Biomedical Scientist

Job summary

The Cellular Pathology Department at Southmead Hospital is a well-equipped, UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189:2022) and an IBMS-approved training centre. Processing approximately 80,000 requests each year, we provide a comprehensive Histopathology, Cytopathology, Neuropathology and Immunohistochemistry service across North Bristol NHS Trust, local GP practices and healthcare organisations throughout the South West.

We are seeking applications from HCPC-registered Biomedical Scientists with experience working in a Histopathology environment. Previous experience within an NHS pathology laboratory is highly desirable. This is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic and adaptable professional who is passionate about delivering high-quality patient care and enjoys working as part of a friendly, supportive team in a busy laboratory setting.

Please note: This is not a training post.

This is a full time post (37.5 hours per week). The laboratory currently operates 7.00 am to 6.00 pm and applicants will need to be flexible meet the needs of the service; this may include regular Saturdays.

To learn more about Pathology at Southmead, watch our video.

Main duties of the job

As a Biomedical Scientist, you will contribute to all areas of the Histopathology service, including:

• Specimen reception and booking-in
• Embedding and microtomy
• Biopsy and specimen transfer
• Frozen section preparation
• Quality control of slides for reporting
• Special stains
• Immunohistochemistry
• Rotation to our Essential Services Laboratory (ESL) based at Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI)

You will work collaboratively with colleagues across the department to ensure the delivery of a high-quality, timely and efficient diagnostic service.

The Histopathology department has a strong team working culture, always looking to improve to enhance not only the service we provide our users, but also the experiences we offer our team. Part of this development includes the implementation of digital pathology with the aim of digitising all slides produced in the lab. Being a large department you will gain knowledge and experience across a wide range of activities and specimens.

About us

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Last verified against our ingestion on 20 September 2026; sponsor register dataset 2026-09-18.