Associate Practitioner Clinical Chemistry

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached JD & Person Specification for full details

Key responsibilities

Technical, Analytical & Quality Assurance Duties

Perform a range of routine and specialist Biochemistry and Haematology analyses, supporting HCPC-registered Biomedical Scientists (BMS).

Assist in both Non-Automated and Core/Automated laboratories, ensuring smooth workflow and adherence to quality standards.

Undertake specialist manual and semi-automated procedures under BMS supervision.

Conduct routine calibrations, internal quality control (IQC), and acceptance testing on analytical equipment, ensuring compliance with laboratory protocols.

Identify and act on pre-analytical errors (e.g., incorrect barcodes, short samples, wrong sample types) to maintain sample integrity.

Prepare and load patient samples onto automated analysers, ensuring adherence to safety and quality standards.

Accurately collate, enter, and validate patient demographics and test data within the laboratory IT system.

Perform basic troubleshooting, maintenance, and minor repairs on analytical and specialist laboratory equipment.

Escalate complex equipment failures or analytical system breakdowns to senior staff or service engineers as necessary.

• Ensure the timely completion of routine and specialist biochemistry analyses, maintaining efficiency and accuracy.

Equipment Maintenance & Troubleshooting

Maintain complex analytical equipment in optimal working condition, taking remedial action when technical failures occur.

Perform basic and complex maintenance procedures on laboratory instruments, ensuring continuous functionality.

• Use remote monitoring software (e.g., RapidLink) to track and manage Point of Care Testing (POCT) devices in clinical settings.

Stock & Consumable Management

Monitor and manage laboratory stock, including reagents and consumables, using stock control software.

Conduct acceptance testing of incoming stock to verify compliance with laboratory quality standards.

• Ensure specialist items or supplies are available for specific investigations as requested by service users.

Communication & Collaboration

Maintain professional and empathetic communication with colleagues, clinicians, and external service users.

Overcome technical, clinical, and linguistic barriers to ensure effective communication of laboratory results and advice.

Provide guidance on specimen requirements, appropriate investigations, test suitability, collection timing, and turnaround times.

• Direct requests for technical assistance from external laboratories to the appropriate HCPC-registered Biomedical Scientist

Shift Work & Cross-Site Flexibility

Rotate across Aintree, Broadgreen, and Royal Liverpool sites to support service continuity.

Work a 24/7/365 shift pattern, including nights, weekends, and public holidays, ensuring continuous laboratory operations.

Knowledge & Professional Development

• Engage in ongoing professional development, including training sessions, lectures, study days, and workshops.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of laboratory policies, IT systems, and industry developments to enhance competency.
• Ensure compliance with ISO 15189 accreditation requirements, SOPs, and best practices.
• Work independently with minimal supervision, adhering to all relevant protocols and guidelines

Advice, Guidance & Interpersonal Skills

Maintain professional and empathetic communication when liaising with colleagues, healthcare professionals, and external organisations.

Use effective communication skills to overcome technical, clinical, and linguistic barriers, ensuring clear understanding among all service users.

Report laboratory results to clinicians and service users in a timely, accurate, and professional manner.

Provide specialist advice on specimen requirements, appropriate investigations, test suitability, collection timing, and expected turnaround times.

Direct requests for assistance from external laboratories experiencing equipment failures to HCPC-registered Biomedical Scientists for further support.

Scientific & TechnicalResponsibilities

• Receive, assess, and prioritise samples upon arrival, ensuring urgent, clinic, and labile specimens are processed appropriately.
• Evaluate the suitability of submitted samples, using professional judgment to reject unsuitable specimens and document reasons for rejection in the laboratory information system (LIMS).
• Refer problematic specimens to a Clinical Biochemist or Senior Biomedical Scientist for further assessment when necessary.
• Accurately and efficiently enter patient demographics and test requests into the laboratory IT system, ensuring data integrity.
• Demonstrate knowledge of medical terminology and abbreviations to ensure accurate clinical information entry.
• Use the laboratory IT system to retrieve set lists, track specimens, and respond to general telephone inquiries from hospital departments, GP surgeries, and external healthcare providers.
• Ensure the timely and accurate distribution of laboratory reports to hospital wards, departments, GP practices, and external healthcare facilities.
• Scan and archive request forms electronically for secure storage and future reference
• Assist in archiving and storing completed specimens, ensuring traceability and compliance with storage protocols.
• Use LIMS and specimen tracking databases to locate archived specimens for additional testing or retrospective analysis.
• Maintain accurate records for fridge/freezer temperature monitoring, reagent inventory, and stock control to ensure operational efficiency.
• Defrost laboratory refrigerators and freezers as part of routine maintenance.
• Prepare calibrators, quality control materials, and reagents for use in laboratory assays.
• Perform basic maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of Point of Care Testing (POCT) devices used in clinical areas.
• Use remote monitoring software (e.g., RapidLink) to track and control ward-based POCT analysers, ensuring optimal performance

For further details / informal visits contact:

Name

Peter Reid

Job title

Chemistry Laboratory Manager

Email address

peter.reid@liverpoolft.nhs.uk

Telephone number

0151 529 2851

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Maximum score 2

• 2 A Levels/BTEC in science based subjects and demonstrable experience of working in a clinical laboratory OR a HNC in a science based subject OR proven equivalent practical experience in a UK clinical laboratory

Experience

Essential criteria

Maximum score 2

• Knowledge of biomedical tests

Desirable criteria

Maximum score 6

• Practical experience in a UK clinical laboratory
• Knowledge of medical terminologies.
• Familiar with use of basic laboratory equipment eg. pH meter, centrifuge etc

Knowledge

Desirable criteria

Maximum score 4

• Health and safety awareness
• Understands the role of medical laboratories

Person Specification

Skills

Essential

• Be able to work to high standards, meeting demanding deadlines
• Dexterous
• Numerate
• Diligent

Desirable

• Use of keyboard
• IT Literate

Other

Essential

• Hardworking
• Good communicator

Qualifications

Essential

• 2 A Levels/BTEC in science based subjects and demonstrable experience of working in a clinical laboratory OR a HNC in a science based subject OR proven equivalent practical experience in a UK clinical laboratory

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of biomedical tests

Desirable

• Practical experience in a UK clinical laboratory
• Knowledge of medical terminologies
• Familiar with use of basic laboratory equipment eg. pH meter, centrifuge etc

Knowledge

Desirable

• Health and safety awareness
• Understands the role of medical laboratories

Skills

Essential

• Be able to work to high standards, meeting demanding deadlines
• Dexterous
• Numerate
• Diligent

Desirable

• Use of keyboard
• IT Literate

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Liverpool Clinical Laboratories

Liverpool

L7 8YE

Employer's website

https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)