Administrative Assistant

The post holder will provide clerical support to the administration teams of the Cellular Pathology Department. This work is largely of an administrative nature and requires good organizational skills and attention to detail. The post holder will be expected to comply with all relevant departmental and Trust policies and procedures and to report any non‑compliances that are discovered.

Main duties of the job:

• To be aware of and follow all relevant health and safety regulations and guidelines.
• To report any practices, equipment or estates issues that appear unsafe and if appropriate to initiate corrective action.
• To undertake training as deemed necessary. This might include attending meetings and courses as deemed appropriate by senior staff.
• To keep own workplace clean, tidy and organised.
• To assist in departmental audit activities as directed by senior staff.
• Comply with local and national policies for the safe, secure and confidential processing, and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
• To communicate verbally, in writing, by email and by telephone.
• Printing, sorting and dispatching of Histology reports generated by the department.
• Creating electronic scanned copies of paperwork and archiving it for future retrieval.
• Processing referral cases received into the department.
• Ensuring these are addressed correctly and booked onto the Pathology database and the relevant spread‑sheets.
• Sending blocks and slides away as requested for second opinions/MDM's etc. and to complete the associated administrative tasks.
• Requesting and returning material from external storage provider, ensuring all material transfers are accurately recorded.
• Handling telephone and e‑mail enquiries as necessary.
• Providing support to medical secretaries.
• Arranging the appropriate disposal of confidential waste.
• Filing and retrieval of diagnostic slides.
• Preparing MDM's for Consultants.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second‑best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey. We are a large acute hospital trust in south‑east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex.

With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre. Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day‑care beds, diagnostic services (X‑ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.

Looking for flexible working? We are a flexible working‑friendly organisation. Whether it’s adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.

Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:

• At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro‑ratio for part‑time staff).
• Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits.
• Blue Light card eligibility.
• And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below.