Healthcare Science Assistant

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Healthcare Science Assistant

The closing date is 04 November 2025

Applications are invited from enthusiastic individuals to expand our team of full‑time Healthcare Science Assistant in Cellular Pathology at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne. The Department provides Histology, Cytology and Mortuary services. It is purpose‑built within a prime City‑centre location, offering an attractive career opportunity.

A Healthcare Science Assistant (HCSA) is part of a clinical support team in a hospital laboratory whose purpose is to provide timely and accurate high quality scientific information that will assist service users from the hospital and community, in the establishment of a clinical diagnosis and monitoring of patient treatment.

The HCSA will use practical skills to carry out a variety of laboratory duties including reception and data entry of requests received, filing of slides/sample blocks and some basic pathological tests under the supervision and guidance of a Biomedical Scientist.

Applicants should meet the essential requirements with experience of working in a laboratory. The laboratory core working hours are from 7 am to 6 pm, some flexibility in shift patterns may be required to support service needs. Participation in a Saturday rota will also be required.

- Interview Date Saturday 22 November 2025

- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

This post will provide a range of duties to support the cellular pathology team across the reception, dissection, slide production, archive, cytology, neuropathology and immunohistochemistry sections of the department.

- Receipt and processing of patient samples, which include anatomically identifiable body tissues and fluids

- Assisting Biomedical Scientists and Pathologist during specimen dissection

- Slides from patient samples for issue, Sorting, transport and filing of blocks and slides from patient sample

- Inputting data into Laboratory Information Systems (APEX), machine maintenance

- Restocking of laboratory consumables and reagents

- Discard of laboratory waste

- Other general laboratory duties supporting Biomedical Scientists and Medical Staff in preparing patient samples for diagnosis

About us

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

1. Freeman Hospital

2. Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)

3. Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)

4. Newcastle Dental Hospital

5. Newcastle Fertility Centre

6. Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbriao

7. Northern Genetics Service

8. Cramlington Manor Walks

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting‑edge care (supported by state‑of‑the‑art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Job responsibilities

- A Healthcare Science Assistant (HCSA) is part of a clinical support team whose purpose is to provide timely and accurate high quality scientific information that will assist service users from the hospital and community, in the establishment of a clinical diagnosis and monitoring of patient treatment.

- The HSA will use practical skills to carry out a variety of laboratory duties including reception and data entry of requests received and some basic pathological tests under the supervision and guidance of a Biomedical Scientist.

- To assist in the preparation of specimens for analysis, including booking in patient and specimen details, storing, retrieving and disposing of specimens.

- To carry out, under supervision, some laboratory procedures and the operation of laboratory equipment e.g. microtome, Faxitron X ray machine, cassette labelling machine, slide staining machine.

- Label‑stained microscope slides and match them to correct request form

- Match labelled tissue cassettes with request form.

- Filing and retrieval of slides and tissue blocks both in the laboratory and at the off‑site archive.

- Record on request form dictated specimen details during the dissection of tissue samples by medical and scientific staff.

- To work in compliance with local health and safety rules to ensure a safe working environment for you, colleagues and visitors.

- To adhere to department and Trust Health and Safety policies (including COSHH, Risk assessments and Standard Operating Procedures) and to report any non‑compliances to a senior member of staff.

- Ensure the risk of infection to yourself, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by:

1. being familiar with, and adhering to Trust policies and guidance on infection prevention and control

2. attending Trust Induction Programme(s) and statutory education programmes in infection prevention and control including infection prevention and control as an integral part of your continuous personal/professional development

3. taking personal responsibility so far as is reasonably practicable, in helping ensure that effective prevention and control of health care acquired infections is embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently by you and your colleagues

Person Specification

Qualifications & Education

- Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English, Maths and Science or equivalent qualification (e.g. NVQ Level 2 in Clinical Laboratory Support)

Knowledge & Experience

- Understanding of a basic range of routine laboratory processes including assisting in basic sample processing, using laboratory equipment

- Basic understanding of human biology

- Previous NHs Laboratory experience

- Understanding of Health and Safety

- Experience of using Laboratory equipment

Skills & Abilities

- Able to concentrate for long periods of time

- Good hand‑eye coordination

- Self organisation and ability to prioritise

- Ability to work as part of a team

- Able to meet the physical requirements of the role (Lifting weights of 10kg or more and carry out repetitive tasks for prolonged periods of time)

- Ability to tolerate exposure to samples of a distressing nature and prolonged exposure to unpleasant smells

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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