Mortuary Assistant - Other Healthcare Scientist

Job overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

The Mortuary Assistant plays a vital role in supporting the delivery of safe, dignified, and professional mortuary services. This position provides essential assistance to the Anatomical Pathology Technologists (APTs) and wider Bereavement and Mortuary Estates teams, ensuring the respectful care and management of the deceased while maintaining the highest standards of hygiene, security, and operational efficiency.

As a key member of the mortuary team, the post holder contributes to the smooth running of daily activities, including preparation areas, post-mortem support, and liaison with funeral directors and clinical teams. By upholding strict procedural and infection control standards, the Mortuary Assistant helps safeguard both staff and public confidence in the service.

This role directly supports the organisation’s commitment to providing compassionate end-of-life and bereavement care, promoting excellence in service delivery and compliance with national and local regulations.

The Mortuary Assistant will work under the supervision of the Senior Anatomical Pathology Technologist and collaborate closely with Anatomical Pathology Technologists, Bereavement Care Officers, Estates personnel, and other healthcare professionals to ensure an efficient and sensitive service at all times.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Your Responsibilities

What you’ll do:

1 -Provide day-to-day support within the mortuary, ensuring the respectful care, handling, and identification of the deceased at all times, including adult and paediatric cases. 2 - Manage and transport samples, tissues, and documentation accurately, maintaining full traceability and compliance with infection control and health and safety standards. 3- Maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene within the mortuary environment, including equipment cleaning, waste disposal, and preparation of work areas. 4 -Support the coordination and release of deceased individuals to funeral directors and relevant authorities, ensuring timely, professional, and compassionate communication.

UHS mortuary department continuously seeks opportunities to develop our service and we actively encourage the suggestions & involvement of all staff in all improvement projects. We collaborate widely with a range of other teams and staff groups within the Trust to improve the experience of our service users and raise the profile of mortuary services and the importance of care after death. We also support research and development and have close links with the University of Southampton faculties of Medicine and Life Sciences.

What we’re looking for   Applications are invited from candidates who are enthusiastic about learning and embrace positive change.

We are looking for a highly motivated, flexible & resilient individual, who values & works well within a team environment. You must be capable of working effectively and efficiently in a fast-paced and dynamic mortuary environment, whilst prioritising the care & dignity of the deceased. High attention to detail and organisational skills are a must, and you must be able to communicate compassionately and professionally when interacting with bereaved relatives and a diverse range of service users.

The role may include participation in an out of hours rota covering nights, weekends and bank holidays to ensure consistent service delivery A driving licence is necessary to support out hours working. The successful candidate will be required to undergo enhanced DBS clearance and Occupational Health screening due to the sensitive nature of the work.