Senior Anatomical Pathology Technician

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University of Bristol and Weston Hospital Trust (UHBW) are working towards merging as one organisation from summer 2026.

This will not affect staff applying for positions directly with UHBW.

As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Click on this link to find out about our values https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/p/about-us/our-trust-values

Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job overview

An exciting job opportunity has arisen at UHBW Mortuary services. We are looking for a Qualified Anatomical Pathology Technician Level 4 or Diploma Level 3 for the position of Senior Anatomical Pathology Technician.

To help provide a specialist, safe, secure, effective and comprehensive mortuary and post mortem service for the needs of UHBW, Pathologists, Coroner and the community. This is a post for an experienced Anatomical Pathology Technologist (APT) who holds the Diploma of Anatomical Pathology Technology and either holds or is working towards the Level 4 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology.

The post holder will occasionally assist in supporting the Post Mortem service at Weston General Hospital.

The postholder will be required to participate in a 24/7 on call rota.

This job advert may close early if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been submitted

Main duties of the job

Job Summary

To provide technical leadership within the Mortuary, ensuring safe, compliant and high‑quality practice in line with legal, regulatory and Trust requirements. The role supports the Mortuary Management Team through staff supervision, professional development, training delivery and quality assurance, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure respectful and efficient care of the deceased.

• Provide technical leadership and supervision, ensuring safe working practices and efficient use of resources.
• Supervise, mentor and train mortuary staff and other Trust employees in line with Trust policies.
• Support and deliver mortuary‑specific training programmes, including nurse and porter training.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, coronial law and the Human Tissue Act licence.
• Work collaboratively with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to the development, review and governance of SOPs, risk assessments, COSHH and change control processes.
• Support quality systems, including audits, incident reporting (Datix) and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee patient admission and release procedures and support post‑mortem and tissue retrieval activities.
• Ensure effective maintenance of mortuary equipment and facilities.
• Maintain ongoing professional development through relevant professional bodies.
• Participate in the mortuary on‑call, out‑of‑hours service.

Working for our organisation

Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description attached to this vacancy.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

• Hold the Level 3 & 4 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology
• Be registered with AHCS (Academy of Healthcare Sciences)
• Be a member of the AAPT (Association of Anatomical Pathology Technology)
• Evidence of CPD

• Management/Leadership Training

Knowledge and Experience

• In depth knowledge and experience of HTA standards and regulations
• Knowledge and expertise in Anatomical Pathology Technology
• Experience of Organising and leading training of junior staff and other clinical staff
• Experience of working with the public and bereaved relatives, in a highly emotive and sensitive environment
• Extensive relevant experience of working within a hospital mortuary, including, hazardous implants removal understanding medical information, training, experience mentoring staff, dealing with families and other service users
• Knowledge of the legal implications surrounding obtaining consent for postmortems organ retention, organ donation and disposal of human remains.
• Quality Management, document control and auditing experience

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills
• Empathetic skills in dealing with the bereaved
• High level of keyboard skills
• Analytical and judgemental skills in evaluating complex ranges of issues including but not limited to Quality and Service Development
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to deal with a number of conflicting priorities in a calm and professional manner working to demanding timescales
• Ability to use own initiative to improve process and procedures

• Writing Standard Operating Procedures and training programme for new staff

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
• UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
• Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

IMPORTANT:

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.