Pathology Administrator

Job summary

The Cellular Pathology department processes tissue samples taken from patients for diagnosis of cancer and other conditions. We process over 65,000 cases per year from the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the South 4 Pathology Partnership and other external hospitals providing specialist pathology services across all specialities.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, organised person with good communication skills to join our tissue and data pathway administration team in our Histopathology department at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. The work involves processing tissue blocks and slides which come to the department for additional testing or reporting, liaison with pathologists, referral centres, couriers, clinical teams and other services.

Please read the person specification attached to the job description for full requirements and tailor your personal statement to demonstrate how you meet them.

This role is not suitable for sponsorship or for HCPC registration training.

Main duties of the job

The main areas of work are:

• Receipt and tracking of both urgent cases for primary reporting, and referral cases from other hospitals
• Booking in cases onto the laboratory management system and requesting tests for technical work and/or distributing to pathologist
• The Cellular Pathology aspect of MDT meetings
• Liaison with pathologists, clinical teams and laboratory team
• Liaison with couriers - booking samples being sent both within the UK and abroad
• Liaison with solicitors requesting clinical material, packaging and tracking the release of the tissue
• Arranging for collection of patient material when patients are taking material for treatment abroad
• Managing generic Cellular Pathology email accounts which contain requests for molecular and other technical tests etc.
• Entering reports into the laboratory management system that are received from outsourcing companies .
• Sending samples out for tests that are not performed in Oxford, uploading the returned report to the laboratory management system

The work must be handled quickly because it is either required for primary histology reporting for initial diagnosis, urgent tests which we perform for other laboratories, and review of reports for MDT for planning of patient treatment etc.

About us

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.

We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence, and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.

In 2023NHS England launched its first sexual safety charter, and our Trust proudly signed it. We pledge zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behaviour and commit to the ten core principles

Oxford University Hospitals promotes a safe, respectful hiring environment.

If you want to make a difference with us, come and join our team. Together, we will uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism.

Details

• Date posted: 12 August 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 4
• Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 a year Per annum pro rata
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 321-CSS-8056906-B4
• Job locations: Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Windmill Road, Oxford, OX3 7QU, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Responsibilities

• Be fully conversant with the FileMaker Pro Cellular Pathology Information System in disciplines/s related to area of work, in order to enter and retrieve data.
• Be fully conversant with relevant departmental policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensuring that personal performance complies with the United Kingdom Accreditation Standards (UKAS)
• Utilise the Trusts Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system to obtain information and for data entry into FileMaker Pro.
• Receive, prioritise, and act upon enquiries, by phone and in person, relating to the consultants work.
• Liaise with clinical teams and MDT co-ordinators to prepare for case conferences
• Retrieve and re-file pathology slides from the laboratory filing system for collation with reports and case notes required for regular case conferences, maintaining an accurate audit trail, and ensuring timely return of case notes to Medical Records.
• Receive, distribute referral work (tissue blocks and slides) to consultants and laboratory maintaining an accurate audit trail.
• Package and return referral work to originating laboratory
• If required arrange meetings, book meeting rooms, and / minute meetings.
• Use Microsoft Word, Excel and other software to prepare, as required, departmental documents and reports.
• Maintain an efficient filing system, both manual and electronic systems clinical records and service management records.
• Accurately copy / copy type / audio type diagnostic surgical reports from outsource companies
• Distribute work to the clinical team as requested.
• Always maintain patient confidentiality.
• Assist with histology office reporting as required.
• Maintain local stationary stock supplies, requesting new stock as required.
• Liaise with the Histopathology Operational Manager, other CSU managers and secretarial staff, and other Trust staff as required.
• Liaise with external bodies as required.
• Contribute to the training of new members of staff within the clerical area as required.
• Report adverse incidents to the Histopathology Operational or CSU manager.
• Comply with health and safety regulations, the Data Protection Act, and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Demonstrate excellent personal communication and team working skills.
• Maintain good work relations with all members of staff and to promote effective team working.
• Attend mandatory training courses required by the Trust.
• Attend annual appraisal and assist in own personal and professional development.
• Comply with the requirement to practice within data protection and confidentiality guidelines
• Work to ensure that departmental performance targets are met by continually assessing priority of work.
• Attend departmental and Trust-wide staff meetings as appropriate.
• Treat everyone associated with the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with courtesy and respect.

Please see full job description for further details.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).