About this role
Job summary
We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic Associate Practitioner who will join our friendly and conscientious Biochemistry team at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
The Biochemistry department at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals offers a wide range of diagnostic testing facilities at both Worcester Royal Hospital and The Alexandra Hospital. The Department is UKAS accredited and is recognised by the IBMS for HCPC pre-Registration and Specialist Diploma training in Clinical Biochemistry.The Department is currently equipped with Beckman Coulter DXI 800, DXI 9000, DxC 700, AU5800, DxA fully automated track system, DxA 5000 FIT Automated track, Cobas e411, Sebia Capillarys 3 Tera, Sebia Hydrasys, Optilite, BIO-FLASH, HM-JACKarc, UVIKON spectrophotometer, Osmometer, and Nova prime electrolyte analyser.
This department offers training and development opportunities for the right candidates to further develop their skills and ambition.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will work primarily at the Alexandra Hospital site in Redditch to perform tasks within the automated laboratory assisting Biomedical Scientists with urgent and routine analysis of specimens on our automation platforms. Pathology provides a comprehensive service to the Acute Trust and Worcestershire GPs with the laboratory at Worcester being the hub where all primary care work is processed. The department supports both acute hospital sites and so provides a 24/7 service in which the successful candidate would be expected to take an active part once training is completed. This would involve working as part of the shift system, covering nights, weekends and bank holiday shifts at the Alexandra site once competent to do so.
About us
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.
The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester
Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
Being open and honest
Ensuring people feel cared for
Showing respect to everyone
We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.
Job description Job responsibilities
Key Duties:
To perform accurate preparation, analytical and post-analytical procedures as defined by departmental procedures.
To undertake manual, semi-automated and fully automated analysis of specimens including high risk samples
To identify and expedite urgent and priority samples.
To prioritise and plan own workload and communicate own work priorities within the team.
To supervise junior members of staff where appropriate.
To be able to accurately enter and retrieve data from the laboratory information system and manual record systems where appropriate.
Liaise with other Pathology departments, wards, GPs and other service users regarding non analytical problems with samples.
To carry out routine maintenance, calibration, quality control and operation of analysers within the laboratory and in point of care locations.
To act as a first line problem solver for the analysers in the laboratory, both automated and manual, and in point of care locations to ensure correct functioning, and to complete appropriate log sheets and record remedial action taken.
Work autonomously, to participate in the maintenance, evaluation, staff training and documentation of all point of care testing equipment under the guidance of an HCPC registered BMS.
Contribute to the validation and verification of new analytical equipment, automated, semi-automated and manual.
To exercise judgment when dealing with enquiries from other Pathology Departments and users of the laboratory.
To train other hospital staff, where appropriate, including doctors, nurses and HCAs, keeping accurate records of trained staff and issuing barcodes and competency certificates as required.
To use agreed processes and competency measures when assessing staff in training.
To prepare and pack samples for dispatch to other laboratories ensuring packaging meets current regulations.
To monitor the quality of samples arriving in the laboratory.
To prepare, store and use chemical reagents required for laboratory investigations.
To ensure departmental resources and used efficiently, with correct handling and storage of goods upon receipt in the laboratory.
To monitor stock levels of reagents, consumables and requisition supplies and contribute to an efficient and effective inventory management system. This will include recording precise data on stock items detailing expiry and date delivered.
To order agreed consumables from manufacturers to agreed financial values
To undertake general laboratory house keeping as specified in the SOPs and monitoring of the temperature of refrigerators, freezers and incubators.
To develop and maintain good working relationships with internal staff and external groups such as patients, GPs, Community Care workers, Health Care Providers and other relevant organisations as required.
Contribute to research and development projects including processing and storing of samples for research projects.
Attendance at any off-site training courses considered appropriate to the role.
General Duties:
To adhere at all times to the departments Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in carrying out analyses.
To propose changes to procedures and policies that could improve efficiency and effectiveness
To ensure quality of work by performing pre and post analytical checks including initial scanning of results for technical validity.
To liaise with senior staff on matters of quality to ensure a high quality diagnostic service.
To undertake all internal and external quality control/assurance procedures and advise senior staff of performance procedures affecting quality control.
To highlight any problems contributing to sample analysis and any sources of error that could impact on service delivery.
Under supervision, carry out audit and risk management duties to highlight improvements in processes.
To participate in any initiatives or developments within the department such as introduction of new equipment or methodologies.
Ensure maintenance of CPD and awareness of scientific and technical developments applicable to own role.
Compliance with mandatory training requirements.
Understands the importance of the quality management system
Is aware of all types of documentation within the laboratory organisation.
Maintain high standards, working within defined codes of conduct.
Books leave in accordance with departmental policy
Reports personal absence to senior member of staff, according to trust policy
Person Specification
Experience Essential
12 months minimum experience in a clinical NHS laboratory
Desirable
Previous experience working with scientific instrumentation in sample analysis.
Knowledge and skills Essential
Good verbal and written communication skills. Good organisational skills Produce accurate and timely work Able to write simple procedures and reports, audits, error logs Able to record results accurately and communicate complex laboratory results where appropriate Able to follow written instructions, complex operating procedures and analytical processes. Able to supervise junior staff with allocation of tasks. Able to organise the work of a laboratory section, to prioritise work and meet deadlines. Able to train laboratory and other hospital staff where appropriate. Understanding of patient confidentiality and Caldicott principles Basic understanding of NHS Pathology laboratory work, procedures and techniques An understanding of the principles of calibration and quality control with reference to scientific instrumentation. Ability to manage the efficient use and stocks of reagents, disposable and stationery items. Requisition of reagents, disposable and stationery items as required. Responsible for complex analytical equipment trouble shooting, maintenance, repairs
Desirable
Comprehensive knowledge of Health and Safety issues within the laboratory. An understanding of the normal physiology and pathology of disease
Qualifications Essential
Foundation Degree in a Science related degree or equivalent.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Address Charles Hastings Way
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR5 1DD
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)