The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Healthcare Science Assistant

The closing date is 20 November 2025

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen for motivated and reliable individual to take on the roles of Healthcare Science Assistant in the Newcastle Genetics Laboratory.

The successful candidate will join a team of around 100 Scientific and Technical staff in the Newcastle Genetics laboratories and will be responsible for supporting the work of the laboratory. This post is suitable for a candidates with a mature attitude who is aware of the responsibilities involved in NHS laboratory work.

The Newcastle Genetics Laboratory provide testing for a wide variety of inherited and acquired conditions for a local population of over three million people and in addition provide specialised services to patients throughout the UK and internationally.

Interview Date: 4th December 2025
37 hours 30 minutes/week
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

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

Literacy and numeracy skills to GCSE level or equivalent.
Excellent communication and organisational skills
Good time management skills
Experience of working in an environment where attention to detail and the ability to concentrate are important
Ability to work well with other staff and function as part of a team
An understanding of the basics of good laboratory practice
Approachability, reliability and willingness to accept responsibility
An understanding of the importance of diagnostic laboratory work.

Main duties include:

General laboratory housekeeping duties.

Receipt of deliveries and ensuring each laboratory has sufficient stock.

Logging patient samples onto departmental databases.

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.

Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:

o Freeman Hospital

o Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)

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

o Newcastle Dental Hospital

o Newcastle Fertility Centre

o Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria

o Northern Genetics Service

o 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

Date posted

14 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£24,465 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

317-2025-46-06-DR

Job locations

Newcastle Genetics Laboratory, International Centre for life

Central Parkway

317 07 Northern Genetics Service

NE1 3BZ

Job description

Job responsibilities

To work as a member of the laboratory technical staff, providing support to all sections of the laboratory.
Under the direction of the Laboratory Manager, the post holder will be responsible sending samples to other centres, both within the UK and abroad for specialist tests; dealing with the delivery, storage and distribution of laboratory disposables, reagents and equipment; cleaning and basic maintenance of laboratory equipment, and preparation of laboratory reagents and solutions.
The post holder will also deal with sample reception duties; storage of laboratory records, both manual and electronic and basic data entry into laboratory databases.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To work as a member of the laboratory technical staff, providing support to all sections of the laboratory.
Under the direction of the Laboratory Manager, the post holder will be responsible sending samples to other centres, both within the UK and abroad for specialist tests; dealing with the delivery, storage and distribution of laboratory disposables, reagents and equipment; cleaning and basic maintenance of laboratory equipment, and preparation of laboratory reagents and solutions.
The post holder will also deal with sample reception duties; storage of laboratory records, both manual and electronic and basic data entry into laboratory databases.

Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE

Desirable

Basic understanding of Health and Safety and Manual Handling

SKILLS

Essential

Basic computer and keyboard skills
Basic scientific skills

EXPERIENCE

Desirable

Some experience in the use of Microsoft Word, Access, Excel and the internet
Previous laboratory or similar experience

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

Good literacy and numeracy skills to GCSE level

Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE

Desirable

Basic understanding of Health and Safety and Manual Handling

SKILLS

Essential

Basic computer and keyboard skills
Basic scientific skills

EXPERIENCE

Desirable

Some experience in the use of Microsoft Word, Access, Excel and the internet
Previous laboratory or similar experience

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

Good literacy and numeracy skills to GCSE level

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.