BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS - HISTOPATHOLOGY

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the full job description & person spec

To contribute to the delivery and evolution of the Histopathology service to all BSPS sites.

The post holder will be a HPC registered Biomedical Scientist with well-developed specialist knowledge and skills appropriate to their Pathology service. They will be required to work unsupervised (including on shift or on-call systems where appropriate and necessary), either as part of a team or independently, receiving, analysing and reporting specimens for Pathological investigations. The post holder will be required to perform a complex range of tests using dedicated scientific equipment on all samples received, including high-risk specimens, i.e., those from HIV and hepatitis B positive patients. They will be required to interpret and report results in accordance with agreed service protocols to clinicians and nursing staff in primary and secondary care. They will also be required to ensure their appropriate continual professional development and evidence such, in accordance with the requirements of the Health Professions Council (HPC), and train and supervise less experienced staff as directed by their line manager.

1.1 Provide complex and sensitive information, in the form of test results, to clinicians, nursing staff and appropriate others, overcoming any barriers to understanding and ensuring that due regard has been given to the significance and urgency of such results.

1.2 Transmit highly complex information to colleagues, including less experienced staff and staff undergoing training, in order to ensure an understanding of all techniques employed and the highly complex equipment used in the analysis of Pathological samples.

1.3 Analyse and interpret test and other data involving complex facts in pursuance of service needs and to benefit the patient.

1.4 Apply their problem solving skills to situations which may arise from time to time which may otherwise impact adversely on the service, e.g. equipment or assay failure, mislabelled or lost samples, queries from clinicians.

1.5 Develop and maintain highly developed physical skills sufficient to support the accurate and precise use of scientific equipment and processes, including for example, microscopy, microtomy and the manipulation and preparation of Pathological samples.

1.6 Provide a specialist scientific and technical service, undertaking complex diagnostic tests and interpreting data to aid the diagnosis of disease and/or monitoring of disease treatment.

1.7 Implement policies and procedures, including all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and comments upon these at time of annual review (or more frequently, as appropriate), in order to ensure that all policies and SOPs are up to date and reflective of best current practice.

1.8 Be responsible for the safe and appropriate use of highly complex and/or expensive laboratory equipment and where appropriate, the safe use of near patient testing (point of care) equipment.

1.9 Be responsible for maintaining stock control on all materials used, using appropriate logging systems (LabPassport or other) to record stock movements and bringing to the attention of senior staff critical shortages at the earliest opportunity.

1.10 Be responsible for the day to day supervision of less experienced or junior staff, including trainees and newly qualified Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners and Support Workers.

1.11 Provide team leadership for sections of a service or sites where necessary.

1.12 Train less experienced staff on a regular basis, reviewing SOPs as part of this process and providing additional advice and knowledge to the trainee in support of their career development.

1.13 Contribute to the laboratory information system (LIMS) and patient record by the generation and input of laboratory data, whether by direct interface or manual means.

1.14 Undertake regular surveys and audits in support of the Quality System in place, with a view to continual improvements of the service.

1.15 Monitor turnaround times (TATs) for their section/service, ensuring that quoted TATs are achieved or surpassed, and communicating failures to more senior laboratory staff.

1.16 Undertake research and development appropriate to the service and the continual improvement of such, considering alternative techniques, testing new equipment and searching for improvements in quality, speed and cost of service provision on a continual basis.

1.17 Be aware of the wider organisational needs and objectives (including cash releasing efficiency savings or CRES targets) and suggest modifications and improvements to the service which would facilitate the realisation of these.

1.18 Work independently in accordance with all service procedures and protocols, to provide a specialist laboratory service in accordance with the needs of the service.

1.19 Be capable of periods of prolonged concentration in order to support the critical analyses of samples, e.g., by microscopy, regardless of other work pressures or shift.

Able to handle all specimens (including high-risk), reagents, equipment and other materials in a manner consistent with all health & safety rules

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• IBMS accredited BSc biomedical Science.
• IBMS Specialist Portfolio in Cellular Pathology, or equivalent laboratory experience

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Wide experience (3+ years post registration) of traditional and modern histopathological techniques including embedding, microtomy, special staining, frozen sections and IHC.
• Experience of a busy histology laboratory
• Experience of troubleshoot histology analyzer e.g. cassette printer, tissue process, H&E staining machine, IHC machine
• Internal Quality assurance of H&E, Immunocytochemistry, and special stance

Desirable

• Knowledge of quality management systems
• Experience of participating in the training and supervision of less experienced staff
• Experience of OSNA and certified trained by Sysmex UK
• Experience of specimen dissection to category C

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

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Royal Surrey & multipal sites

Egerton Road

Surrey

GU2 7XX

Employer's website

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