Advertised role location: STATE PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT (NIRFM/SPD)
Official document: Trainee APT Band 4 - 5 Oct 2026_ (docx)
JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE
Trainee Anatomical Pathology Technologist (APT)

BAND
Band 4 progressing to Band 5 on completion of Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Science

DIRECTORATE
BHSCT

LOCATION
Northern Ireland Regional Forensic Mortuary –State Pathologist’s Department (NIRFM/SPD)

REPORTS TO
Mortuary Manager

ACCOUNTABLE TO
The State Pathologist for Northern Ireland.

Role:

Help facilitate mortuary operations to ensure efficient and comprehensive services, including booking in, processing, labelling, storage, and retrieval of bodies admitted to the NIRFM.

Support forensic pathologists during post-mortem examinations and liaise with a range of stakeholders.

Perform general and specialised tasks to aid the team of anatomical pathology technologists (APTs) and Forensic Pathologists.

Job Summary - Key Duties & Responsibilities

The cleaning, disinfecting and care of the mortuary, to ensure that it is hygienic, safe and well maintained in accordance with Health and Safety legislation and regulation.

To clean, sterilise and maintain equipment and instruments required in the provision of the mortuary service.

To assist the pathologist with the provision of the Coroner’s Post-mortem Service in accordance with Human Tissue Authority legislation and ensuring proper reconstitution of bodies thereafter.

Assist in receiving and releasing of bodies to and from the Northern Ireland Regional Forensic Mortuary (NIRFM).

Use of the Case Management System (CMS) to maintain accurate record keeping.

To prepare bodies by removing any clothing and valuables from the deceased.

Ensuring care is taken of deceased property and clothing, and records maintained.

The release of deceased to the authorised funeral directors ensuring that necessary authority and paperwork for release has been received from the Coroner’s Service.

Ensuring that a caring service is provided to relatives visiting the mortuary or contacting the mortuary.

Be compliant with the Human Tissue Authority when carrying out duties.

Ensuring all incidents are recorded and reported to the Mortuary Manager.

To establish and maintain liaison with other medical professionals, Belfast Trust mortuary staff, funeral directors, coroner’s office staff, PSNI officers and any other users.

Maintaining and reviewing health and safety standards in the mortuary, observing codes of laboratory practice, and reviewing fire and accident policies.

Assist with departmental audits as and when required.

To maintain appropriate stock levels of consumables required for service delivery and produce supply orders for authorisation by appropriate staff.

Maintain a high level of confidentiality with records and information.

Any other duties not specified but which might reasonably be assigned to the grade of Band 4/ Band 5

Participate in mandatory and in house training in line with Personal Development Plans (PDP).

To assist in the Belfast Trust Mortuary if required.

Undertake and complete training in Level 3 & Level 4 Diplomas in Healthcare Science as established by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).

Participate in the mortuary’s out of hour’s on-call service for urgent autopsies, admission of deaths being treated by the police as suspicious/homicide and the admission of paediatric deaths

The post holder will participate a 24hr service which will include extended working day, overnight, weekend and public holidays as part of the conditioned 37.5hr week


General Responsibilities

Employees of the Trust are required to promote and support the mission and vision of the service for which they are responsible and:

At all times provide a caring service and to treat those with whom they come into contact in a courteous and respectful manner.
Promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency. The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with Belfast Trust’s Whistleblowing Policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.
Demonstrate their commitment by their regular attendance and the efficient completion of all tasks allocated to them.
Comply with the Trust’s Smoke Free Policy.
Carry out their duties and responsibilities in compliance with the Health and Safety Policies and Statutory Regulations.
Adhere to Equality and Good Relations duties throughout the course of their employment.
Ensure the ongoing confidence of the public in-service provision.
Maintain high standards of personal accountability.
Comply with the HPSS Code of Conduct.

Information Governance  

All employees of Belfast Health & Social Care Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, including patient/client, corporate and administrative records whether paper based or electronic and also including e-mails.  All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environment Regulations 2004, the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant and to comply with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust policies on Information Governance including for example the ICT Security Policy, Data Protection Policy and Records Management Policy and to seek advice if in doubt.

Environmental Cleaning Strategy

The Trusts Environmental Cleaning Strategy recognizes the key principle that “Cleanliness matters is everyone’s responsibility, not just the cleaners” Whilst there are staff employed who are responsible for cleaning services, all Trust staff have a responsibility to ensure a clean, comfortable, safe environment for patients, clients, residents, visitors, staff and members of the general public.

Infection Prevention and Control

The Belfast Trust is committed to reducing Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) and all staff have a part to play in making this happen. Staff must comply with all policies in relation to Infection Prevention and Control and with ongoing reduction strategies. Standard Infection Prevention and Control Precautions must be used at all times to ensure the safety of patients and staff.

This includes:-
Cleaning hands either with soap and water or a hand sanitiser at the appropriate times (WHO ‘5 moments’);
Using the correct ‘7 step’ hand hygiene technique.
Being ‘bare below the elbows’ when in a clinical environment.
Following Trust policies and the Regional Infection Control Manual (found on intranet);
Wearing the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE);
Ensuring correct handling and disposal of waste (including sharps) and laundry;
Ensuring all medical devices (equipment) are decontaminated appropriately i.e. cleaned, disinfected and/or sterilised;
Ensuring compliance with High Impact Interventions.

Personal Public Involvement

Staff members are expected to involve patients, clients, carers and the wider community were relevant, in developing, planning and delivering our services in a meaningful and effective way, as part of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to Personal Public Involvement (PPI).

Please use the link below to access the PPI standards leaflet for further information.

http://www.publichealth.hscni.net/sites/default/files/PPI_leaflet.pdf

Records Management

Used as part of their business within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, including patient/client, corporate and administrative records whether paper based or electronic and also including e-mails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environment Regulations 2004 and Data Protection Act 1998. Employees are required to be conversant with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust policy and procedure on records management and to seek advice if in doubt.


Security Clearance

For posts in the NIRFM the level of vetting is a Baseline Standard plus Counter Terrorist Check (CTC). A CTC check will be carried out by the Department of Justice on behalf of the NIRFM.

Clause: This job description is not meant to be definitive and may be amended to meet the changing needs of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.



PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE
Trainee Anatomical Pathology Technologist (APT)

BAND
Band 4 – Band 5

DIRECTORATE
Northern Ireland Regional Forensic Mortuary/State Pathologist’s Department (NIRFM/SPD)


Notes to applicants:
You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria.
Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form. Please note the Trust reserves the right to use any desirable criteria outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet the desirable criteria.
Proof of qualifications and/or professional registration will be required if an offer of employment is made – if you are unable to provide this, the offer may be withdrawn.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA


SECTION 1: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will initially be measured at shortlisting stage although may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form whether or not you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.

Factor
Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience

3rd level qualification and 1 year’s relevant experience working in a hospital laboratory, or mortuary.
OR
5 GCSEs at Grade A-C (or equivalent) to include English Mathematics and Science and 2 years working in hospital laboratory or mortuary environment

Shortlisting by Application Form

Qualifications/ Registration
Must have or be willing to undertake and successfully obtain both the Level 3 & Level 4 Diplomas in Healthcare Science within 3-4 years of appointment.**

**Timeframe for undertaking course is based on the intake of course each year with course provider. On completion of L3 Diploma will progress to Band 5**

Must be willing to work conditioned hours within a 24/7 service and participate in an out-of-hours, on-call/callout service as required to ensure service delivery.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Other (eg Driving etc)
Evidence of a full UK driving licence and access to a car. Due to the requirement to respond to out-of-hours callouts within one hour, applicants must live within a one-hour travelling radius of the service location.

Where disability prohibits driving, this criteria will be waived if the applicant is able to organise suitable alternative arrangements
Shortlisting by Application Form

SECTION 2: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will be measured during the interview/ selection stage:

Skills / Abilities
Ability to communicate professionally with internal and external stakeholders in a regulated forensic environment, maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries at all times.
Demonstrate ability to function effectively in a fast-paced, high – volume forensic mortuary environment, with the physical capacity to safely perform repetitive manual handling and prolonged work in cold environments.



Interview

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

SECTION 3: these will ONLY be used where it is necessary to introduce additional job related criteria to ensure files are manageable. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted

Factor
Criteria
Method of Assessment

Experience

Experience assisting with or observing post-mortem examinations.

Shortlisting by Application Form







All staff are expected to display the HSC Values at all times
All staff are expected to display the HSC Values at all times