Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Medical Laboratory Assistant to join a Pathology Team on a Permanent Full Time Basis.
The appointment is to the Pathology Directorate and post holders will be expected to work at any Trust site and in any department that is required.
The post holder is required to follow standard operating procedures and follow health & safety guidelines to protect themselves and colleagues at all times.
Main duties of the job
The role involves the handling of blood and body fluids from receipt in the laboratory to their safe storage following analysis.
Strict adherence to policy to maintain patient sample identity throughout sample handling is required, and all data must be accurately entered into the Laboratory information System.
They will assist the Research Team and Biomedical Scientists in the safe handling, storage and shipment of samples from the Pathology Department.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
- Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- Maintain and foster the highest possible standards of technical work in the department maintaining ensuring compliance with UKAS, HSE and HTA standards.
- General laboratory surface cleaning of fittings and equipment
- Responsible for despatch of unprocessed (fixed) tissue to outside agencies.
- Responsible for the receipt of specimens ensuring that all specimens are correctly labelled with the minimum data set. Highlight any discrepancies, contact the clinicians involved and complete incidence reports as per protocol.
- Responsible for the preparation of cut up and assist medical dissection of specimens.
- Responsible for ensuring that the digital dictation system is working correctly, printing correctly labelled Vantage blocks and all the relevant information is inputted into the Vantage and Telepath systems.
- Take responsibility for the digital photography of gross specimens at cut-up and downloading onto the Telepath system.
- Maintain and prepare solutions, reagents and stains according to departmental SOPs and COSHH data.
- To file microscope slides and wax blocks as part of general housekeeping for the department
- To participate in routine embedding and section cutting
- Responsible for receipt and disposal of surgical tissue not requiring histopathology from surgical theatres
- Dispose of laboratory specimen waste, including products of conception for sensitive disposal under senior biomedical scientist supervision, according to departmental policies
- Ensure all re-usable specimen containers are cleaned in readiness for supply to theatres, clinics and GPs.
- Maintain the tissue processors, including the loading of them after specimen dissection and on a rotational cycle, change the reagents, recording it in reagent log and processing a QC block ensuring that protocols according to SOPs and COSHH are adhered to.
- Assist in the daily internal quality control by ensuring that all slides are stained and mounted and that the correct slide data is put onto the slides. Match up slides and patients cards before booking out on Vantage and Telepath systems.
- Comply at all times with the Trust Health and Safety Policy and the Laboratory Health and Safety Policy.
- Observe the immunisation policy of the Laboratory/Trust.
- Attend mandatory and statutory, fire, lifting and handling and health and safety training.
- Report any risks, clinical and non-clinical incidents promptly and co-operate with any investigations undertaken.
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely for compliance with the standards of UKAS.
- Comply with good laboratory practice required for the standards of UKAS and HSE guidelines.
- Comply with the local and national policies for safe, secure and confidential processing and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
- Follow trust policies, guidelines and procedures when using the Trust wide IT system.
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES
- Responsible for assisting in the training of new Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLA)
- Participate in formal and informal CPD activities and attend educational and training courses as appropriate.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- Maintain and foster the highest possible standards of technical work in the department maintaining ensuring compliance with UKAS, HSE and HTA standards.
- General laboratory surface cleaning of fittings and equipment
- Responsible for despatch of unprocessed (fixed) tissue to outside agencies.
- Responsible for the receipt of specimens ensuring that all specimens are correctly labelled with the minimum data set. Highlight any discrepancies, contact the clinicians involved and complete incidence reports as per protocol.
- Responsible for the preparation of cut up and assist medical dissection of specimens.
- Responsible for ensuring that the digital dictation system is working correctly, printing correctly labelled Vantage blocks and all the relevant information is inputted into the Vantage and Telepath systems.
- Take responsibility for the digital photography of gross specimens at cut-up and downloading onto the Telepath system.
- Maintain and prepare solutions, reagents and stains according to departmental SOPs and COSHH data.
- To file microscope slides and wax blocks as part of general housekeeping for the department
- To participate in routine embedding and section cutting
- Responsible for receipt and disposal of surgical tissue not requiring histopathology from surgical theatres
- Dispose of laboratory specimen waste, including products of conception for sensitive disposal under senior biomedical scientist supervision, according to departmental policies
- Ensure all re-usable specimen containers are cleaned in readiness for supply to theatres, clinics and GPs.
- Maintain the tissue processors, including the loading of them after specimen dissection and on a rotational cycle, change the reagents, recording it in reagent log and processing a QC block ensuring that protocols according to SOPs and COSHH are adhered to.
- Assist in the daily internal quality control by ensuring that all slides are stained and mounted and that the correct slide data is put onto the slides. Match up slides and patients cards before booking out on Vantage and Telepath systems.
- Comply at all times with the Trust Health and Safety Policy and the Laboratory Health and Safety Policy.
- Observe the immunisation policy of the Laboratory/Trust.
- Attend mandatory and statutory, fire, lifting and handling and health and safety training.
- Report any risks, clinical and non-clinical incidents promptly and co-operate with any investigations undertaken.
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely for compliance with the standards of UKAS.
- Comply with good laboratory practice required for the standards of UKAS and HSE guidelines.
- Comply with the local and national policies for safe, secure and confidential processing and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
- Follow trust policies, guidelines and procedures when using the Trust wide IT system.
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES
- Responsible for assisting in the training of new Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLA)
- Participate in formal and informal CPD activities and attend educational and training courses as appropriate.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3 or equivalent experience.
- A basic level of numeracy and literacy.
Desirable
- Good typing skills.
- Basic computer skills.
Knowledge & Experience
Desirable
- Experience working in a similar role.
- Previous laboratory experience.
- Previous experience using computer systems.
Skills
Essential
- Strong prioritisation skills.
- The ability to manage your workload
- Ability to be flexible with your work.
- Strong team player.
- Good communication skills.
- Self-motivated.
- Creative and looks for alternative ideas.
Other
Desirable
- Prepared to learn new skills and boost own development.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3 or equivalent experience.
- A basic level of numeracy and literacy.
Desirable
- Good typing skills.
- Basic computer skills.
Knowledge & Experience
Desirable
- Experience working in a similar role.
- Previous laboratory experience.
- Previous experience using computer systems.
Skills
Essential
- Strong prioritisation skills.
- The ability to manage your workload
- Ability to be flexible with your work.
- Strong team player.
- Good communication skills.
- Self-motivated.
- Creative and looks for alternative ideas.
Other
Desirable
- Prepared to learn new skills and boost own development.
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.
