Job summary
Employer heading
Clinical Trials Assistant
Band 4
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 16,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re also proud to be the second largest provider of specialised services in the country. This means we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 1.84 million patients ‘contacts’ each year, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job overview
We currently have two positions in the Clinical Research Directorate for Band 4 Clinical Trials Assistants. The successful candidates will join one of the two dedicated teams who drive recruitment for the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Bioresource or the Gastroenterology Research Teams. We are seeking applicants who are caring, highly motivated, and enthusiastic.
These posts would suit an individual with a clinical background who is keen to develop their career, gaining new practical skills and knowledge of the research processes.
Research experience is not essential as full training will be given.
37 hours 30 minutes /week with opportunities for flexible working to be considered on an individual basis.
- Interview Date Tuesday, 28 May 2024
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.
Main duties of the job
The Bioresource Research Team is based in the NIHR Newcastle Clinical Research Facility (NCRF) which is a dedicated purpose-built facility located at the RVI.
The successful candidate for the Bioresource Research Team will work closely with outpatient departments and wards to identify participants who wish to join the Newcastle NIHR Bioresource. The Bioresource which is funded by the NIHR is a panel of thousands of local people with and without health conditions who are actively helping researchers further their understanding of common and rare diseases.
The Clinical Trials Assistant will be involved in informed consent, collection of biological samples and some aspects of data entry.
The Gastroenterology Research Team is based at the RVI working within the NCRF. The Team also recruits from the Freeman Hospital. The successful candidate for the Gastroenterology Team will work closely with several wards and departments, including the Outpatient’s Department, Medical Day Case Unit and Endoscopy Unit in the delivery of clinical trials and observational studies with a focus on inflammatory bowel disease.
They will be given support and training with a view to eventually managing their own workload. They will also work alongside other members of the team in the successful delivery of studies. There will be the opportunity for development in clinical skills such as ECG acquisition and laboratory skills.
Working for our organisation
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 16,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re also proud to be the second largest provider of specialised services in the country. This means we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 2 million patients ‘contacts’ each year, delivering high standards of healthcare.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The candidates for both posts would need to demonstrate excellent communication, interpersonal, organisational and IT skills. With the ability to work flexibly and independently.
- Coordinate and improve trial communication throughout Multi-Disciplinary Teams throughout the Trust
- Maintain effective communication with patients, carers and professional to ensure service delivery
- Communicates effectively with research team and study participants and their family members. Is able to provide patients with information, which may be complex or sensitive, regarding their participation in the clinical trial and the care that they
will receive as a consequence of that - Facilitate the recruitment of research participants in to low risk research studies, which is likely to include quality of life and tissue sample collection studies
- Support the research delivery team to successfully deliver a broad ranging portfolio of clinical trials
- Coordinate and supervise housekeeping duties and ordering of all clinical trial supplies
- Co-ordinate the collection transfer and storage of blood / tissue samples in accordance with the Human Tissue Act 2004 as required by trial protocol
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
Person specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential criteria
- NVQ level 4 or equivalent qualification or NVQ level 3 and an ability to demonstrate significant experience relevant to role
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of caring for patients in a professional setting
- Knowledge of medical terminology
- Understanding of the Trust’s confidentiality procedures (Data Protection Act, Caldicott guidelines)
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of any education related training programs pertaining to clinical trials
- Experience of using NHS patient management systems
- Knowledge regarding the mandatory standard regarding conduction/construction of clinical trials (to include ICH GCP, UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research etc.)
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Ability to coordinate collection of data to agreed timescales
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to communicate well (written and verbally)
- Strong IT skills, specifically in database management and microsoft excel
Desirable criteria
- Venepuncture skills
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Suzanne Hetherington
- Job title
- Research Matron
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01912448941
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