Job summary
To provide leadership of the pre-analytical Support services within Pathology (to include phlebotomy and specimen reception), directing the work of the support services team in the day-to-day provision of a high quality, effective and efficient service.
Responsible for the day-to-day management of sample collection and processing in the relevant sections to maintain agreed KPI's.
Main duties of the job
Co-ordinates and manages the pre-analytical staff and workload.
Directs, controls, and monitors human resource issues within the area of the post holder's responsibility e.g., appraisals, sickness, leave, induction, and mandatory training.
Ensures that Trust policies relating to Human Resources issues are fully implemented. Develop and maintain pathology procedures in accordance with Trust policies for the management of Human Resources
To act as lead, performing specialist work within their section of responsibility and advising the Lead BMS on service developments required to ensure effective, efficient, and safe practices.
To work closely with the phlebotomy and specimen reception Supervisors to ensure that the right staff are in the right place at the right time to provide the required service.
To participate in and support the quality management system, in line with the requirements of UKAS to include:
Facilitating and reporting of audits
Ensuring that KPIs are monitored and reported
To ensure thorough and effective communication within the team
Ensure that all Standard Operating Procedures are reviewed and updated to ensure compliance with local and national standards (including health and safety requirements)
To write a Quality Report and participate in a monthly quality meeting
To ensure that Trust HR policies are monitored and adhered to including:
Staff sickness (meeting with staff as required)
Absences other than sickness are monitored
About us
Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.
Our Excellence Values
Compassion
Accountability
Respect
Integrity
Courage
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.
We are a Defence positive trust, supporting our reservists, veterans, spouses and partners.
The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals.
We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds.This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Description continued
Appraisals and personal development plans
Training and competency assessment
Recruitment of new staff
Management of staff with performance issues / concerns
To work with the team to ensure the safe and effective implementation of change management processes.
To ensure that equipment is maintained to the required standards of performance and safety contacting external service providers as required.
To ensure that stock levels are monitored and maintained.Supervision of the PSU Supervisors and other staff acting as the first line manager for all staff within this team.
Instruct and advise users of the service, including patients as and when required.
To monitor and report activity levels.
To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of changes and developments with the pre-analytical sphere.
To maintain the phlebotomy appointment system.
To participate in various Pathology management meetings, as well as holding your own local meetings with your Pathology support team.
To participate in Quality improvement projects.
Manage the workload of their section, allocating work to their staff to achieve departmental test turnaround standards.
Assist other managers with planning and evaluation of the service and recruitment of staff.
To write and implement the standard operating procedures for their section and to understand and contribute to other departmental policies and procedures.
Instruct and advise user and patients, as required, on issues within their section.
Supervision of supervisors, trainee staff, and support staff, acting as first line manager for these staff within the section.
Investigating and resolving complaints received.
Responding to complaints from PALS and Datix in timely manner.
Assists with implementing action plans arising from risk reports and complaints, ensuring the department performs risk assessments on its activities and the actions are progressed through a risk register, which is fed into the Trust risk register.
Deliver training in clinical skills to phlebotomists.
To maintain the risk register relevant to their area of work.
Develop and maintain a patient / customer orientated work environment.
Responsible for audit schedule management, ensuring actions are closed within agreed timescales.
Prioritise and plan workload and communicate own work priorities within the team.
Demonstrate flexibility in performing own work priorities within the team context.
Liaise with Lead operational managers to ensure the User Guides are kept up to date and be responsible for the distribution, control, and communication of this document.
Participate in Pathology management meetings, as required, to ensure all quality issues are discussed and acted upon to enable each department to conform to all statutory requirements.
The post holder will not have direct budgetary responsibility although they will be able to raise orders for goods and services in line with current Trust financial instructions.
Assists in the recruitment, appointment, and induction of staff into the department.
Ensures all staff within the department are aware of their responsibilities to report and record errors, incidents, non-conformities, and to ensure these are escalated to management.
Managing stocks and consumables for area, ensuring stocktakes are undertaken monthly.
Prolonged concentration required for most analytical procedures.
Working for prolonged periods of time with large workload.
The post-holder will be interrupted on occasion e.g., to help with queries.
Limited / occasional direct contact with patients / clients and occasional exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances.
Will use a computer / VDU regularly throughout the shift.
There will be occasional exposure to chemicals and contained biological material including tissue and body fluids in the labs.
The post-holder will be exposed to unpleasant smells and odours in some Laboratory areas and wards.
Expectation to be able to work under pressure during periods of high workloads
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Description continued
Appraisals and personal development plans
Training and competency assessment
Recruitment of new staff
Management of staff with performance issues / concerns
To work with the team to ensure the safe and effective implementation of change management processes.
To ensure that equipment is maintained to the required standards of performance and safety contacting external service providers as required.
To ensure that stock levels are monitored and maintained.Supervision of the PSU Supervisors and other staff acting as the first line manager for all staff within this team.
Instruct and advise users of the service, including patients as and when required.
To monitor and report activity levels.
To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of changes and developments with the pre-analytical sphere.
To maintain the phlebotomy appointment system.
To participate in various Pathology management meetings, as well as holding your own local meetings with your Pathology support team.
To participate in Quality improvement projects.
Manage the workload of their section, allocating work to their staff to achieve departmental test turnaround standards.
Assist other managers with planning and evaluation of the service and recruitment of staff.
To write and implement the standard operating procedures for their section and to understand and contribute to other departmental policies and procedures.
Instruct and advise user and patients, as required, on issues within their section.
Supervision of supervisors, trainee staff, and support staff, acting as first line manager for these staff within the section.
Investigating and resolving complaints received.
Responding to complaints from PALS and Datix in timely manner.
Assists with implementing action plans arising from risk reports and complaints, ensuring the department performs risk assessments on its activities and the actions are progressed through a risk register, which is fed into the Trust risk register.
Deliver training in clinical skills to phlebotomists.
To maintain the risk register relevant to their area of work.
Develop and maintain a patient / customer orientated work environment.
Responsible for audit schedule management, ensuring actions are closed within agreed timescales.
Prioritise and plan workload and communicate own work priorities within the team.
Demonstrate flexibility in performing own work priorities within the team context.
Liaise with Lead operational managers to ensure the User Guides are kept up to date and be responsible for the distribution, control, and communication of this document.
Participate in Pathology management meetings, as required, to ensure all quality issues are discussed and acted upon to enable each department to conform to all statutory requirements.
The post holder will not have direct budgetary responsibility although they will be able to raise orders for goods and services in line with current Trust financial instructions.
Assists in the recruitment, appointment, and induction of staff into the department.
Ensures all staff within the department are aware of their responsibilities to report and record errors, incidents, non-conformities, and to ensure these are escalated to management.
Managing stocks and consumables for area, ensuring stocktakes are undertaken monthly.
Prolonged concentration required for most analytical procedures.
Working for prolonged periods of time with large workload.
The post-holder will be interrupted on occasion e.g., to help with queries.
Limited / occasional direct contact with patients / clients and occasional exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances.
Will use a computer / VDU regularly throughout the shift.
There will be occasional exposure to chemicals and contained biological material including tissue and body fluids in the labs.
The post-holder will be exposed to unpleasant smells and odours in some Laboratory areas and wards.
Expectation to be able to work under pressure during periods of high workloads
Person Specification
Educations, Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Biomedical Sciences or Healthcare related subject
- An MSc in Biomedical Sciences or Healthcare related Subject or Equivalent experience
- Significant post registration experience as a Specialist BMS / Healthcare professional
- Evidence of significant professional development attending both internal and external courses as appropriate to maintain an up-to-date knowledge of issues relating to Biomedical Sciences / Healthcare in a specialised field
Desirable
- HCPC / Other registration
Knowledge
Essential
- Is able to take a lead role in the development of new methods and the commissioning of new equipment. Organising the evaluation and introduction of methods and equipment.
- Understand and can implement good practice to ensure their section meet national health and safety requirements.
- Understand and can implement good practice to ensure their section meet national health and safety requirements.
- Has knowledge of the requirements for UKAS standards ISO
- Demonstrates a range of management skills to include recruitment, HR and budget management
Skills
Essential
- Assist the Deputy Head of Pathology by taking a lead role in the development and planning for their section including requirements for new and replacement equipment and suggesting changes and improvements to existing practice.
- To motivate and show leadership to other staff who form part of their team so as to meet the departmental targets. To counsel staff on issues of performance.
- Able to respond to a variety of enquiries ranging in complexity from users and patients
- To act as a role model to all team members and visitors to the department
- Clinical phlebotomy skills
Person Specification
Educations, Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Biomedical Sciences or Healthcare related subject
- An MSc in Biomedical Sciences or Healthcare related Subject or Equivalent experience
- Significant post registration experience as a Specialist BMS / Healthcare professional
- Evidence of significant professional development attending both internal and external courses as appropriate to maintain an up-to-date knowledge of issues relating to Biomedical Sciences / Healthcare in a specialised field
Desirable
- HCPC / Other registration
Knowledge
Essential
- Is able to take a lead role in the development of new methods and the commissioning of new equipment. Organising the evaluation and introduction of methods and equipment.
- Understand and can implement good practice to ensure their section meet national health and safety requirements.
- Understand and can implement good practice to ensure their section meet national health and safety requirements.
- Has knowledge of the requirements for UKAS standards ISO
- Demonstrates a range of management skills to include recruitment, HR and budget management
Skills
Essential
- Assist the Deputy Head of Pathology by taking a lead role in the development and planning for their section including requirements for new and replacement equipment and suggesting changes and improvements to existing practice.
- To motivate and show leadership to other staff who form part of their team so as to meet the departmental targets. To counsel staff on issues of performance.
- Able to respond to a variety of enquiries ranging in complexity from users and patients
- To act as a role model to all team members and visitors to the department
- Clinical phlebotomy skills
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
