Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Specialist Biomedical Scientist, Microbiology

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Job summary

Applications are invited from motivated, enthusiastic individualsspecialising in Virology or Bacteriologyto join the Microbiology Department, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

There are 2 posts, 37.5 or 22.5 hours /week working within the current shift systems; weekdays 09:00-17:00 core hours, late shift 12-20:00, weekends and bank holidays are currently rostered 08:00 16:00 which are in addition to contracted hours, supplemented by an overnight on call service.

The Department provides Microbiology services to a population of 580,000 within Worcestershire.

The Microbiology Department receives approximately 690,000 specimens per year running approx. 1.8 million tests. The department currently uses the Clinsys Winpath computer LIMS system and iPassport QMS.

This is a modern well equipped laboratory, with a range of automation including the Biomerieux MALDI-TOF, Vitek, and Virtuo Blood culture analysers, the Sedimax Urine analyser, Mast Urisystem, the DS2, VIDAS 3, COBAS 4800, COBAS 6800, Diasorin Liaison, Qiagen Neumodx and Cepheid GeneXpert system.

The Department has UKAS accreditation. It is approved by the IBMS as a training laboratory. The Department has a proven track record in training and is committed to further education and personal development of staff through CPD and post-registration training.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to perform automated and manual laboratory procedures of varying complexity some of which require a high degree of skill and experience.

The post holder will exercise autonomy within professional and managerial boundaries and will be required to verify and validate completed work.

To maintain high professional standards by continual professional development and be competent in the performance of tests and investigations undertaken.

The post holder is required to have a flexible approach to ensure the service is maintained safely.

To assist in the management of resources with an aim of achieving optimum quality and efficiency

To support the Quality Management System within the department to maintain UKAS accreditation status

Be expected to implement service improvements and changes in working practices, responding to the changing demands of the service

To deputise for the Senior BMS in their absence or when asked to help in the relevant section. To assist with training and competency of junior staff and new recruits.

Services are provided to hospital clinicians and general practitioners and the post holder is required to liaise with these, other healthcare professionals, patients and their representatives.

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is nearly 6,800 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

Best services for local people
Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
Best use of resources
Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

Date posted

06 October 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£35,392 to £42,618 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9365-23-0441

Job locations

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job description

WORCESTERSHIRE ACUTE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST

JOB DESCRIPTION

Post Title:Specialist Biomedical Scientist

Pay Band: Band 6

Hours:37.5 hours per week, excluding meal breaks. On-call is mandatory, with rostered weekends and Bank Holidays additional to contracted hours

Contract:Permanent

Location/Department:Microbiology Department,Worcestershire Royal Hospital

Accountable to:Consultant Laboratory Director Microbiology

Reports to:Senior Biomedical Scientists and above through to Laboratory Manager.

Key Working Relationships

Internal:Laboratory Manager, Quality Manager, Quality Leads, Senior BMSs, BMSs, Associate Practitioner, Medical Laboratory Assistants, Training Officer, Consultant Microbiologists, other Medical staff, Infection Control Nurses, Clerical and Secretarial staff, other Pathology staff, Ward Clerks, Porters

External:Visitors to the Department, patients, GP surgeries, General Public and Environmental Health Officers

Risk Assessment:

Works with display screen equipment in accordance with The Health and Safety (Display Screen EquipmentRegulations 1992.

Works in accordance with Manual Handling Operations Regulations (1992).

Handles Clinical samples in accordance with the Laboratory Health and Safety Policy and Standard Operating Procedures to include Specialist Containment Levels (2&3) as directed by the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens-Categorisation of Biological Agents According To Hazard and Categories of Containment.

Job Purpose:

The post-holder will rotate through all component sections of the laboratory including General Bacteriology, specialist Containment Level 3 Facilities, Mycology, Virology, Environmental and Parasitology.

To practice as a Health Professions Council (HCPC) Registered BMS in accordance with Statutory Regulations, Professional Standards, WAH NHS Trust and local Policies & Standard Operating Procedures including Health & Safety, demonstrating a high level of Microbiology knowledge, skills and demonstrated competence who provides a comprehensive range of scientific and diagnostic services throughout all sections of the Department, as an aid/basis for diagnosis.

The post holder will be required to perform automated and manual laboratory procedures of varying complexity some of which require a high degree of skill and experience.

The post holder will exercise autonomy within professional and managerial boundaries and will be required to verify and validate completed work.

To maintain high professional standards by continual professional development and be competent in the performance of tests and investigations undertaken.

The role includes some weekend, bank holiday and evening duties on a rotational basis. The post holder is required to have a flexible approach to ensure the service is maintained safely.

To assist in the management of resources with an aim of achieving optimum quality and efficiency

To support the Quality Management System within the department to maintain UKAS accreditation status

Be expected to implement service improvements and changes in working practices, responding to the changing demands of the service

To deputise for the Senior BMS in their absence or when asked to help in the relevant section. To assist with training and competency of junior staff and new recruits.

Services are provided to hospital clinicians and general practitioners and the post holder is required to liaise with these, other healthcare professionals, patients and their representatives.

Key Duties:

1. To be responsible for the work carried out in the designated section, supervising Biomedical Scientists, associate practitioners and MLA staff, ensuring work is completed in line with service requirements

2. To perform pre-analytical preparation of specimens including matching of specimens and data entry of patient and specimen information into the Laboratory IT system with accuracy.

3. Analyses potentially infectious samples using a range of highly specialised laboratory procedures, by either manual or automated techniques, to produce results of a quality consistent with excellent patient care. Undertakes these duties in all areas of the Department.

4. Carries out troubleshooting and preventative maintenance on highly complex automated systems. Ensures appropriate records are kept and liaises with senior staff and service engineers where appropriate.

5. To handle potentially highly infectious material and known highly infectious material, containing Hazard Group 2 & 3 pathogens, in order to perform subjective interpretation of diagnostic investigations and be responsible for the validity of own results.

6. Completes the work process by the verification and validation of results and report generation. This involves the interpretation of clinical data and requires in-depth theoretical knowledge.

7. Is able to exercise individual skills through the observation and interpretation of clinical material or data.

8. Recommends additional tests where appropriate to assist the requesting clinician in the diagnostic process.

9. Responsible for ensuring efficient use and maintenance of resources, is aware of stock levels and rotation, storage conditions, batch numbers and expiry dates, thus ensuring the viability of the reagents used. Communicating any ordering requirements to the associate practitioner team and reagent issues to Senior BMS and Quality Manager.

10. Be able to exercise own initiative and work in conjunction with other staff members to ensure that the workload is processed in a timely and efficient manner.

11. Demonstrates proficiency in the assessment, planning and prioritisation of tasks.

12. Is fully conversant with departmental policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), ensuring that personal performance complies with ISO 15189 and other professional standards.

13. Practices in accordance with the professional, ethical and legal codes of the Health Care Professions Council and the Trusts protocols and guidelines.

14. To frequently offer specialist technical advice to Medical staff and other service users on validity of results including reference ranges, appropriate specimens / sampling and turnaround times.

15. Communicates effectively with other staff groups, both internal and external. To include healthcare professionals, patients and their representatives, external agencies, commercial suppliers, service engineers and visitors to the laboratory.

16. Provides and receives complex scientific and clinical information to and from colleagues and service users. Is aware of barriers to understanding and is able to present information accordingly.

17. Demonstrates specialist skill and professional knowledge acquired through post Registration, Specialist Portfolio (or equivalent) academic and scientific development through work performed at bench level.

18. Provides and receives sensitive information to and from patients and their representatives where empathic and re-assurance skills are required. May include notification of adverse events.

19. Displays and maintains an appropriate level of IT skills.

20. Works to, and ensures that performance targets and sample turnaround timesare met by continually assessing quality and priority of work.

21. As a HCPC registered Biomedical Scientist, participate in the Microbiology on call rota, processing samples according to the SOP.

22. Demonstrates continuing ability to work individually and unsupervised to a level required in the provision of an out of hours service for lone working on shift or on call.

23. To be able to work alone as part of the on call rota, with 24/7 off site clinical and technical support when required. To be aware of escalation procedures and processes to follow when required.

24. To participate in the Quality Management System in accordance with accreditation bodies.

25. Assists in improving and developing departmental quality by contributing ideas as appropriate and participating in the change management process, in conjunction with senior staff.

26. Has awareness of the requirements of Clinical Governance, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and local Health and Safety Policies, reporting problems, errors or breaches via the appropriate mechanisms. (Ipassport, Datix,RIDDOR).

27. Attends departmental and directorate staff meetings as appropriate.

28. To participate in induction, training and supervision of AP, MLA, Trainee BMS, Band 5 BMSs and other staff and visitors in all relevant aspects of laboratory work including Health & Safety as directed by the Laboratory Manager

29. To participate in the Departmental Competency Assessment schemes for Trainee BMS, Band 5 BMS, AP and MLA staff in collaboration with the Laboratory Manager and Senior BMS / Training Officer.

30. To maintain good working relations with all members of staff and to promote effective team working taking action when own or others behaviour undermines equality and diversity.

31. To participate in Mandatory Training and Personal Development System as required,and maintain continued professional development.

32. To participate in Clinical Trials / Research and Development as directed by a Consultant Microbiologist.

33. To be able to present scientific, technical data and audit data at staff meetings using appropriate communication tools.

34. To carry out any other duties deemed necessary to maintain a Microbiology Service.