Medical Laboratory Assistant - Microbiology

Job details

• Job reference: 260528
• Salary: Band 3 (£29,103 - £31,409)
• Job closing date: 12/10/2026
• Job Type: Healthcare Sciences
• Location: NHS Lanarkshire Wide
• Employment type: Permanent
• Hours Per Week: 36
• Job posted date: 08/10/2026
• Employer (NHS Board): NHS Lanarkshire
• Department: Microbiology

About The Organisation

Here at NHS Lanarkshire, we put the patient at the heart of everything we do. Each colleague within the organisation plays a key role in how we deliver our healthcare services.

We proudly serve a population of 655,000 across rural and urban communities in both North and South Lanarkshire. NHS Lanarkshire is comprised of Acute Services (which currently provide hospital based services over 3 main sites), Corporate & Property & Support Services, North and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnerships which provide integrated primary healthcare and social care services to local communities and surrounding areas.

The Role

The role will involve collecting and preparing materials and clinical specimens for analysis and safe disposal of clinical waste. The post holder will register patient related information onto Laboratory Information System or other manual systems

In this key role, you will:

• Adhere to policies and procedures relevant to all areas of work in accordance with Departmental, Directorate, Hospital and regulatory requirements. These would include the following:
• All Standard Operating Procedures
• Quality Management Policies
• External Quality Assessment and Internal Quality Control
• Laboratory and Hospital Health and Safety
• Risk Management
• NHSL policies and current data protection legislation
• Participation in annual joint review/personal development planning
• Work under the supervision of a State Registered Biomedical Scientist or Reception Supervisor or Senior Mortuary Staff.
• Prepare samples for analysis and register the request ensuring accuracy of sample identification and documentation
• Centrifuge and separate samples into secondary tubes for testing.
• Respond to questions and enquiries by page, telephone and in person. If unable to assist, direct enquiries to the appropriate staff member.

What You'll Bring:

• Standard Grade English and a Science Subject essential.
• A good understanding of Biomedical Science.
• Knowledge of anatomy and physiology is preferred but training will be provided.
• Extended supervised training for a minimum of one year due to the wide range of duties encompassed within the job equivalent to National Vocational Qualification Level 3.

What we Offer

As a valued employee of NHS Lanarkshire, you can enjoy an extensive range of benefits including:

• Annual Leave - 35 days including public holidays
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Annual incremental salary progression
• Paid sick leave increasing with length of service
• NHS discounts and more.

NHS Lanarkshire is dedicated to building a diverse workforce where everyone can thrive, develop, and succeed based on their skills, knowledge, and talent - regardless of race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or care experience* or any other dimension that can be used to differentiate people from one another.

*Care experienced applicants include those who have lived with foster parents, kinship carers, or in residential/secure children’s settings.

For informal discussion, please contact Becky Jeffery on becky.jeffrey@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

If you have any questions about the recruitment process or require support with your application, contact Lynn Deas, Recruitment Administrator on Lynn.Deas@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application, but your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
• Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you, not an AI tool.

Interested?

Full details about the role are provided in the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Please review our Application Guidance which explain key information including closing dates, amendments, right‑to‑work requirements, sponsorship eligibility and important points to be aware of before submitting your application

You can also learn more about working with NHS Lanarkshire by viewing our Information Pack

Unless otherwise stated, the deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date. Please note, CVs will not be accepted.

This advert may close early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply early.