Trainee Anatomical Pathology Technologist

To be responsible for the reception, identification and storage in a secure, safe and hygienic environment of all deceased patients received either from the hospital or from the community.

To accept deceased patients from the community that may be in very poor condition, i.e. decomposed, badly burnt, RTC, suicides and potentially suspicious deaths. This also includes potentially high risk patients with unknown pathogens and infection risk.

To be responsible for the release of the deceased to authorised funeral directors in accordance with the law and departmental procedures.

To assist with the procedures required to present a patient in the mortuary viewing suite, including accompanying and interacting with distressed grieving relatives and giving appropriate advice, reassurance and guidance.

To assist with the procedures required to formally identify a deceased patient, including interaction with Cheshire Police, British Transport Police, Odontologist & Scenes of crime officers (SOCO).

To provide skilled assistance to the pathologist and APT's during PM examinations, providing instruments, opening of the deceased and removing the organs required by the pathologist.

To reconstruct the deceased patient after PM to as high a standard as possible depending on the condition of the deceased.

To liaise with the Trust's Bereavement Team, Coroner's Officers, Coroner's Liaison Officers, Coroners appointed FD and Cheshire Police for the needs of the service.

The Mortuary department at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are seeking an enthusiastic and committed individual with good communication skills and a confident and sympathetic manner to join the team on a full-time basis as a Trainee Anatomical Pathology Technician (TAPT).

The successful candidate will actively participate in all areas of the Mortuary providing an efficient, professional, patient focused and caring Mortuary service for both HM Cheshire Coroner and the Countess of Chester Hospital. This will involve roles in admitting deceased patients into the Mortuary, assisting pathologists in carrying out post mortem examinations, and the release of deceased patients to funeral directors. The post holder will be required to liaise with hospital colleagues, multiple outside agencies such as the Police, funeral directors and Coroner's office and also with bereaved relatives.

A successful candidate filling this trainee APT role will be fully integrated into the provision of a high quality, patient focused service and will receive full training in all Mortuary procedures. Alongside in-house training the trainee APT will be expected to work towards and successfully complete a Level 3 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology, with transition to a Band 5 position occurring on completion.

Applicants should have previous allied healthcare experience of mortuary work and/or deceased patient interaction.

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:

• The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds


• Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility


• Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.


The Trust employs over 6258 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 407,000. This includes 357,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.

The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances.