Senior Mortuary Technician

Job overview

Supervise and coordinate Mortuary Technicians across University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust mortuaries, including Worthing, St Richard’s, Royal Sussex and Princess Royal Hospitals, with travel between sites as required. Key responsibilities include rota management, staff supervision, admission, storage and release of deceased patients and their property, management of sensitive disposals (pregnancy remains), implantable device notifications, stock control, administration, audit activity and maintaining a safe, clean and compliant mortuary environment. The role also supports the transfer of deceased patients between Trust and external locations, facilitates unattended Trust funerals and ensures completion of HTA documentation and quality assurance processes.

The post holder will provide compassionate support to bereaved families, undertake Trust cremation processes, care for babies following pregnancy loss and support the delivery of post-mortem services, including high-risk, traumatic and decomposed cases.

The role includes participation in coronial and forensic post-mortems and reconstruction procedures, including organ replacement, body packing and suturing under supervision. The post holder must ensure compliance with Human Tissue Authority (HTA) legislation, Codes of Practice and Trust policies, maintaining high standards of dignity, traceability, governance and patient care at all times.

Main duties of the job

The role includes coordinating daily mortuary operations across multiple locations, managing staff rotas and workloads, supporting staff development and appraisals, and ensuring compliance with Trust policies, procedures and legislation. You will oversee the respectful admission, care, storage and release of deceased patients and their property, maintaining dignity, traceability and legal compliance at all times.

You will provide sensitive support to bereaved families, facilitate viewings and funerals, and guide relatives through mortuary processes. Responsibilities also include leading audits, quality assurance activities and Human Tissue Authority (HTA) compliance, implementing service improvements and corrective actions where required.

The post holder will support coronial, hospital and forensic post-mortem services, including reconstruction procedures and assisting Anatomical Pathology Technologists (APTs). Additional duties include managing tissue and sample handling, sensitive disposals, unattended funerals, implantable device notifications, stock control and maintaining a safe, hygienic mortuary environment.

The role requires participation in the out-of-hours on-call rota, transfer of deceased patients between sites and external locations, and acting as an HTA Person Designate when required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please note: This role does not meet the minimum criteria for visa sponsorship under the current UK immigration rules, which set specific salary and skill thresholds. As such, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. Applicants will therefore need to already have the right to work in the UK to be considered. We include this information at the outset to provide clarity and avoid unnecessary inconvenience for applicants.

If you do not meet the sponsorship requirements, and you are applying using a Graduate visa as your right to work, you must have a minimum of 18 months remaining on your visa at time of application.

As a Senior Mortuary Technician, you will support the delivery of a high-quality, compassionate and compliant mortuary service across all Trust sites. The role requires excellent communication skills and regular liaison with bereaved families, clinical teams, Coroner’s Officers, Funeral Directors, Crematoria, Medical Examiners, local authority representatives and forensic agencies. You will provide sensitive advice and support on matters relating to the care and release of the deceased, viewings, funerals, post-mortems and legal requirements.

You will oversee the daily operation of the mortuary service, including staff deployment, rota management, workload prioritisation and ensuring service continuity across all sites. Responsibilities include supervising Mortuary Technicians, managing annual leave and on-call arrangements, conducting appraisals, supporting staff development and ensuring compliance with Trust policies and procedures.

The post holder will lead audits, quality assurance activities, HTA compliance monitoring, risk assessments and the implementation of service improvements, corrective actions and updated standard operating procedures. You will maintain accurate records, manage post-mortem tissue and sample traceability, and act as an HTA Person Designate when required.

Operational duties include the admission, care, storage and release of deceased patients and their property, facilitating viewings, sensitive disposals, Trust funerals and Direct It Yourself (DIY) funerals. You will support coronial, hospital and forensic post-mortem services, organ and tissue retrieval programmes, reconstruction procedures under APT supervision, and the transfer of deceased patients between Trust sites and external locations.

The role also includes maintaining a safe, hygienic and well-stocked mortuary environment, participating in the out-of-hours on-call rota, and ensuring all activities are conducted in accordance with HTA, Health & Safety, infection prevention and Trust requirements. Continuous professional development, mandatory training and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of legislation and mortuary best practice are essential requirements of the post.

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have regular contact with vulnerable people and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.