Anatomical Pathology Technician

The successful candidate will be working alongside a small team of Anatomical Pathology Technicians (APT's) who work on a rotational basis between the Alexandra and Worcester Royal Hospital mortuaries.

• Deal with direct and indirect enquiries or telephone calls as required, handling sensitive and empathetic interactions with distressed relatives.
• Enter and retrieve patient information using the laboratory computer system.
• Admit and release deceased from the hospital or community, including physical body checks and administrative tasks.
• Maintain adequate identification of the body at all times.
• Complete body checks for deceased individuals.
• Undress deceased individuals.
• Monitor, clean, and maintain mortuary equipment on a daily basis.
• Ensure accurate record-keeping of temperature monitoring charts, cleaning schedules, and capacity lists.
• Record and store deceased valuables, conducting weekly safe checks.
• Assist in the receipt and control of consumables.
• Adhere to all departmental standard operating procedures, policies, and health and safety regulations.

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch, and Worcester.

Our workforce is over 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

• Best services for local people
• Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
• Best use of resources
• Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services, and our role in the wider health and care system.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

• Provide support to the mortuary service that meets nationally accepted standards (UKAS and HTA).
• Effectively deal with direct and indirect enquiries or telephone calls as required, handling sensitive and empathetic interactions with distressed relatives.
• Enter and retrieve patient information using the laboratory computer system.
• Admit and release deceased from the hospital or community, including physical body checks and administrative tasks.
• Maintain adequate identification of the body at all times.
• Complete body checks for deceased individuals.
• Undress deceased individuals.
• Monitor, clean, and maintain mortuary equipment on a daily basis.
• Ensure accurate record-keeping of temperature monitoring charts, cleaning schedules, and capacity lists.
• Record and store deceased valuables, conducting weekly safe checks.
• Assist in the receipt and control of consumables.
• Adhere to all departmental standard operating procedures, policies, and health and safety regulations.
• Transfer of samples to the Pathology department.
• Follow procedure for use of caution cards where relevant.
• Follow procedure for informing External users of any potential risk of infection when releasing deceased.
• Remove ICD and pacemakers and arrange for ICD deactivation in the cardiology department. Reconstruct the incision after removal of device.
• Assist SOCO with fingerprinting of the deceased.
• Record and store any drugs received.
• Facilitate doctors completing cremation paperwork by allowing them to view deceased.
• Accept/record POCs into the department and transfer to the laboratory for disposal.
• Check the generic email account to receive PM instruction, release paperwork, NOK statements, and other communication from the Coroners Office and other external users.
• Arrange delivery of hospital notes for Coroners cases, and return after post mortem.
• Receive, store, and return ED admission notes (where EZnotes is not available).
• Book appointments for viewings and identifications of deceased in line with departmental will involve speaking directly to the bereaved families and friends of the deceased patient.
• Facilitate transfers across. Eg bodies for PM/ collection.
• Facilitate the transfer and collection of foetuses to/from Birmingham Womens Hospital together with appropriate paperwork and record-keeping.
• Ensure that all accidents/incidents occurring within the area of working are reported, via Datix in a timely manner and in accordance within the Trust Policies.
• Frequently manoeuvre, transfer, and lift bodies (average weight 65kg-140kg) using the equipment provided.
• Occasionally manoeuvre, transfer, and lift bariatric bodies (250kg+) with the use of the hydraulic hoist and Patslide.
• Perform any other duties covered by the post holder's competencies after consultation and agreement with the line manager.
• Use the Tutela system to monitor fridge temperatures, act on alarm calls received, and log in to the website to sign off alarm calls.
• Undertake office-based work to include answering the phone, responding to emails, and sending faxes.
• Report fridge spaces to the mortuary manager/deputy mortuary manager/APTs.
• Expedite releases by contacting funeral directors and coroners officers.