Job summary
- Main area
- Specimen Reception Biofire PCR
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent: Shift working to include some evenings and some nights.
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Shift working to include some evenings and some nights.)
- Job ref
- 193-7145900NCG-2
- Employer
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Berkshire Hospital
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £26,530 - £29,114 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 10/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Associate Practitioner
NHS AfC: Band 4
Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements. The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’. This is a great opportunity to join our clinical or non-clinical teams to create a positive and motivating environment within our trust. Come and join our team in this exciting time of change as we pride ourselves, our staff and our services on excellence.
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”
We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions
We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate
We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live
We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice
Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.
Job overview
Associate Practitioner
*Previous applicants no need to apply.
Blood sciences department has a vacancy for an Associate Practitioner within the Specimen Reception -Biofire department at band 4.
The potholder will be the supervisor of a team of Medical Laboratory Assistants and together with the Specimen Reception manager will be responsible for the Biofire PCR service offered to the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
This is a busy department, with a workload from all Royal Berkshire hospital, satellite sites and some private hospitals.
We are looking for a candidate who is a competent and versatile individual with excellent team working and communication skills and must be able to work with accuracy at all times.
Previous experience in a blood sciences environment is not essential as training will be given but would be an advantage.
We very much encourage personal development and so if you’re looking for a challenge, are versatile and can adapt to rapidly changing scenarios then this could be the job for you.
The post is full time 8.30am – 5pm five days a week Monday to Friday with expectation to contribute to our shift rota on lates, nights and weekends.
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will be responsible to:
- Participates in the provision of a comprehensive range of scientific and diagnostic services across a range of scientific disciplines.
- Liaise with line manager as part of a team delivering high quality protocol based technical service under the supervision of Specimen Reception Manager and Registered Biomedical Scientist staff.
- Required to communicate with hospital clinicians, general practitioners, other healthcare professionals, patients and their representatives and commercial suppliers.
- Required to operate sophisticated, automated laboratory equipment and perform scientific techniques under supervision.
- Appropriately handle body fluids and materials, including high risk specimens.
- To report results in accordance with departmental SOPs and as appropriate to grade.
- To act as supervisor for support grade staff members as agreed with the laboratory management team.
- The post holder will be expected to train, support and advise less experienced staff, such as trainees, students and MLA’s.
Working for our organisation
Reading sits on the river Thames and is served by great road and rail links to London, Oxford and Southampton. With excellent leisure and shopping facilities, and a thriving cultural scene, Reading is a wonderful place to live, work and provides excellent facilities for families, including some of the best state and private schools in the UK.
The CQC recently rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as Good.
Our values: Compassionate, Aspirational, Resourceful, Excellent, reflect the type of Trust we aspire to be and you can join our dedicated and talented staff to make this happen.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further details on the job role, please refer to the job description and person specification attached.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Good education to A Levels, including science subject or NVQ 4 or Foundation degree.
- Basic educational qualification in Maths
Desirable criteria
- Windows literate
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- 1 years of experience of working in the NHS.
- Able to understand and follow Standard Operating Procedures.
Desirable criteria
- 1 year of experience of working in a relevant laboratory.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Basic IT skills and Keyboard accuracy
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Manuela Prudenzano
- Job title
- Specimen Reception Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0118 322 7708
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