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Job summary

Main area
Cellular Pathology
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 2
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
435-D124-25-A
Employer
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Blackburn
Town
Blackburn
Salary
£24,465 pa
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
22/12/2025 23:59

Employer heading

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Laboratory Support Worker (Cellular Pathology)

NHS AfC: Band 2

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care.  We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.

Job overview

We are looking for 2 enthusiastic full time staff to fill a new and exciting role in our Histology Department.

The post is permanent. Hours are 37.5 per week.

Previous applicants need not apply.

The department handles over 53,000 Histology samples per annum, with a high proportion of complex cases including Breast, Head and Neck,
Hepatobiliary and Urology.

Main duties of the job

Prepares and processes clinical specimens for cellular pathology analysis

Maintains specimen records using paper and electronic systems

Maintains records and documentation as part of the laboratories quality management system

Working for our organisation

The department handles over 53,000 Histology samples per annum, with a high proportion of complex cases including Breast, Head and Neck,
Hepatobiliary and Urology.

At East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 700,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 8,000 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.

On 1st February 2026, Pathology services for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust will come together to form the Lancashire and South Cumbria Single Pathology Service.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be the Lead Provider of the service and the employer of colleagues working within the service, across sites.

If you are successful in your application, and commence work prior to 1st February 2026, your employment will transfer to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on 1st February 2026 under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, 2006.  There will be no impact for your job role, terms and conditions of employment or location of work. 

If you are successful in your application, and commence work after 1st February 2026, your employer will be Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.     Block scraping and filing in numerical order.

2.     Filing, archiving and retrieving of laboratory slides and blocks

3.     Maintain laboratory equipment according to department procedures (e.g. tissue processor, staining machine.

4.     Prepare and package material for dispatch to external providers

5.     Prepare solutions and reagents (e.g. staining solutions, buffers)

6.     Housekeeping duties such as: discard specimens, wash buckets, bagging up specimens.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • 2 A level passes including a science subject
Desirable criteria
  • IBMS support staff CoA part 1

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of applying working practices in line with health and safety legislation.
  • Experience of contributing to service development and quality improvement within a workplace or organisation
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working in a cellular pathology laboratory

Knowledge & Skills

Essential criteria
  • Aware of key safety legislation and accreditation
  • Computer literate with good keyboard skills including use if LIMS
  • Good communication skills both verbal and written
Desirable criteria
  • Good working knowledge of Microsoft word and excel

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardPositive about disabled peopleInvestors in PeopleCare quality commission - GoodDisability confident committedStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible Working

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Craig Rogers
Job title
Lead BMS Cell Pathology
Email address
[email protected]
Additional information

Elfan Patel

[email protected]

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