Main area Cellular Pathology Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent: This may involve some weekend working Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 382-CS10-25
Employer Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Town Blackpool Salary £46,148 - £52,809 pa pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 22/04/2025 23:59
Biomedical Scientist Section Lead - Histology
NHS AfC: Band 7
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is situated on the west coast of Lancashire, with services covering the local authority areas of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. The Trust is part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) supporting a population of around 1.6 million people.
We have three main hospitals providing acute services to around 330,000 local residents. The organisation also provides specialist tertiary care for cardiac and haematology services, delivers community health services to over 445,000 residents including those in North Lancashire and hosts the National Artificial Eye Service across England. Plus, we provide urgent and emergency care services to an estimated 18 million people who visit the seaside resort each year. We employ over 7000 people from 68 different countries.
We welcome and encourage application from anyone with protected characteristics, as well as supporting reservists and Veterans who are looking for a rewarding and challenging career within the NHS.
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals encourages flexible working in all our roles to support staff in maintaining healthy home-life balance. Working patterns such as: part time working, self-rostering, compressed hours, annualised hours, term time, reverse term time and flexitime working can be explored.
Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated, senior specialist BMS to join our friendly team in Histology at Blackpool. The successful candidate will contribute towards the departmental commitment to provide an efficient, cost effective, timely and high quality fit-for-purpose Cellular Pathology service to the Trust.
The post holder will oversee the operations and staff, and provide leadership, expertise and troubleshooting in our new Histology laboratory; including specimen reception, tissue dissection, processing, sectioning, routine staining and tinctorial staining. The post holder will work with the Cellular Pathology Management team to maintain quality and governance standards across all of cellular sciences. The post holder will also be expected to participate in development projects within the department, which includes Digital Pathology implementation and a new Pathology LIMS.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will oversee the operations and staff, and provide leadership, expertise and troubleshooting in Histopathology; including specimen reception, tissue dissection, processing, sectioning, routine staining and tinctorial staining. The post holder will work with the Cellular Pathology Management team to maintain quality and governance standards across all of cellular sciences. The post holder will also be expected to participate in development projects within the department, which includes Digital Pathology implementation and a new Pathology LIMS.
Working for our organisation
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Pathology is a clinical support service. Medical and scientific staff within Pathology provide diagnostic and clinical advice to surgeons and clinicians within the Trust and to General Practitioners within Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre area. The department has UKAS accreditation and is also accredited to train Biomedical Scientists and Junior Doctors.
The department has a strong user focus and a proven track record in developing new services to meet the changing demands of our clinicians and patients. This focus, allied to the regional specialist services, gives real opportunities for staff to train and develop in a supportive and educationally challenging environment.
We recommend that all individuals employed in patient facing roles, or those located on a ward or department where patients receive a service should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Responsible for ensuring the planning, organising and performing of highly specialised procedures within the allocated section of work, using specialised/complex automated and manual techniques, to meet prescribed standards of quality and service delivery.
1. To oversee the planning and prioritisation of the workload of the section according to service needs and pressures, and the needs of individual clinicians and outside agencies. To communicate and co-operate with colleagues to ensure efficient and effective delivery of service.
2. To be first point of contact for junior staff within the section in the event of issues or unexpected outcomes, provide guidance to junior members of staff and take decisive action in order to maintain standards, accuracy and safety.
3. To act as technical expert in the allocated section, to perform or oversee the more advanced and technically complex aspects of the work, and provide expertise, advanced skills and troubleshooting.
4. To have the depth of knowledge and required skills to correctly and safely process high risk specimens, hazardous materials, complex instrumentation & specialist equipment, and complex or specialist procedures, according to defined protocols, including managing unexpected outcomes.
5. To take first lead in evaluation and implementation of new or improved methodology, techniques, and equipment, and to recommend changes or remedial action when necessary. To undertake approved research and audit programmes.
6. To ensure the accurate data entry and text/data processing of all information and to help collate and provide data/information for managerial or clinical purposes.
7. To undertake Internal and External Quality Assurance Schemes, interpret reports, recommend modifications to procedure, and ensure compliance with all governance & accreditation schemes, and service requirements.
8. To ensure the safe storage and respectful disposal of specimens in accordance with Trust and professional policy & guidelines.
9. To carry out laboratory policies, Risk Assessments and Standard Operating Procedures, contribute to their formulation, and recommend modifications and contribute to future developments.
10. To maintain a personal up to date knowledge base relevant to best practice and maintain a personal compliance in respect of statutory and professional personal development.
11. To disseminate technical and procedural information to staff and service users when the need arises.
12. To monitor the day to day provision and functioning of facilities, instrumentation and consumables to ensure efficient and effective functioning of the section.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
Person specification
Qualification and training
* HCPC Registration
* BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science or equivalent
* Specialist Diploma in Cellular Pathology
* MSc Biomedical Science or equivalent to enable eligibility for Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Science e.g. Higher Specialist Diploma
* Evidence of continuing professional development
* Membership or Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences
* Evidence of managerial training/advanced technical expertise
Experience & Knowledge
* Experience in supervision, training and management of staff
* Extensive knowledge of Microsoft systems, LIMS systems
* Working as a member of a team
* Ability to demonstrate a broad level of specialist laboratory experience in Histology
* Understanding the principles of staff appraisal
* Experience and understanding of audit & QMS
* Experience of troubleshooting complex diagnostic laboratory tests
* Health and Safety skills and knowledge of legislation
* Extensive knowledge of highly specialised histology procedures and instrumentation
* In depth knowledge of accreditation/licensing/governance requirements particularly ISO 15189
* Knowledge and Experience of Quality Control and Assurance
* Experience of writing complex documents with clarity and precision for use as SOPs
* Experience of Trust administrative procedures
Skills and Ability
* Ability to organise own work and to do so under pressure
* Excellent manual technical skills
* Ability to problem solve
* A good motivator of staff of mixed abilities
* Team player
* Completes and finishes tasks
* Evidence of comprehensive and specialist diagnostic theory
Any invitation to interview will be sent to the email account stated on your application form.
If the role you have applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this as part of your pre-employment checks. Please note, you will be required to repay the cost on appointment. This will be collected via a salary deduction. You can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months from your salary or as a one-off payment on commencement in post. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £25.50, Standard DBS check £25.50 and Enhanced DBS check £53.50.
You are encouraged where possible, to register for the DBS update service. This is an annual registration fee of £16. By registering for the update service you will not have the additional cost of repeated disclosures.
Should you withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check.
DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions.
By submitting an application for this vacancy you are confirming your agreement to the above in the event you are successfully appointed.
The DBS Code of Practice can be accessedhere.
Please ensure that you read the Person Specification attached below as your application will be judged against this.
Please note that every effort will be made to keep the vacancy live until published closing date, though there may be instances where such interest is generated, that for administrative reasons the post may close earlier.
Please note that in line with national NHS guidelines this Trust operates a strict non-smoking policy. Members of staff are not permitted to smoke on Trust premises or grounds at any time nor take breaks during working hours for the purposes of smoking.
The Trust does not offer interview expenses to shortlisted candidates unless indicated in the advert.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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