Consultant Biomedical Scientist - Cervical Cytology

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Work closely with the medical staff and cytology laboratory manager to enable the successful delivery of the cytology service.
• To be professionally accountable for all aspects of the clinical service and use evidence based practice, audits and published research to improve the service.To conduct clinical audit of the service and contribute towards the development of best practice.To be able to challenge and advise established medical opinion and patient management on the basis of specialist knowledge, expertise and best practice examples.
• To be able to explain to colleagues, health professionals and service users complex clinical and scientific terminology, requirements and reasons for specialised investigations and how these impact upon their treatment.To be fully aware of the requirements and constraints of Clinical Governance, Patient Confidentiality and Patient Safety and to ensure that the service operates within these values. To be fully aware of the procedures in the Trust for investigating complaints and errors and to ensure that appropriate action is taken to minimise future occurrence.
• Clinical: Screening and reporting of all types of cervical cytology samples including abnormal, checking and rapid reviewing of slides. To act as Consultant BMS, evaluating smears marked by a primary screener or checker as possibly containing abnormal cells, reporting the cases with appropriate management recommendations including abnormal reports and referrals to Colposcopy. To be responsible for the final report including that of abnormal results.Investigate and act appropriately on abnormal results.
• Take an active role in Multidisciplinary Team meetings, in Colposcopy within the acute Trusts that the cytology department serves. Initiate and develop relationships with senior laboratory and colposcopy staff at those acute Trusts and those for which NBT acquires the responsibility for MDTs
• Communicate with users and laboratory staff on appropriate tests to request, timing or conditions. Reporting of results and interpretive comments in an appropriate manner.Giving, within your field of expertise, specialist advice to users.
• Take part in laboratory based audit activities.
• To participate regularly and lead in departmental clinical case discussions and seminars.
• Undertake formal update courses in accordance with NHSCSP guidelines. Participate in in-house training and continuing education.
• Assist the cytology laboratory manager in handling complaints from users.
• Demonstrate the working practices to groups and individuals as appropriate.

Cervical Screening Provider Lead

• Monitor the quality and effectiveness of the services provided by the organisation according toNHSCSPstandards and guidelinesand take appropriate action to address any shortfalls or escalate appropriately to the medical director.
• Ensure there is timely collection and submission of data for national mandatory statistical returns and data for routine and ad hoc programme monitoring for NHS England commissioners,screening quality assurance service (SQAS)and other organisations
• Review data relating to the services provided by the organisation and monitor performance against both nationally and locally agreed standards
• Report to local cervical screening programme boards any aspects of the programme which do not meet nationally and locally agreed standards
• Report to clinical governance committees on the performance, achievements and significant issues related to the cervical screening programme within the organisation
• Produce an annual performance report and 6 monthly update to cover allNHSCSP services provided for the organisations main clinical governance committee
• Ensure all new cases of invasive cervical cancer diagnosed in women referred to the provider for investigation (from any source) are registered and audited in accordance with currentNHSCSPguidelines
• Fulfil requirements forSQASvisit process for all aspects of the programme that are provided by the organisation, ensuring that any recommendations are addressed in a timely manner and responding with evidence of achievement toprogramme board and SQAS
• Ensure that operational policies and quality management systems are implemented across the programme (in conjunction with clinical and operational leads)
• Oversee effective failsafe systems for all women referred to colposcopy, in line with the requirements set out inNHSCSPguidance
• Contribute to the agreement of the cervical screening contract specification with NHS England and ensure implementation
• Oversee that effective systems andITlinks are in place to feedback colposcopy attendance and histology outcomes to the screening laboratory
• Ensure all screening safety incidents are notified toSQASand recorded and investigated according to NHS screening and local organisational policy
• Ensure that recommendations are implemented and lessons learned shared
• Be a member of any incident panel if a serious incident relating to the cervical screening programme is identified
• Be involved with and support the scheduling or programming of relevant cervical screening audits in colposcopy, histopathology andcytology as required
• Ensure all staff working in theNHSCSPhave access to appropriate and mandatory training and development - this must include information governance training as specified by the NHS and the screening programmes confidentiality and disclosure policy (organisational systems must be in place to monitor this)
• Attend local cervical screening programme board meetings
• Attend regionalSQASmeetings and feed back to colleagues
• Organise and chair a quarterly trust cervical screening management meeting
• Ensure multi-disciplinary meetings take place with NBT colposcopy according to NHSCSP guidelines

Management (Cytology Training Centre)

• Co-ordinate the day to day activities within the training Centre and ensure adherence to NHSCSP training centre accreditation standards.
• Provide leadership within the department in the areas of clinical governance and service quality ensuring that all departmental staff focus on quality, patient safety and customer satisfaction.
• Develop and arrange cytology courses for a range of staff working within the NHSCSP in the South West. To include cytology laboratory staff, cervical sample takers and colposcopy staff.
• Contribute to teaching programmes for medical and non-medical staff. To include lectures and microscopy workshops both on-site and at other NHSCSP approved training sites.
• Maintain and update presentations and slide workshops
• Train and assess individuals and provide written reports to their laboratory training officers
• Offer support and advice to laboratory training officers and managers within the SW where cases of poor performance have been identified and provide bespoke courses, assessments and feedback as required.
• As budget holder to oversee and prioritise training centre expenditure
• Development business and strategic training plans for the training centre
• Chair regular departmental meetings
• Review course feedback and implement changes as required
• Participate in staff appraisal according to Trust policies and procedures and conduct appraisals for non-medical staff working within the training centre
• Undertake external cancer audit reviews and provide expert opinion in cases where there have been discrepancies in slide review diagnoses. Incorporate educational cases in future training courses.
• Respond to National guidelines for training, re-training and continuing educational developments within the NHS cervical screening programme.
• Provide expert opinion in the review and development of National educational resources
• Assist and provide expert opinion in the review and development of NHSCSP cytology screening qualifications.
• Lead or co-examine for the NHSCSP cytology screening qualification as required
• Recruit, train and attend regular meetings with cytology nurse assessors to keep them up to date with laboratory and NHSCSP issues.
• Provide training and internal verification of new cytology laboratory assessors for the NHSCSP screening portfolio
• Deputise for the training centre director
• Keep up to date with NHSCSP documents, health and safety requirements and relevant scientific literature.
• Attend and contribute to scientific meetings where appropriate
• To undertake continuing professional development and maintain competence in all areas of practice

Other responsibilities

The post-holder will be expected to participate in the delivery of specific duties and/or specialised responsibilities in line with the banding of the post. Additional responsibilities will be assigned to the post holder depending on the needs of the Board. These responsibilities will be agreed with the post holder, will be subject to regular review and may be amended at any time with the post holders agreement. These responsibilities may be associated with specialised roles.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Advanced Specialist Diploma in Cervical Cytology
• HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist
• Specialist qualification or recent experience in training and education
• Appropriate Postgraduate Masters degree or equivalent

Experience

Essential

• At least 10 years experience in Cervical Cytology
• Experience of quality management and accreditation procedures
• Working knowledge of computer systems and keyboard skills
• Experience of training, coaching and mentoring

Knowledge

Essential

• To have developed specialist expertise in gynaecological cytology to a point of acting at an expert level.
• An extensive and thorough knowledge of all aspects cytology and the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.
• Able to perform clinical and technical risk assessments and resolve issues or investigate complaints as part of Clinical Governance and the National Cervical Invasive Cancer Audit.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Able to supervise train and mentor staff
• Able to communicate highly complex and sensitive information.
• Good oral and written communication 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.

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

North Bristol NHS Trust

Address

Southmead Hospital Bristol

Westbury on Trym

Bristol

BS10 5NB

Employer's website

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