The Mortuary Assistant will provide essential support to the Mortuary team in the receipt, storage, and care of deceased patients. The post holder will assist with the preparation of deceased patients for viewing, and release to funeral directors, ensuring that all procedures are carried out with dignity, compassion, and in accordance with, Mortuary and Trust policies, adhering to infection control standards. The role requires a sensitive, professional approach at all times, acknowledging the emotional nature of the environment.
Once trained assist with
- Receive and correctly identify deceased patients arriving at the mortuary from both the hospital and external sources, ensuring all documentation is accurate and complete.
- Maintain the correct storage of deceased patients in refrigerated units, always ensuring dignity and security.
- Prepare deceased patients for viewing by next of kin, ensuring presentation is sensitive, respectful, and meets agreed standards.
- Coordinate the release of deceased patients to funeral directors and other authorised parties, completing all required documentation.
- Maintain a clean, safe, and tidy working environment throughout the mortuary, including decontamination of equipment and surfaces following use.
- Assist with the dispatch of histological and toxicological specimens in accordance with Trust and legal requirements.
- Support the Bereavement office team in times of short staffing.
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is proud to provide high‑quality acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, our staff are central to everything we do — we believe that happy staff make for happy patients , and this ethos underpins our culture and our success.
We have a strong, recognised track record in staff engagement and in living our values:
People at the Heart
Listen and Involve
Kind and Respectful
ONE Team
We are committed to placing patients at the heart of every decision and delivering safe, effective care that protects dignity and enhances experience. We seek to recruit people who share our values, our passion for high‑quality care, and our belief in working together as One Team.
At WWL, we recognise the strength that comes from a rich and diverse workforce. We welcome applications from all sections of society and are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.
Job Title: Mortuary Assistant
Hours of Work: 34 hours per week (including on call / weekend rota)
Band or Grade: Band 3
Department: Mortuary / Bereavement Services
Division: Corporate
Base: Royal Albert Edward Infirmary
Managerially Accountable to: Deputy Mortuary manger / Senior Anatomical Pathology Technologist
Professionally Accountable to: Mortuary Manager
Responsible for: No line management responsibilities
The Mortuary Assistant will provide essential support to the Mortuary team in the receipt, storage, and care of deceased patients. The post holder will assist with the preparation of deceased patients for viewing, and release to funeral directors, ensuring that all procedures are carried out with dignity, compassion, and in accordance with, Mortuary and Trust policies, adhering to infection control standards. The role requires a sensitive, professional approach at all times, acknowledging the emotional nature of the environment.
Duties and Responsibilities
Key results from the job holder
- Receive and correctly identify deceased patients arriving at the mortuary from both the hospital and external sources, ensuring all documentation is accurate and complete.
- Maintain the correct storage of deceased patients in refrigerated units, always ensuring dignity and security.
- Prepare deceased patients for viewing by next of kin, ensuring presentation is sensitive, respectful, and meets agreed standards.
- Coordinate the release of deceased patients to funeral directors and other authorised parties, completing all required documentation.
- Maintain a clean, safe, and tidy working environment throughout the mortuary, including decontamination of equipment and surfaces following use.
- Assist with the dispatch of histological and toxicological specimens in accordance with Trust and legal requirements.
- Support the Bereavement office team in times of short staffing.
Planning and Organisational Duties
- Carry out daily work priorities within the mortuary in liaison with the Mortuary Manager and deputy manager.
- Ensure mortuary equipment (refrigerators, body trolleys, etc.) is checked, cleaned, and reported as defective where necessary.
- Assist in maintaining accurate mortuary records, registers, and databases in compliance with the Human Tissue Act 2004 and Trust policy.
- Participate in the on-call and weekend rota to provide out-of-hours cover for the receipt of deceased patients.
Communications and Key Working Relationships
- Liaise sensitively with bereaved relatives, treating all individuals with empathy, courtesy, and professionalism.
- Work closely with ward staff, Bereavement Office, Coroner's Officers, and Police to ensure effective and timely communication regarding deceased patients.
- Liaise with funeral directors to facilitate the respectful and timely release of deceased patients.
- Attend team meetings and relevant training as required.
Responsibility for Finance
- Responsible for the recording and safe keeping of any patient valuables.
- The post holder has no direct budgetary responsibility. The post holder is expected to make effective use of Trust resources, avoiding wastage of consumables and equipment, and to report any concerns regarding expenditure to the Mortuary Manager.
Responsibility for Human Resources
The post holder has no direct line management responsibilities. The post holder is expected to support the induction and orientation of new members of staff or students as directed by the Mortuary Manager, acting as a positive role model within the department.
Responsibility for Health & Safety
Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
Responsibility for Teaching
The post holder may be required to support the practical training in the use of mortuary equipment under the direction of the Mortuary Manager or Senior APT or attend training events relevant to the service.
Work Circumstances & on-call
The post holder will work within the mortuary environment, which involves exposure to deceased patients and hazardous substances. The role includes participation in an out-of-hours on-call rota (evenings, weekends, and bank holidays) to ensure 24-hour provision for the receipt of deceased patients. Appropriate PPE will be always provided. The post holder must be physically capable of assisting with the manual handling of deceased patients of varying size and condition.
Standard Duties & Responsibilities
The Trust operates a No Smoking Policy.
All Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust staff employed within Clinical Environments and have contact with children, vulnerable adults; service users and their families must familiarise themselves, be aware of their responsibilities and adhere to Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, Local Safeguarding Adult Board and WWL Procedures for Safeguarding and Protecting Children which are available on the Trust Policy Library.
In accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, employees who are required to interact regularly with the public, both face to face, and by telephone, are required to be able to speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation.
Compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2016, Data Protection Act 2018 and Information Governance Principles – the postholder is not entitled to use for their own benefit or gain, or to divulge to any persons, firm or other organisation whatsoever, any confidential information belonging to the Trust or relating to the Trust’s affairs or dealings which may come to their knowledge during employment.
Compliance with the Health & Social Care Act 2008 – Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Infections and related guidance – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the reduction and management of healthcare related infection in all of their actions. This entails compliance with Trust Infection Prevention and Control policy and related Standard Operating Procedure (SOP’s); along with risk assessment of all situations; as staff have a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Staff must be fully compliant with Trust Infection prevention and Control eLearning policy.
All applicants to any post within the Trust are required to declare any involvement either directly or indirectly with any firm, company, relevant person or organisation which has any interest with the Trust, the services provided by the Trust or any element of patient care. Failure to do so may result in an employment application being rejected, or if it is discovered after appointment the omission of such information could lead to dismissal. This includes any form of private practice relating to medical care.
Compliance with Trust Policies and Procedures including the Code of Conduct.
Compliance with Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs) – The SFI’s identify the financial responsibilities which apply to everyone working for the Foundation Trust and its constituent organisations including trading units. Failure to comply with Standing Financial Instructions can in certain circumstances be regarded as a disciplinary matter that could result in dismissal. Compliance with the SFIs is monitored by the Finance Department and post holders are therefore required to understand their responsibilities outlined within this document and ensure compliance with its instructions.
Responsibility for all records (including patient health, financial, personal and administrative) that they gather or use as part of their work within the trust. The records may be paper, electronic, microfiche, audio or videotapes, x-ray images.
Any other duties appropriate to the grade. The range of duties and responsibilities outlined above are indicative only and are intended to give a broad flavour of the range and type of duties that will be allocated. They are subject to modification in the light of changing service demands and the development requirements of the postholder.
This document is also available in audio, large print, Braille and other languages upon request. For more information call 01942 773106.
