Associate Healthcare Science Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties & responsibilitiesClinical Service

1. Deliver the technical service of a section/subsection or designated area of work to nationally accepted standards (UKAS or equivalent) with appropriate supervision to include the following:a. Follow standard operating procedures for the receipt, booking in,processing and analysis of samples

b. Review appropriate risk and COSHH assessments in areas relevant toown practise and abide by laboratory health and safety policiesc. Undertake basic troubleshooting for failed analysesd. Validate quality of technical analysis, repeat and perform subsequentinvestigations following discussions with more senior technologists orclinical scientists according to defined criteriae. Arrange dispatch of different types of samples. Deal with queries relatingto the receipt and dispatch of samples, including products of conception(received for post-mortem examination), and other tissues.2. Establish, maintain, sub-culture and harvest cell cultures, or undertake DNA extraction, from a variety of biological specimens received which may be high risk (eg HIV, Hep C) and/ or derived from recognisable human or fetal parts, by all methods currently employed in the laboratory and to work safely under exposure to toxic substances which are hazardous to health.3. Identify unusual or failed results and bring them to the attention of senior technologist or scientists for further discussion4. Liaise with senior technical or scientific colleagues over availability of equipment, sample prioritisation, or requirement for supplementary cell cultures or chromosome preparations, when planning work schedules in designated areas of work, in accordance with laboratory protocols and under the supervision of the Section Head and/or Laboratory Director.5. Supply a high level of technical expertise in the investigative procedures involved and take a daily responsibility for his/her own work, subject to the supervision and direction of section head or other senior staff. Be adaptable to changing diagnostic workload pressures, by making independent day-to-day decisions about own workload. The post holder must communicate all problems with, and when necessary obtain help/advice from, appropriate senior staff

6. Attend, and actively participate in, team and laboratory meetings with opportunity to propose improvements in efficiency and changes to scientific and technical protocols and to contribute to the development and implementation of departmental policies within the limits of experience.

Laboratory Management7. Undertake appropriate duties to fulfil quality control programs, including recording of appropriate data according to operating procedures, validation and verification of new reagents and protocols.8. Safely handle and store chemicals of a volatile or hazardous nature including carcinogens and neurotoxic agents. Dispose of hazardous chemicals and biohazard waste.9. Take day to day responsibility for use of, daily maintenance, monitoring and care of instrumentation within the laboratory (to include safety, performance and temperature of equipment e.g. biological safety cabinets, incubators, fridges and freezers).Staff10. Participate in the teaching and training of new members of staff or lessexperienced employees in own work area by demonstrating own work activities and routine practice.

Research and Service Development11.Assist clinical scientists in research and development projects which meet the overall objectives of the department.

Personal Development12. Attend relevant in house training at an appropriate level for the development and maintenance of skills, knowledge and expertise required for the post (eg training on specific equipment/instrumentation, presentations on relevant topics)

Informatics/Bioinformatics13.Be proficient in the use of state of the art software packages for the analysis of

DNA samples14.Be proficient at entering and retrieving relevant information from Excelspreadsheets and databases, including the laboratory information management system (LIMS).

General15.Abide by all Operational Policies applicable to the Department16.Co-operate with management and safety representatives in matters connected with the Health and Safety at Work Act of Practice for safety in laboratories17.Take responsibility for the accuracy of his/her own work, and undertake an appropriate proportion of the total workload of the Department. The post holder will collaborate with all other staff, to be an effective team member, and achieve optimal use of resources18.Participate in internal quality control and internal and external quality assessment procedures19.Work within the section/subsection to ensure achievement of and adherence to the standards required of an accredited laboratory, in close liaison with the Quality manager and under the direction of the section head and laboratory director.20.Participate in the preparation of the department for accreditation.21.Implement laboratory record keeping processes and assist with retrieval and presentation of data as required22.Take responsibility with others for the maintenance of stocks of reagents and consumables to ensure the proper functioning of the laboratory and efficient use of resources. Ensure that all equipment is used appropriately and safely and that any faults are reported for immediate rectification23.Take responsibility with others for the daily maintenance of complexinstrumentation systems within the laboratory24.Participate in regular performance review and personal development planning25.Attend regular team, laboratory and departmental meetings and contribute to the development and implementation of departmental policies26.Maintain confidentiality of information about patients, staff and other health service business in accordance with Data Protection Act of 1984.27.Participate in out of hours duties, if required, in line with the Department Out of Hours Policy28.Work such hours as required for the effective and timely performance of his/her duties, as specified in the terms of the contract of employment29.Undertake any other duties commensurate with experience and job role as a result of changes to the service as agreed by the Consultant Head of Laboratory or Trust and reviewed as part of the annual staff appraisa

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• 3 science based A levels or equivalent e.g. BTEC, NVQ level 3 (QCF level 3). 2 A levels if additionally hold a degree

Desirable

• Foundation degree, HND or BSc in a relevant subject.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of relevant laboratory/practical work
• Computer literate, with experience of Microsoft office or equivalent, navigating databases and spreadsheets

Desirable

• Experience of using StarLIMS for sample and workflow management.
• Experience of working in a diagnostic genetics laboratory
• Specific experience of genetics techniques/techology in a workplace-based environment

Special knowledge

Essential

• Basic knowledge of human genetics, including role of DNA and chromosomes

Skills

Essential

• Good attention to detail
• Ability to keep accurate written and computerised records
• Able to follow written and verbal instructions
• Ability to work within a team
• Good time management and organisational skills
• Good manual dexterity / able to perform manual laboratory processing steps

Special attributes

Essential

• Demonstrates resilience, flexibility, and adaptability in approach to work
• Able to handle receipt and processing of a range of human/prenatal samples, incuding samples which may be infectious
• Interest in laboratory technology
• Recognises limits of responsibilities
• Willing to learn

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Churchill Hospital

Old Road

Oxford

OX3 7LE

Employer's website

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