Trainee Anatomical pathology Technician

Job Overview
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

The Trainee Anatomical Pathology Technician plays a vital role in supporting the delivery of a safe, respectful and high-quality mortuary service for the Trust and HM Coroner. This role provides essential hands-on support within the mortuary environment while undertaking structured in-house training and completing the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) Level 3 Diploma over approximately two years.

As an integral part of the mortuary team, the post holder contributes to the smooth running of post-mortem services, the preparation and care of the deceased, and sensitive interactions with bereaved families. By assisting with autopsy procedures, specimen handling, and cross-departmental communication, the role directly supports the organisation's commitment to safe practice, regulatory compliance, and high standards of patient and family care.

This position helps ensure timely, efficient mortuary operations and enhances the Trust's ability to meet clinical, legal and investigative requirements. The post holder also plays an important part in supporting specialist services—such as paediatric, forensic and infectious cases as skills develop.

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we're committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We're committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Responsibilities
Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This Role Offers a Unique Opportunity To Develop Technical Expertise Within a Specialist Mortuary Environment While Working Toward The Royal Society For Public Health (RSPH) Level 3 Diploma. As a Trainee Anatomical Pathology Technician, You Will Play a Key Part In Delivering a Safe, Dignified And High-quality Service To The Trust, HM Coroner And Bereaved Families. Key Responsibilities Include:

Assisting with the provision of post-mortem services, including preparation of the deceased, support during autopsy procedures, and restoration following examination under supervision.

Receiving, registering and safeguarding the deceased and their personal effects, ensuring accurate documentation and compliance with legal and Trust standards.

Supporting specialist services such as paediatric and perinatal mortuary work, CT post-mortem imaging, forensic procedures and NHS Blood and Transplant tissue retrieval.

Working collaboratively with clinical teams, the Medical Examiner's Office, HM Coroner, Police, Radiology and Bereavement Care to ensure safe and efficient service delivery.

What Experience/skills Are Needed
The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate mortuary or post-mortem experience. Funeral, bereavement, or HCA backgrounds may also be considered based on relevance and qualifications.

The Ideal Candidate Will Be Resilient, Compassionate And Committed To Learning Within a Sensitive And Highly Regulated Environment. You Will Need To Demonstrate:

The ability to communicate clearly and sensitively with bereaved families, colleagues and external agencies in challenging and emotional circumstances.

Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and accuracy in record keeping, specimen handling and administrative procedures.

A good level of secondary education (minimum 5 GCSEs or equivalent), including Science, Maths and English, and a willingness to complete the RSPH Level 3 Diploma.

The emotional resilience to work in a mortuary setting, including the ability to cope with distressing information and exposure to sensitive situations.

Additional Information

The role requires participation in the mortuary on-call rota once competency is achieved. A driving license will be required.

You must be able to work flexibly to support service needs across extended hours when required.

The post involves handling infectious material, so compliance with health and safety standards and Trust mandatory training is essential.

The role requires successful clearance through relevant employment checks, including occupational health and safeguarding requirements (DBS).

The Trainee Anatomical Pathology Technician works under the supervision of senior mortuary staff and collaborates closely with colleagues across Bereavement Care, the Medical Examiner's Office, HM Coroner, Police, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Radiology, and a wide range of clinical teams. The role reports directly to senior anatomical pathology staff and involves regular multidisciplinary interaction to maintain seamless, compassionate, and compliant service delivery.

If you are already an NHS employee and are applying for an Apprentice - Annex 21 vacancy you may be entitled to pay protection.

Pay protection applies where the role you are applying for is at the same AFC band or higher, and you would receive less in pay compared with your current salary due to annex 21.

Please see the NHS Employers Apprenticeship Pay Guidance and FAQs for further information and eligible criteria: Apprenticeship pay guidance and FAQs | NHS Employers

Person specification

Trust Values

Essential criteria

• Patient First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

Essential
Essential criteria

• Previous NHS / Public mortuary full time experience incl. mortuary administrative procedures, postmortem area working and deceased patient viewing preparation Or Past experience of previous operational experience within the NHS
• Capable of completing the Royal Society for Public Health Level 3 Diploma within 2 years of appointment
• Ability to concentrate in a busy and noisy environment.
• Good level of secondary education. Minimum of 5 GCSE (or equivalent) C Grade Incl. Biology, Maths, English, Chemistry or other science-based subjects Committed to continuing professional development through examinations and courses
• Knowledge of Coronal systems/Medical Examiner system/Human Tissue Authority
• Ability to adapt efficiently to changing work patterns and situations.
• Able to communicate clearly and sensitively with a wide range of patients, in situations where there may be barriers to understanding (e.g. language difficulties, anxious or distressed parents/families
• Understands the importance of confidentiality and takes responsibility for protecting confidential information.
• Be able to cope with seeing and hearing sensitive & distressing information within a bereavement setting
• Able to apply tact and sensitivity to establish trust and confidence
• Demonstratable mortuary experience.

Desirable criteria

• NHS based End of Life care / deceased viewing preparation and administrative procedures and documentation knowledge.
• Knowledge and awareness of HTA. Knowledge and understanding Q-Pulse and Hospital Informatics (Charts/ Eden / PACS).
• Funeral based Health & Hygiene training.
• Experience of death processes, procedures and administration
• Understanding Bereavement pathways
• Previous learning and or training undertaken in Healthcare, Bereavement or related employments.