enthusiastic individual to join our friendly team as a Laboratory Support Worker.

As a support worker you will be working with Biomedical Scientists and Associate Practitioners to provide excellent patient care in a busy laboratory.

Main duties of the job

Main duties include receiving and sorting of specimens, culture of a variety of sample types and use of automation including the UF-5000 and EntericBio. The successful candidate will also be required to complete house keeping duties including operation of the autoclaves and stock rotation.

About us

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a caring and compassionate organisation that is both ambitious and innovative. We are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our patients and providing a positive experience of our staff. We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work and learn.

Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system. Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.

Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care and maternity services, Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.

A CQC-rated 'good' organisation with 'outstanding' features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.

Our workforce of nearly 5,000 across both sites comprises more than 50 nationalities. We strive to be an equal, diverse and inclusive employer, which is recognised as a pioneer in its equality, diversity and inclusion work. The Trust is proud to have achieved numerous external accreditations and is working towards achieving the Anti-Racist Organisation Framework, recognising the importance of anti-racism in all that we do.

Details

Date posted

25 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

370-HCS3PAT-72

Job locations

Microbiology, Appleton Wing, Warrington Hospital

Lovely Lane

Warrington

WA5 1QG


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the uploaded document, job description and personal specification for further detailed information about the role and responsibilities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the uploaded document, job description and personal specification for further detailed information about the role and responsibilities.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of recent laboratory experience

Desirable

  • Experience of working at support level within an NHS diagnostic laboratory

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general education to G.C.S.E level (Maths, English Science)

Desirable

  • IBMS Certificate of achievement (part 1), NVQ3 or equivalent

Skills, knowledge and competencies

Essential

  • Able to work as part of a team.
  • Good interpersonal skills and verbal communications and telephone manner (e.g. pleasant manner, approachable
  • Keyboard and mouse skills - data entry

Desirable

  • Evidence of laboratory based competences
  • Knowledge of laboratory LIMS systems

Physical skills

Essential

  • Use and maintenance of complex equipment (under supervision and following training)

Physical effort

Essential

  • Able to lift containers
  • Able to handle deliveries of consumable items/stock

Mental effort

Essential

  • Able to follow written instructions
  • Ability to work on own initiative
  • Able to work accurately under pressure
  • Flexible and able to change priorities at short notice.

Working conditions

Essential

  • Able to handle and work with biological materials
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of recent laboratory experience

Desirable

  • Experience of working at support level within an NHS diagnostic laboratory

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general education to G.C.S.E level (Maths, English Science)

Desirable

  • IBMS Certificate of achievement (part 1), NVQ3 or equivalent

Skills, knowledge and competencies

Essential

  • Able to work as part of a team.
  • Good interpersonal skills and verbal communications and telephone manner (e.g. pleasant manner, approachable
  • Keyboard and mouse skills - data entry

Desirable

  • Evidence of laboratory based competences
  • Knowledge of laboratory LIMS systems

Physical skills

Essential

  • Use and maintenance of complex equipment (under supervision and following training)

Physical effort

Essential

  • Able to lift containers
  • Able to handle deliveries of consumable items/stock

Mental effort

Essential

  • Able to follow written instructions
  • Ability to work on own initiative
  • Able to work accurately under pressure
  • Flexible and able to change priorities at short notice.

Working conditions

Essential

  • Able to handle and work with biological materials

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

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT

Address

Microbiology, Appleton Wing, Warrington Hospital

Lovely Lane

Warrington

WA5 1QG


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT

Address

Microbiology, Appleton Wing, Warrington Hospital

Lovely Lane

Warrington

WA5 1QG


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Microbiology Manager

Hannah Gill

hannah.gill5@nhs.net

01925662133

Details

Date posted

25 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

370-HCS3PAT-72

Job locations

Microbiology, Appleton Wing, Warrington Hospital

Lovely Lane

Warrington

WA5 1QG


Supporting documents

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