Anatomical Pathological Technician (Mortuary Technician)

Positive Employment is currently recruiting for an Anatomical Pathological Technician for our client, a local government organisation in Northamptonshire. The successful candidate will be part of the facility that delivers adult and paediatric postmortem services, forensic postmortems, CT postmortem, viewings and identifications. The team will be led by the Lead APT to deliver a supportive mortuary service to the bereaved families and work collaboratively with the Coroner Service, Police, Funeral Directors and other relevant partners and stakeholders. This role is a temporary contract initially for 3 months with the possibility to extend. This role will be part of the 24/7 out of hours on-call provision.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensures that the correct procedures are followed for the reception, identification, storage, viewing and release of bodies in accordance with HTA licensing standards.
• Ensure correct postmortem authorisations, and tissue/organ retentions are completed and full traceability of samples.
• Where appropriate undertake removal of pacemakers and ICDs or ensure deactivation processes are followed and complete all necessary documentation.
• Undertake routine and non-routine technical autopsy work, including the evisceration of the deceased, and advanced techniques as required to complete the required caseload.
• Clean all mortuary and body storage locations and maintain equipment, notifying the manager of any defects found or temperature excursions noted.
• Liaise in a compassionate manner with bereaved families and with professionalism and collaboratively with HM Coroner Office, Police, NHS Trusts and Funeral Directors.
• Ensure you proactively engage with funeral directors with regards to release and collection of bodies from the mortuary.
• Take an active part in the instruction and training of other members of staff including junior APTs, porters, mortuary support officers, police and visitors to the department.
• For porters and mortuary support officers ensure that their competency documentation for the Mortuary is kept up to date.
• Observe all Health & Safety procedures.
• Support the implementation and delivery of Adult, Paediatric, forensic, CT postmortem and Mass Fatalities and to participate in the department on-call system whilst working unsupervised 24/7 rota for relevant services, urgent releases/transfers/viewings and in the event of a disaster.
• Liaise with tissue donation team in the event of consent for tissue donation, working within agreed set system enable supervised access to the department for the tissue retrieval team in hours and out of hours to meet strict timelines for successful retrieval.
• Demonstrate Thrive values with treating all relatives of the deceased in a kind and compassionate manner in accordance with the standards of the department whilst giving appropriate documentation and support where required.

Personal Requirements:

• Developed technical skills, including advanced and non-routine autopsy techniques for all examination types.
• Working in a public/hospital mortuary undertaking forensic and high-risk autopsies relating to Adult and Paediatric postmortems.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Good working knowledge of the Human Tissue Act (2004).
• Thorough practical knowledge of current Mortuary practices and Standard Operating Processes.
• Knowledge and understanding of current legislation relating to Coroner’s post mortems, death registration and statutory duties.
• Level 3 or equivalent Diploma/Certificate in Anatomical Pathology.
• Maintain membership to the Association of Anatomical Pathology Technology and adhere to best practice and social media codes of conduct.
• Full UK driving licence, access to car/use of car and to participate in on-call rota.

Working Hours: 37hrs / 9:00am - 17:00pm / Monday - Friday

Pay: £32.39 per hour

Please note this role is within the scope of IR35.