An exciting opportunity has arisen for enthusiastic individuals to join our team in the busy Cellular Pathology department at Dewsbury District Hospital, Dewsbury.
The applicant will carry out duties in a number of areas including specimen reception, specimen dissection, and main laboratory. Additional duties include stock control, filing, MDT preparation, equipment maintenance, reagent control, and general housekeeping.
Applicants for this position must be enthusiastic, self-motivated, highly reliable, and trustworthy and be able to work to tight deadlines under pressure. You must be a team worker as well as able to work on your own.
A good, basic level of education is required that demonstrates a good understanding of the English language and a good level of numeracy.
Good verbal and written communication skills are essential along with fast, accurate keyboard skills. An ability to follow instructions, work under pressure, and demonstrate good manual dexterity will be an advantage.
Hours of Work: 37.5 Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:00 hrs.
NOTE: These positions are support roles and as such, there will be no opportunity to undertake the IBMS certificate of competence or achieve HCPC registration.
PREVIOUS UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES NEED NOT APPLY.
For more information regarding this advert, or to arrange an informal visit, contact Shohaib Banaras (Senior BMS) on 01924 816181 or at shohaib.banaras@nhs.net.
Interviews will be in person and not available remotely.
Main duties of the job
The MLAs is to assist the associate practitioners, biomedical scientists, expert Practitioners, and consultant Pathologists with their work. MLAs are the main point of contact, providing the face of the department.
MLAs perform a range of technical and clerical duties, including:
1. Receipt of pathology specimens from hospital staff and patients in a courteous and helpful manner.
2. Dealing with minor problems that arise.
3. Ensuring that the specimens and appropriate request forms are correctly labelled and that specimens are in the correct container.
4. Interpreting clinical information on request forms to ensure appropriate tests are carried out.
5. Labelling request forms and specimens with appropriate numbers as required.
6. Data entry of patient sample details onto the Laboratory computer system.
7. Performing routine cleaning and maintenance of laboratory areas and equipment.
8. Disposing of specimens.
9. Checking and maintaining stocks of reagents, solutions, and consumables.
10. Dealing with any spillages of noxious and toxic chemicals and bodily fluids according to standard operating procedures.
11. Packaging samples for transmission to other laboratories and maintenance of records related to this.
12. Retrieving slides for multi-disciplinary meetings.
13. Assisting the Pathologists and the Biomedical Scientists during surgical cut-up of specimens.
14. Answering telephone and email enquiries.
15. Clerical tasks including printing and filing reports.
16. Preparation of reagents and consumables.
About us
We provide care and support to over a million people in Wakefield and Kirklees in their homes, community settings, and across our three hospital sites at Pontefract, Dewsbury, and Pinderfields (Wakefield).
Always striving for excellence, we are at the forefront of innovation and research, and we invest in teaching and the development of our workforce.
We live by our values of caring, improving, being respectful, and maintaining high standards. We listen and learn because we aim to make Mid Yorkshire the best place to work and receive care.
We value diversity and welcome talent and enthusiasm irrespective of age, disability, neurodivergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances including providing unpaid carers support to someone with a health and care need. As ethnic minority groups, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with a disability/neurodivergence are currently under-represented across the organisation, we encourage applications from members of these groups. We have policies and procedures to ensure all applicants are treated fairly and consistently.
We are proud of our staff networks - who offer valuable guidance and feedback from those with lived experience.
We have a clear vision and you could be part of this! If you share our values and you want to make a difference to the lives of our patients and their families and carers, we would love to hear from you.
Job responsibilities
1. To support qualified staff in the processing of samples.
2. To carry out preliminary inspection and preparation of samples under supervision.
3. To follow at all times the instructions set out in Standard Operating Procedures.
4. To undertake routine laboratory cleaning duties as required.
5. To support laboratory staff in a range of analytical and post-analytical processes within and outside the laboratory.
6. To undertake training necessary to fulfil the requirements of the Medical Laboratory Assistant training log book.
7. To carry out preparatory work on samples as required by the Chief Biomedical Scientist or his/her representative. To sort samples and distribute to relevant departments.
8. To receive pathology specimens from hospital staff and from patients in a courteous and helpful manner.
9. To deal with minor problems that arise, following standard operating procedures.
10. To check for leaking specimens and deal with them according to standard procedures.
11. To remove specimens from plastic transport bags as required.
12. Where samples are labelled as Danger of Infection, to carry out the preliminary inspection of the samples and to remove from the bag if there is no spillage. To give identifying number as appropriate and to carry out initial preparation as set out in procedures for high-risk samples.
13. To ensure that the specimens and appropriate request forms are correctly labelled and that specimens are in the correct container. If not, to take appropriate actions as set out in written procedures.
14. To interpret clinical information on request forms to ensure appropriate tests are carried out.
15. To label request forms and specimens with appropriate numbers as required.
16. To ensure that laboratory staff receive specimens in a timely manner and to notify the appropriate sections of any urgent specimens.
17. To ensure that specimens are in appropriate racks as required before despatch into the laboratory.
18. To liaise with laboratory biomedical and clerical staff, and portering staff as appropriate and to pass on information and to solve problems.
19. To carry out routine cleaning of laboratory areas and equipment as required to maintain good standards and to ensure that work areas are clean and tidy.
20. To dispose of specimens following the instructions set out in Standing Operating Procedures.
21. To check and maintain stocks of reagents, solutions, and consumables, some of which may be located outside pathology.
Person Specification
Personal Attributes
* Able to work well within a small team.
* Able to work alone if required.
* Enthusiasm for work.
* Enthusiasm to undertake appropriate training as required to facilitate service developments.
Other
* Willingness to work flexibly.
* Friendly and approachable.
Knowledge and Awareness
* Must understand the nature of patient confidentiality.
* Awareness of own limitations.
* Awareness of Health and Safety laws.
* Reasonable knowledge of laboratory health and safety laws.
Experience
* Experience in working flexibly as part of a Team.
* Experience of dealing with telephone enquiries.
* Experience with Data entry.
* Experience of working in a hospital Pathology Department in an appropriate discipline.
* Experience of maintaining Laboratory equipment.
Skills and Abilities
* Able to communicate clearly and precisely both verbally and in writing with service users and all levels of staff.
* Able to work quickly and accurately.
Qualifications
* Evidence of good secondary education.
* GCSE or equivalent in science and maths.
* Suitable Qualifications in Information Technology (e.g. CLAIT/ ECDL).
* Suitable Qualifications in Health and Safety.
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.
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