Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustMortuary ManagerThe closing date is 17 August 2026Job summaryThe Mortuary Manager is accountable to the General Manager. The purpose of the Mortuary Manager is to be the professional lead for Mortuary and Bereavement Services across the Trust and take the lead on ensuring that quality standards and regulatory compliance is met across all Trust sites.
They will work closely with operational teams to ensure the effective delivery of services to patients in accordance with agreed objectives, targets, quality standards, controls and resource constraints. The Mortuary Manager will be expected to support the General Manager in the delivery of Trust objectives and ensuring national targets are achieved.
The post holder will support the Clinical Director and General Manager with the development and delivery of a strategic vision and ensure service changes meet internal and external expectations and standards.
Main duties of the jobThe post holder will need to understand the business requirements and implement plans for service improvement using modernisation techniques and involve patients to ensure changes to services meet patient's expectations as well as ensuring the required capacity to meet key clinical performance targets.
About usGuy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We are among the UK's busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.
We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and - as part of King's Health Partners - we are one of England's eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research.
We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.
We strive to recruit and retain the best staff as the dedication and skills of our employees lie at the heart of our organisation and ensure that our services are of the highest quality, safe and focused on our patients.
DetailsDate posted: 29 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8b
Salary: £75,328 to £86,114 a year inc HCA
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 196-COF11207-T
Job locations: St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
Job descriptionJob responsibilitiesOperational Performance ManagementEstablish and build agreements within the team to ensure the delivery of the services provided.
Ensure area has a quality management framework that complements the Trust use of key performance indicators across a number of metrics, using service line reporting/management to ensure timely and accurate capture of information from which metrics reported.
Work closely with the Service Managers and Histopathologists and to ensure effective support services are in place for all clinical areas.
Ensure facilities and other resources are available to meet service needs, including analysing and managing space requirements.
Ensure all policies and procedures are adhered to as required by the Trust.
Responsible for achievement of national and local service targets in conjunction with Directors and General Manager; monitor performance against targets, identify areas of concern and take remedial and preventative action as appropriate putting in place plans to improve performance where required.
Respond to any service target breaches in line with Trust standards and put in place remedial plans to ensure such events do not occur again
As a member of the management team, contribute to the annual Business Plan, ensuring staff involvement, in line with Trust objectives.
Manage the analysis of data so that the Management team has access to timely and accurate information on all key performance indicators.
Lead on the development of reporting processes from relevant information systems and integrating them into the performance management function.
Provide information across the Trust on performance within Directorate, including reporting performance to the Board.
Promote a positive image of the department both externally and internally.
Participate in and contribute to Trust wide initiatives and projects as appropriate.
Build effective networks with other departments, working in collaboration to support efficient patient flow.
- Advise and liaise with non-departmental staff (i.e. clinicians, ward staff, staff in other Trusts, bereavement teams) re all aspects of care of the deceased.
- Advise and liaise with external agencies (i.e. Coroner, funeral directors, social services, police officers, GM Mass fatalities team) re clinical aspects of care of the deceased.
Management and LeadershipTo act as the Designated Individual named on the Trust Human Tissue Authority (HTA) Licences for both sites. As such the post holder shall be responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance in line with HTA Standards and Codes of Practice.
To provide professional leadership and management of the mortuary and bereavement services across GSTT. To ensure the ensure of an effective service, in line with local and national policy.
To provide technical advice in the area of specialised of anatomical pathology technology and care of the deceased person to the organisation.
To be an active member of the Trusts End of Life Care Committee, providing guidance and assurance on mortuary activities.
Support workforce plans which anticipate service changes and developments and which address recruitment, retention and workforce supply issues to minimise the impact of these on service delivery.
Work with Lead Clinicians, Matrons and Head of Nursing, multi-disciplinary team to identify requirements for posts and sources of funding and to make decisions regarding funding for changes to roles.
Lead and support organisational change and wider organisation to ensure efficient service delivery and productivity and compliance with Trust and NHS targets; this could include consultation with staff and promoting new ways of working, implementing new policies and procedures.
Full line management responsibilities including recruitment, induction, appraisal, development and retention of staff as well as managing sickness and absence, disciplinary and performance issues that may arise.
Responsible for developing and motivating staff through effective personal leadership, ensuring views and decisions are communicated both up and down the management structure.
Chair disciplinary, grievance and other formal panels, as and when required.
Quality, Risk and GovernanceLead on resolving complaints and concerns from patients, staff, suppliers, other internal and external service providers and partner organisations; as part of the engagement with patients strategy ensure mechanisms are in place for capturing and sharing compliments.
Lead on investigating and responding to complaints in line with Trust Policy.
Ensure adherence to control processes and risk management arrangements including developing specific polices/procedures as appropriate.
Develop systems for the monitoring of compliance with internal and external governance and best practice requirements.
To ensure the mortuaries are compliant with HTA codes of practice, and all appropriate CQC standards.
To ensure that mortuary is ready for inspections, including Care Quality Commission and Human Tissue Authority .
Responsible for ensuring the audit schedule is implemented across the mortuary sites
Responsible for reporting and investigating non-conformances in the mortuary service, including completing and reviewing error logs and subsequent actions.
To keep up-to-date with current Mortuary and Bereavement practices and guidance from the Health and Safety Executive and any other professional bodies e.g. Human Tissue Authority and DoH.
To ensure lessons are learned from post-event analysis, proactive risk assessments and timely dissemination.
Ensure procedures are adhered to with respect to all visitors to the Mortuary, including Hospital Portering staff.
When there are legislative amendments, to analyse, interpret and implement any changes to be made. To communicate and formally present to the Divisional Management team or any other relevant parties of these changes which could impact on the Trust significantly. To also communicate legislation amendments/best practices to the Mortuary and Bereavement team, providing training if necessary.
Financial ManagementManage delegated budget responsibilities for area, ensuring income capture, adherence to agreed budget plans, identifying savings and implementing plans to reduce costs as appropriate.
Work with the Finance Manager to ensure budgets are up to date and accurate, identify changes to budgets as required.
Identify costs pressures, service development and cost improvement plans, develop business cases to meet requirements and present to local Performance Review Meetings, Clinical Operations Group and Trust Management Executive as required.
Ensure compliance with Trust standing financial instructions.
Strategy, Change and Service ImprovementSupport the DMT with internal strategic planning and project management.
Support the GM, Clinical Director, Clinical Leads and SMs in identifying both new opportunities for the individual services within the Directorate arising from changes in the external environment or internal innovation and potential threats and ways to respond to them.
Define and lead service improvement projects within the Directorate within agreed timeframes and financial targets.
Deliver change management and service improvement in the Directorate.
Support GM with communication around strategic development in the directorate.
Ensure that development and implementation of R&D, teaching and training programmes are included within service plans.
Proactive in identifying and addressing issues which are significant within and across directorates.
Identify opportunities for service redesign, focusing on a patient centred approach to delivery; work to develop and lead plans to improve and develop services.
Participate in Trust and area wide programmes that contribute to the modernisation of patient services.
Support the General Manager with the creation of an environment that is responsive to the changing needs and strategy of the Trust including AHSC developments, changing patterns of healthcare and healthcare commissioning.
Act as management lead for the implementation of NSFs and other initiatives
Responsible for the delivery of agreed change and service improvement projects and initiatives.
Work with colleagues to assist in the development and implementation of R&D, teaching and training programmes as required
Person SpecificationKnowledge/QualificationsEssential- Relevant Masters, equivalent professional qualification or equivalent experience.
- Evidence of recent Continuing Professional Development.
- RSPH Certificate & Diploma of Anatomical Pathology Technology, or RSPH Level 3 and 4 Diploma in Healthcare Science (Anatomical Pathology Technology)
Desirable- Completed e-learning MEO core training modules
- Prince 2 qualification or equivalent experience
- Understanding of lean methodology
Previous experienceEssential- Supervision, training and teaching Healthcare professionals
- Evidence of managing successful project and / or operational performance a
- Operational experience in managing complex services including design, development, implementation and management of change in a multiple stakeholder environment.
- Experience of managing complex budgets from a range of income sources and demonstrable evidence of individual, team, financial, process and change management.
- Extensive experience working as an Anatomical Pathology Technologist.
Desirable- Knowledge and understanding of the changing NHS environment, strategy, and policy agendas.
- Experience of working within the Medical Examiner framework.
SkillsEssential- Practical knowledge of current mortuary & bereavement practices and legislation
- Knowledge of Human Tissue Act
- Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit when incorporated within Bereavement Services.
- Highly effective people and project management skills.
- Use advanced analytical and judgement skills including understanding and application of complex statistical and numerical data.
- Work flexibly, prioritise workloads and resource them in response to changing demands and requirements.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication (written, oral, presentation, facilitation), networking and negotiation skills with a track record in consistently delivering performance targets and writing complex business cases, policies and change.
- Excellent management skills including motivating and coaching staff.
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise, meet deadlines and delegate effectively.
- Ability to find innovative ways of solving or pre-empting problems.
- IT literate, including competency in MS Office programmes and in particular in Excel.
Desirable- Extensive knowledge of contract management.
- Excellent understanding and track record of successful change and project management.
- Extensive knowledge of operations and / or project management methodologies and techniques.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. 
