Job summary
The appointment is to the Pathology Directorate and post holders will be expected to work out of hours on the Whiston site. The post holder is required to follow standard operating procedures and follow health & safety guidelines to protect themselves and colleagues at all times. 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. MLA's will operate analysers and carry out non-complex tests. They will assist Biomedical Scientists in the course of their duties assigned to Haematology/Transfusion and will rotate through all sections in that discipline. Strict patient confidentiality must also be maintained.
The Job Description and Person Specification are subject to change and currently under review.
Main duties of the job
The role will involve working in a busy laboratory and working alongside Biomedical Scientists and other Medical Lab Assistants to ensure the timely turnaround of results. The department runs a continuous service providing 24 hour coverage to a busy Hospital Trust.
The appointment is to the Pathology Directorate and post holders will be expected to work out of hours at Whiston Hospital. Shifts are 14:30 - 21:00 or 17:30 - Midnight weekly rotational.
The post holder is required to follow standard operating procedures and follow health & safety guidelines to protect themselves and colleagues at all times.
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.
MLA's will operate analysers and carry out non-complex tests and maintenance procedures to ensure an efficient workflow throughout the laboratory.
They will assist Biomedical Scientists in the course of their duties assigned to Haematology/Transfusion out of hours.
Strict patient confidentiality must also be maintained. For more information regarding the duties of the job please refer to Job description and person specification.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 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. 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
Technical
- To adhere to Standard Operating Procedures and laboratory protocols
- Maintenance and basic troubleshooting of automated analyser
- Demonstrating accuracy and precision in manual tasks for the use of, maintenance and cleaning of equipment such as centrifuges, pipettes and analytical equipment as required.
- Reporting and escalation of analyser downtime and appropriate recording of downtime logs, via IT systems or telephone systems to ensure appropriate service and support response.
- To regularly monitor accuracy and precision of laboratory analysers / investigations using quality control procedures including IQC and IQA testing and interpretation.
- To undertake fault finding and subsequent corrective action where quality control results indicate loss of performance.
- Analysis of samples for External Quality Assurance
- Oral communication of abnormal complex results to service users on a daily basis
- To assist senior staff with method and instrumentation evaluation
- To assist in the training in use of equipment and processes for Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners and Medical Laboratory Assistants
- All pre-analytical, and analytical aspects of diagnostic test sample processing
- Ensures that urgent work is given priority and that these samples are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner
- Preparation of stock solutions and buffers.
- Processing and inputting of patient results, e.g. Screening tests, transcription of results
- Contribution to ensuring appropriate stock control across sites including maintenance of records and acceptance testing of reagents
- Keyboard entry of Patient Identification Data (PID) and test details into the laboratory computer system, a high degree of concentration is required as errors at this stage may not be corrected before results are released to the requesting
- To assess the suitability and appropriateness of samples received, liaising with scientific and medical staff as appropriate
- To document, file and prepare specimens for analysis.
- Monitor and record fridge temperatures when required
- Return unused blood to stock and replace emergency O Negative stock in satellite fridges on all sites as required and to assist with reducing blood wastage
- Thaw and issue FFP, Anti-D, HAS, PLTs if instructed by BMS
- Oversee the sending away of samples to other hospitals, locally, nationally and internationally.
- Update computer records as required.
- Assist with Traceability of blood components
- Input patient results into the computer as directed.
- Ensures that only specimens that have been authorised are disposed of in a correct and legal manner.
- Participation in audit and development of service improvements.
- Ensures that urgent work is given priority and that these samples are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner as well as organising the workload of others to facilitate with this.
- Deals with sample enquiries using the laboratory archive system.
- To monitor and store consumables and reagents overseeing a procedure of stock rotation.
- Responsible for housekeeping within their section of working.
- To assist BMS staff in retrieving samples required from other sections.
- To maintain instruments and update logs as directed by senior staff.
- To assist in research and developmental work.
- To liaise with all service users to give advice and information regarding sample requirements
- To prepare and freeze aliquots of plasma for further testing.
- Takes responsibility for the disposal of infectious waste.
- To prepare chemical solutions for the use in analytical maintenance.
- To be responsive to the needs of patients and ensure that patients are treated with respect particularly when dealing with sensitive issues.
- Takes responsibility for accurately checking specimens before analysis.
- Liaise with GP surgeries when required to do so.
- The post holder must be prepared to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service;
- To report adverse events and Datix as appropriate and also play an active role in investigation of adverse events and implementation of corrective practice
- To communicate with Clinical and Pathology staff to identify issues and liaise with external departments and organisations to resolve critical concerns regarding testing or equipment.
- To continually improve service provision by contributing to the development and proposing changes to Standard Operating Procedures.
- To participate in an Annual Joint Review (Appraisal) with appropriate line manager(s).
- To act in a responsible and professional manner at all times when dealing with patients, members of the public and staff from other Directorates
LABORATORY INFORMATICS
- Enter specimen and patient details in to the pathology computer according to departmental SOPs.
- Check and correct if necessary, information input by other laboratory staff.
- To comply with the local and national policies for safe, secure and confidential processing and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
- To use the Pathology Computer Systems according to the SOPs.
- To enter their own results and those obtained by others into Telepath.
- To maintain the integrity and accuracy of laboratory databases.
- To use Trust wide I.T. systems as appropriate following trust policies, guidelines and procedures.
- To participate in sample receipt and checking previous computer record
- Preparation of outstanding lists from the Laboratory Information System and locating appropriate samples, ensuring correct labelling of samples
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
- To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of UKAS ISO15189.
- To comply with good laboratory practices required for the standards of UKAS ISO15189 including Health and Safety.
- To undertake work file management to ensure that reporting of results are carried out in a timely fashion.
- To advise the Senior Biomedical Scientists when stocks of reagents and consumables are approaching minimum stock levels.
COMMUNICATION
- To telephone patient results to clinical users following appropriate policies and procedures.
- To contact service users in case of any problems with received samples.
- To communicate any relevant information to laboratory colleagues within the section.
- To actively participate in team meetings and to inform effectively at hand over.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
Technical
- To adhere to Standard Operating Procedures and laboratory protocols
- Maintenance and basic troubleshooting of automated analyser
- Demonstrating accuracy and precision in manual tasks for the use of, maintenance and cleaning of equipment such as centrifuges, pipettes and analytical equipment as required.
- Reporting and escalation of analyser downtime and appropriate recording of downtime logs, via IT systems or telephone systems to ensure appropriate service and support response.
- To regularly monitor accuracy and precision of laboratory analysers / investigations using quality control procedures including IQC and IQA testing and interpretation.
- To undertake fault finding and subsequent corrective action where quality control results indicate loss of performance.
- Analysis of samples for External Quality Assurance
- Oral communication of abnormal complex results to service users on a daily basis
- To assist senior staff with method and instrumentation evaluation
- To assist in the training in use of equipment and processes for Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners and Medical Laboratory Assistants
- All pre-analytical, and analytical aspects of diagnostic test sample processing
- Ensures that urgent work is given priority and that these samples are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner
- Preparation of stock solutions and buffers.
- Processing and inputting of patient results, e.g. Screening tests, transcription of results
- Contribution to ensuring appropriate stock control across sites including maintenance of records and acceptance testing of reagents
- Keyboard entry of Patient Identification Data (PID) and test details into the laboratory computer system, a high degree of concentration is required as errors at this stage may not be corrected before results are released to the requesting
- To assess the suitability and appropriateness of samples received, liaising with scientific and medical staff as appropriate
- To document, file and prepare specimens for analysis.
- Monitor and record fridge temperatures when required
- Return unused blood to stock and replace emergency O Negative stock in satellite fridges on all sites as required and to assist with reducing blood wastage
- Thaw and issue FFP, Anti-D, HAS, PLTs if instructed by BMS
- Oversee the sending away of samples to other hospitals, locally, nationally and internationally.
- Update computer records as required.
- Assist with Traceability of blood components
- Input patient results into the computer as directed.
- Ensures that only specimens that have been authorised are disposed of in a correct and legal manner.
- Participation in audit and development of service improvements.
- Ensures that urgent work is given priority and that these samples are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner as well as organising the workload of others to facilitate with this.
- Deals with sample enquiries using the laboratory archive system.
- To monitor and store consumables and reagents overseeing a procedure of stock rotation.
- Responsible for housekeeping within their section of working.
- To assist BMS staff in retrieving samples required from other sections.
- To maintain instruments and update logs as directed by senior staff.
- To assist in research and developmental work.
- To liaise with all service users to give advice and information regarding sample requirements
- To prepare and freeze aliquots of plasma for further testing.
- Takes responsibility for the disposal of infectious waste.
- To prepare chemical solutions for the use in analytical maintenance.
- To be responsive to the needs of patients and ensure that patients are treated with respect particularly when dealing with sensitive issues.
- Takes responsibility for accurately checking specimens before analysis.
- Liaise with GP surgeries when required to do so.
- The post holder must be prepared to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service;
- To report adverse events and Datix as appropriate and also play an active role in investigation of adverse events and implementation of corrective practice
- To communicate with Clinical and Pathology staff to identify issues and liaise with external departments and organisations to resolve critical concerns regarding testing or equipment.
- To continually improve service provision by contributing to the development and proposing changes to Standard Operating Procedures.
- To participate in an Annual Joint Review (Appraisal) with appropriate line manager(s).
- To act in a responsible and professional manner at all times when dealing with patients, members of the public and staff from other Directorates
LABORATORY INFORMATICS
- Enter specimen and patient details in to the pathology computer according to departmental SOPs.
- Check and correct if necessary, information input by other laboratory staff.
- To comply with the local and national policies for safe, secure and confidential processing and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
- To use the Pathology Computer Systems according to the SOPs.
- To enter their own results and those obtained by others into Telepath.
- To maintain the integrity and accuracy of laboratory databases.
- To use Trust wide I.T. systems as appropriate following trust policies, guidelines and procedures.
- To participate in sample receipt and checking previous computer record
- Preparation of outstanding lists from the Laboratory Information System and locating appropriate samples, ensuring correct labelling of samples
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
- To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of UKAS ISO15189.
- To comply with good laboratory practices required for the standards of UKAS ISO15189 including Health and Safety.
- To undertake work file management to ensure that reporting of results are carried out in a timely fashion.
- To advise the Senior Biomedical Scientists when stocks of reagents and consumables are approaching minimum stock levels.
COMMUNICATION
- To telephone patient results to clinical users following appropriate policies and procedures.
- To contact service users in case of any problems with received samples.
- To communicate any relevant information to laboratory colleagues within the section.
- To actively participate in team meetings and to inform effectively at hand over.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Basic typing qualifications or NVQ2 in Health Sciences and / or equivalent experience
- Educated to GCSE level or equivalent qualification and / or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Understanding of a working laboratory
Desirable
- Laboratory/Pathology experience
Skills
Essential
- Basic computer skills
- Good interpersonal and communication skills
- Well organised
- Willing to work flexibly
- Willing and able to learn new skills
- Team working skills
- Ability to use own initiative
Desirable
- Good telephone manner
- Ability to work with minimum supervision
Other
Essential
- Personable, friendly demeanour
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Basic typing qualifications or NVQ2 in Health Sciences and / or equivalent experience
- Educated to GCSE level or equivalent qualification and / or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Understanding of a working laboratory
Desirable
- Laboratory/Pathology experience
Skills
Essential
- Basic computer skills
- Good interpersonal and communication skills
- Well organised
- Willing to work flexibly
- Willing and able to learn new skills
- Team working skills
- Ability to use own initiative
Desirable
- Good telephone manner
- Ability to work with minimum supervision
Other
Essential
- Personable, friendly demeanour
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.
