Job summary
- Main area
- Cellular Pathology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 234-25-E0026-A
- Employer
- Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Cotman Centre, Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital
- Town
- Norwich
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 13/10/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 22/10/2025
Employer heading

Specialist Biomedical Scientist - Cellular Pathology
NHS AfC: Band 6
At NNUH it is our privilege to provide healthcare to over one million people across Norfolk and surrounding areas. Our vision is to ‘provide the best care for every patient’, and if this inspires you and you share our values, we really want you to join our team.
NNUH is currently the busiest Trauma Unit in the East of England caring for almost 850 trauma patients annually many with complex care needs. We are enhancing our urgent and emergency care specialist services for patients with significant injuries as a result of trauma and have an ambition to become a Major Trauma Centre.
Our values support our vision and guide the behaviour of everything we do, these are:
People-focused
We look after the needs of our patients, carers and colleagues, to provide a safe and caring experience for all.
Respect
We act with care, compassion and kindness and value others’ diverse needs.
Integrity
We take an honest, open and ethical approach to everything we do.
Dedication
We work as one team and support each other to maintain the highest professional standards.
Excellence
We continuously learn and improve to achieve the best outcomes for our patients and our hospital.
Wish you were here? So do we.
We want all our staff to achieve a balance between work and personal life and understand how important flexible working can be. We welcome applications on a full or part time basis, various shift patterns and hybrid working, where roles allow.
At the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH), we know the benefits diversity can bring to our organisation such as creativity, innovation and compassion. All of which have a direct impact towards our staff and patient experience. We are committed to being a Hospital for All – being equitable and inclusive, and a place where all feel a sense of belonging. We therefore particularly encourage and welcome applications from candidates who are underrepresented in NNUH’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, people with diverse abilities and people within the LGBT+ community.
Job overview
Specialist Biomedical Scientist - East of England HPV Primary Screening Service
The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Cytology department was chosen to be the provider of HPV primary testing for the East of England. This means that we are testing up to 450,000 cervical screening samples per year for HPV using the high throughput Roche Cobas systems.
The laboratory also currently processes around 3,000 diagnostic cytology samples per year.
It is a very busy department, and is sited in modern, well-equipped accommodation at the Cotman Centre, on Colney Lane.
Full time: 37.5 hours per week
Main duties of the job
As a member of the Cytopathology team you will be required to undertake a range of duties to assist in the provision of a comprehensive screening service and assist in the daily workload management of the department. It is essential in a fast paced high throughput department to be able to, work closely and supportively with your colleagues responding to the needs of the service on a daily basis.
You will play a key role in the delivery of a high quality, safe and compassionate healthcare service.
All staff are expected to act as a role model to others in all aspects of their work and consistently demonstrate NNUH’s ‘PRIDE’ values of People focused, Respect, Dedication, Integrity and Excellence.
Depending on your experience and skills consideration may be given to those who do not yet meet all of the desirable criteria on the person specification, with the department providing in role support and training.
Working for our organisation
Join us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and be part of a workforce of over 10,000 staff!
The NNUH is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, providing first-class acute care for around one million people, living in Norfolk and surrounding areas. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute. We are pleased to work closely with the University of East Anglia, providing teaching opportunities for our staff and placement opportunities for their students. We attract some of the best and leading professionals from across the country and are proud that our workforce represents 94 countries from across the world.
We are a friendly, collaborative hospital, working with local services and home to N&N Hospitals Charity.
We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:
- Flexible working hours
- Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
- Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
- Discounted gym memberships
- Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
- Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
- Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
- Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
- On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
- On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
- Support in career development
- Flexible staff bank
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical Scientific and Management Responsibilities:
1. Communicates sensitive and complex clinical scientific service related information to consultants, GPs and other medical staff. Also to managers, nurses and other health care professionals.
2. Answers telephone enquiries from consultants, GPs, other medical staff, secretaries, plus nurses and other health care professionals, providing highly complex information regarding appropriate use of methodologies, interpretation of results and service requirements to optimise results with regard to sample retrieval, fixation and transportation.
3. Manages own workload and prioritises day-to-day routine work in the specialised service, supervising BMSW staff and deputising for senior BMS staff in their absence.
4. Participation in LBC primary screening for cervical samples. This will involve the microscopic interpretation of the sample to identify and grade any abnormalities according to NHSCSP guidelines.
5. Entering own negative and inadequate reports on laboratory database according to department Standard Operating Procedures.
Please refer to the Job Description for the full specification of responsibilities and requirements for this post.
Please note due to high volume of applications for some posts, this post may close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences or equivalent.
- State registration with Health Professions Council (HPC).
- City and Guilds Diploma of Cervical cytology NVQ level 3 or NHSCSP Certificate in Cervical Cytology
- Specialist Portfolio from the institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) or equivalent
Experience
Essential criteria
- Understanding of clinical laboratory equipment performance evaluation including highly complex instrumentation.
- Problem solving of highly complex clinical scientific problems
Desirable criteria
- Significant postgraduate State Registration experience in a clinical cytopathology service as a new entrant BMS1
Skills
Essential criteria
- Able to effectively work within a complex multidisciplinary team.
Attitude & Aptitude
Essential criteria
- Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH’s PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
- Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sara Casson
- Job title
- Cytology Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01603 286031
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