Detailed job description and main responsibilities

·      To carry out all work to specified standards as laid down by the professional bodies including Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS), Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). 

·      To participate in the routine work of the Haematology and Blood Transfusion Laboratory rotating through all sections of the department working without supervision.

·      To plan and organise own work, unsupervised, on a daily basis ensuring results are produced in an accurate and timely manner. This involves the adjustment of plans based on results generated.

·      To actively redistribute workload/staff, dependent on demand in each area of the laboratory.

·      To participate in maintaining a system for the safe and confidential storage and retrieval of proper records and specimens both physically and electronically.

·      To ensure data integrity when entering patient demographics onto the Meditech computer system.

·      To approve test procedures using the Meditech computer system. This requires the assessment of multiple factors based upon experience to form a judgement.

·      To highlight urgent and clinically important results.

·      To communicate effectively with colleagues and service users.

·      To deal professionally with telephone enquiries using tact, diplomacy and empathy whilst maintaining strict confidentiality.

·       To operate and maintain expensive and sophisticated equipment on a daily basis to ensure proper and efficient use of equipment and consumables without wastage.

·      To contribute to departmental management decisions.

·      To handle hazardous chemicals and reagents appropriately, on a daily basis, according to COSHH regulations.

·      To move and manipulate heavy objects whilst following appropriate manual handling guidelines.

Management

·      To write and review and ensure implementation of departmental standard operating procedures using knowledge of, and with reference to, best practice procedures and using the departments document control system.

·      To monitor levels of reagents and consumable items.

·      To comply with, and ensure colleagues adhere to, Trust and department health and safety policies, including reporting of all accidents, hazards and defects as soon as possible.

·      To ensure all equipment and facilities provided within the department are used in a proper and safe manner.

·      To carry out appropriate maintenance and quality control procedures.

·      To embrace, participate in and promote service improvement.

Skills

·      To work unsupervised as a Biomedical Scientist.

·      To undertake a wide variety of non-automated, complex operations requiring a high level of skill, knowledge and manual dexterity on a daily basis. These operations may be of a specialised nature due to the quality and size of paediatric specimens.

·      To regularly review QC procedures highlighting outlying results and correcting potential problems.

·      To troubleshoot problems with methodologies researching potential solutions.

·      To assess the suitability and appropriateness of samples received, liaising with medical staff as appropriate.

·      To undertake the reception, processing, referral and storage of a variety of biological specimens on a daily basis, that may contain high risk microorganisms.

·      To use software packages (e.g. Word, Excel and PowerPoint) for the presentation of data and reports.

Research

·      To assist in developmental/project work including method evaluation.

·      To take part in regular monthly audit as defined by the Quality Management System.

Education and experience

·       GCSE in English or evidence of English language proficiency.

·       Registered as a Biomedical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

·      To have gained or be working towards the IBMS Specialist (post-registration) Diploma in Haematology or equivalent.

·       Applicants working towards the IBMS Specialist Diploma in a relevant discipline can be considered with no pay progression until complete.

·       Post-registration experience in a Haematology laboratory registered with the IBMS for training.

·       To attend courses for the development of knowledge in specialist areas, sharing developments with colleagues.

·       To make a pro-active contribution to continuing professional development (CPD) of both self and colleagues, through structured self-study and journal-based learning.

·       Sufficient experience to operate in all sections of the laboratory, understanding the rationales underpinning the methodologies used. This shall be assessed by completion of relevant competences within Routine and Special Haematology, Coagulation and Blood Transfusion.

·       Must undertake a period of specific training prior to the commencement of lone out of hours working.

·       To gain a high degree of specialist knowledge of paediatric haematology disease processes.

Training

·       To contribute to the delivery of training of MLA, Associate Practitioner, Trainee BMS, BMS staff and colleagues.

·       To act as a mentor to new colleagues ensuring their competence in skills and supporting their learning.

·       To undergo Trust mandatory training in core areas.

·       To participate in annual performance review including the development of a Personal Development Plan (PDP).

·       To participate in the induction of staff, students and visitors.

Communications

·        To communicate effectively with peers, senior colleagues and service users on a daily basis. This will include discipline specific technical information, ensuring understanding by non-Laboratory Medicine staff.

·       To regularly liaise with external users offering advice/information regarding the use of the service, including discussions regarding the appropriateness of testing.

·       To liaise with external departments to coordinate service provision in relation to samples processed offsite.

Departmental specific duties

·       To validate own workload directly to clinician appending reports with relevant and interpretative comments.

·       Performing and reporting diagnostic tests that may require clinical intervention.

·       Selection and provision of blood products for patient’s use. Provision of guidance to clinicians and other health care professionals on suitability of products ordered. Erroneous testing and improper selection of blood products may have extremely serious consequences for the patient.

·       To highlight urgent and clinically important results and bring them to the attention of a senior member of staff and/or the appropriate Consultant 

·       To check the validity and reliability of analytical processes, maintaining and monitoring satisfactory performance by internal quality control and external quality assessment.

·      To operate and maintain expensive and sophisticated equipment on a daily basis including multitasking in operating several analysers simultaneously.

·       To enter test results onto the Meditech computer system including non-personally generated data.

Out of Hours Working

·      To participate in and support the departmental out of hours shift system, taking full responsibility for technical issues and the functioning of the department. This accounts for approximately 35% of contracted hours.

·       To validate own workload directly to clinician, appending reports with relevant interpretive comments.

·      Explain complex information and results to clinicians.

·      To operate as first point of contact for advice, requiring a broad spectrum of knowledge and operating procedures acquired through in-depth experience over a period of time.

·      Out of hours workload is unpredictable requiring clinical prioritisation.

·       Multitasking and task changing at minimal notice are inherent features of the system.