Healthcare Science Support Worker - Microbiology
At a glance
- Band
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Posted
- 17/09/2026
- Closes
- 24/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This role is for a Healthcare Science Support Worker in the Microbiology department, processing patient specimens and performing routine and non-routine tasks. The successful candidate will work with laboratory analysers, enter patient results, and communicate with users. It requires a hard-working, enthusiastic, and reliable individual who can work without close supervision in a busy environment. The position involves early and late shifts, including weekend working.
Essential criteria
- NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification or experience.
- Basic skills to include literacy and numeracy.
- GCSE maths and English
Desirable criteria
- Extensive training in a laboratory in any Pathology discipline
- Knowledge and Skills
- Basic knowledge of Health and Safety within laboratory environment
- Able to process biological specimens
- IT Literate
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Organised and methodical
- Ability to work to deadlines
- Ability to accurately follow written procedures
- Competent at problem solving and prioritising
- Awareness of the role of medical laboratories
- Awareness of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)
- Knowledge of clinical sample types within Microbiology
- Knowledge of Laboratory computer system
- Computer literate with specified LIMs system
- Experience in working within a team
- Experience of working within a fast paced setting.
- Experience of working in a pathology laboratory environment
- Customer service
- Education and Training
- NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification or experience.
- Basic skills to include literacy and numeracy.
- GCSE maths and English
- Extensive training in a laboratory in any Pathology discipline
- Knowledge and Skills
- Basic knowledge of Health and Safety within laboratory environment
- Able to process biological specimens
- IT Literate
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Organised and methodical
- Ability to work to deadlines
- Ability to accurately follow written procedures
- Competent at problem solving and prioritising
- Awareness of the role of medical laboratories
- Awareness of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)
- Knowledge of clinical sample types within Microbiology
- Knowledge of Laboratory computer system
- Computer literate with specified LIMs system
- Experience in working within a team
- Experience of working within a fast paced setting.
- Experience of working in a pathology laboratory environment
- Customer service
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 3 at £24,625 – £25,674 a year, across England.
This advert: £27,106 – £28,850 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 1d ago · Closes in 7d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
Healthcare Science Support Worker - Microbiology
The closing date is 24 September 2026
Job summary
Please note - THIS POST IS ONLY OPEN TO KENT AND MEDWAY PATHOLOGY NETWORK STAFF (I.E. THOSE EMPLOYED BY DARTFORD AND GRAVESHAM NHS TRUST, MEDWAY NHS TRUST, EAST KENT HOSPITALS NHS TRUST, MAIDSTONE AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS NHS TRUST). ANY APPLICATIONS FROM PEOPLE NOT EMPLOYED BY THE NETWORK WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
We are looking for a hard working enthusiastic person to join our Pathology team working in the Microbiology department. This is a role where you will learn a broad range of skills whilst processing specimens from patients.
You must be a careful, conscientious and reliable worker. Following induction and training you will be able to work without close supervision in a busy environment, have a good telephone manner and be at ease using the computer system and laboratory instrumentation.
As a team-player and excellent communicator, you will need to demonstrate attention to detail whilst processing patients' specimens and entering data into the computer systems. There are also a wide range of other tasks that form part of this varied and interesting job.
Hours of work include early shifts 8:00am to 16:30pm and late shifts 12:30pm to 21:00pm. These shifts include weekend working to be covered each week alongside one flexible week da
Join the community to read the full pack, responsibilities and person-specification in one place.
Your seat is reserved — activate it
CareerHive is included with your CareerHive Skool community membership. If you haven't claimed your account yet, join the community (or sign in with the same email you joined with) to unlock the full advert, the apply link, HiveMind AI interview & application suite, your private vault, and daily sponsorship alerts.