Skip to main content

This site is independent of the NHS and the Department of Health.

Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Histopathology
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri)
Job ref
392-RNOH-823
Employer
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Stanmore
Town
London
Salary
£32,720 - £39,769 per annum including HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
06/05/2024 23:59

Employer heading

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust logo

Biomedical Scientist

NHS AfC: Band 5

Please note in order to progress your application, your data will be processed by our 3rd party recruitment providers – North London Partners Shared Service, who conduct recruitment activities on behalf of Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust. 

The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust is the largest orthopaedic hospital in the UK and a global leader in our field.  We provide a dynamic working environment where we support frontline staff to implement improvements so that we can realise our vision of being a world leading neuro musculoskeletal hospital providing the best patient care and staff experience in the NHS, delivering world leading research, and offering a strong foundation of education, training and career progression. Our dedicated staff come from diverse backgrounds, and our patients benefit from the wide range of experience they bring to the Trust. The RNOH brings unrivalled expertise together in one place allowing us to deliver some of the world’s most complex and innovative care to our patients

  • Rated Good by the CQC
  • Two sites, one in central London and one in Stanmore - which has recently opened The Stanmore Building, a new, state-of-the-art inpatient facility
  • Our Research and Innovation Centre works closely with our main academic partner, University College London
  • Recognised as a centre of excellence,  leading on national initiatives, such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme
  • Further major redevelopment underway across the Stanmore site – improving and modernising our facilities to maintain our position as the UK’s leading centre for orthopaedic medicine
  • In the NHS staff survey, over 90% of our staff were satisfied with the quality of care they are able to give to patients - the best result of any NHS Trust in the country
  • Our staff also indicated that they had the best experience of appraisals as compared to all other NHS Trusts.

This is a great time to join us and play a critical role in the next stage of RNOH’s journey to achieving an outstanding CQC rating.

Our aim is to remain a world-leading orthopaedic hospital with the best patient care and staff experience in the NHS. To do this, we have four core values that underpin everything that we do. We use our values to help ensure that we are always focused on the things that our staff and patients believe are most important:

  • Patients first, always
  • Excellence, in all we do
  • Trust, honesty and respect, for each other
  • Equality, for all

Our annual staff survey results have been improving year on year, with our staff telling us that their experience of working at the Trust is getting better and better. They also indicate that our staff feel very loyal to the RNOH and committed to its role in providing the very best care to our complex patient group. We hope that we can welcome you to our growing team soon.

Job overview

The person appointed would be a State Registered BMS with an appropriate qualification (BSc in Biomedical Science or relevant science degree) in Cellular pathology and experience in Histopathology. Opportunities exist for further study leading to professional qualifications.

Main duties of the job

To undertake the preparation of histological sectioning of surgical material including bone and other hard tissues.

To undertake a range of tasks within laboratory with the aim of preparing material to assist the pathologists with diagnosis.

To perform a range of tasks that ensures the department works efficiently, safely and conforms to legal and accreditation standards.

Working for our organisation

The department processes approximately 8000 surgical requests per annum, resulting in over 30,000 tests that include immunocytochemistry, molecular and special stains.  The majority of specimens consist of bone and soft tissue tumours. There is also a relatively small amount of general orthopaedic pathology. The laboratory provides both the RNOHT and UCLHT with a diagnostic service and also provides the histopathology for the London Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Unit.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

•    Participate in sample receipt and handling of specimens, following sample handling guidelines.

•    Accurately input patient demographics onto the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)

•    To be able to accurately describe, select and prepare small tissue samples for microscopy and histological diagnosis.
•    To assist the pathologist or senior BMS in the dissection of gross specimens.
•    To cut pre-sliced section slabs of bone into blocks prior to decalcifying and sectioning.

•    To process tissue specimens in the laboratory through the use of processing machines, embedding, microtomy, cryotomy and staining.

•    To digitally x-ray a variety of specimens to accurately identify the ‘end-point’ of decalcification and report unusual cases to senior staff. 
•    To undertake the sectioning of bone and other dense materials.
•    To ensure the work produced within the department is of a consistently high standard and record its execution on the computer system.
•    To perform and monitor immunohistochemical techniques using automated laboratory technology.
•    Perform Fluorescence in Situ Hybridisation (FISH) and PCR.
•    To file and retrieval of histological material.

•    Ensure reagents are prepared, stored and used according to laboratory procedures.

•    To assist with the ongoing maintenance of relevant equipment.
•    To monitor stock levels of chemicals and consumables and provide senior BMS staff information for ordering.
•    To participate in laboratory meetings.
•    To have a working awareness of UKAS

•    To work on own initiative but bringing issues to senior managers when appropriate.
 
•    To attend mandatory training.

•    To adhere to Trust policies and procedures relevant to your position.

Person specification

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Contributing team member
  • Ability to work on own initiative and within a team
  • Good communication skills both written and oral
  • Ability to interpret data and form opinion
  • Effective organisational skills

Training and experience

Essential criteria
  • BSc Biomedical Science or relevant science degree.
  • HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist
  • Working knowledge and previous experience of histopathology, including both practical and theoretical knowledge
  • Able to demonstrate an understanding of the basic physiology, pathology and scientific principles of histopathology
  • Awareness of national legislation and policies relating to relevant aspects of histopathology and pathology
  • Understanding of UKAS ISO:15189:2012 accreditation standards within discipline.
  • Understanding of health and safety requirements within their scope of practice.
  • Competent in both microtomy and wax embedding.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience in sectioning hard material.
  • Experience of immunohistochemistry.
  • Experience of molecular techniques e.g. FISH and PCR

IT skills

Essential criteria
  • Basic computer literacy.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveInvestors in People: GoldImproving working livesCare quality commission - GoodMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Simon Burn
Job title
Service Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
02089095354
Additional information

office hours

Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies