Main area Biochemistry
Grade NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract Permanent
Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Participation in a Saturday clinical authorisation rota. There is no on-call requirement for this post.)
Job ref 411-MED-25-7063460
Employer Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type NHS
Site Alder Hey Children's Hospital
Town Liverpool
Salary per annum
Closing 04/04/2025 23:59
Principal or Registered Clinical Scientist Biochemistry
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care and has a presence in community outreach sites and, in collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients’ homes by holding local clinics at locations from Cumbria to Shropshire, in Wales and the Isle of Man. The Trust also provides inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs at our Sunflower House building newly relocated, and opened on the hospital site.
We currently have more than 4,000 staff working across our community and hospital sites. We’re also a teaching and training hospital providing education and training to around 540 medical and over 500 nursing and allied health professional students each year.
As black and minority ethnic (BME) employees are currently under-represented in this area, we particularly welcome applications from members of our BME communities. All appointments will be made on merit.
You can expect a warm welcome at Alder Hey Childrens NHS Foundation Trust, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At Alder Hey we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:
* Great flexible working opportunities
* Lease car scheme and Home Electronics Scheme
* Generous annual leave and pension scheme
* Extensive staff health and well-being programmes
Job overview
Applications are invited for a HCPC registered Clinical Scientist in Clinical Biochemistry to join our team at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to gain extensive experience in both general paediatric Biochemistry and in a range of specialist metabolic investigations.
Alder Hey is one of the biggest and busiest children’s hospitals in Europe, acting as a tertiary paediatric referral centre and our well equipped, UKAS ISO15189 accredited laboratory is situated in the new state of the art hospital building (Alder Hey in the Park). We provide local and regional paediatric Biochemistry services including the Newborn Screening service for the Cheshire and Mersey region. We also support Point of Care testing within the Trust and have recently implemented full connectivity of POCT devices with the electronic patient record. Alder Hey is a leading NIHR paediatric research centre and the laboratory plays an active role in the support of numerous clinical trials and research studies.
Full support and encouragement will be provided towards professional development and completion of the FRCPath examinations. Whilst this post is aimed at Clinical Scientists who have completed Part 1 of the FRCPath examinations in Clinical Biochemistry, (with appointment at Band 8a) individuals without Part 1 will be considered for a Band 7 position (as a senior registered clinical scientist) with automatic progression on attainment.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will participate in the Duty Biochemist rota, including reporting of specialist metabolic investigations, answering clinical queries and dealing with clinical and laboratory issues as they arise and will attend regular multidisciplinary team meetings. They will be involved in the implementation, development and on-going evaluation of analytical methods and will liaise and provide support to the Biomedical Scientist and other laboratory staff. They will play an active role in ensuring that the department maintains UKAS ISO15189 accreditation.
Working for our organisation
You will join a friendly department with a team of 5 Clinical Scientists who work closely together, with other laboratory staff and with the clinical teams. We hold regular CPD and clinical case discussions within the department and there are ample opportunities to undertake assay and service development projects and to work closely at the clinical interface, attending multidisciplinary team meetings.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication
* To review reports from other centres of a complex nature and to communicate when appropriate the findings to the clinical team.
* To communicate this information by the addition of interpretive comments and the prompt telephoning of urgent results where necessary.
* To discuss, advise, and if necessary, by informed persuasive negotiation present options for patient management to medical staff responsible for patient care. This may involve offering differential diagnoses, monitoring changes, suggesting investigations and monitoring response to therapy.
* To attend, and contribute to, case discussion meetings with medical staff from a variety of disciplines providing a laboratory perspective when discussing patients. This undertaking will be conducted in the knowledge of Trust policy on confidentiality.
* To produce and present results requiring a variety of statistical analysis, and to present research findings to other groups within and outside of the Trust.
* To be able to communicate effectively with medical staff and other health care professionals. This may involve challenging opinions based on specialist knowledge and often involves discussing complex and confidential information.
* To add interpretive comments to biochemical results and prompt communication of urgent results if appropriate.
* To attend and contribute fully to departmental meetings.
* To disseminate knowledge gained during private study and training to contribute to the knowledge of colleagues.
* To present research, clinical cases and audit in the form of scientific posters or oral presentation at grand rounds, regional, national and international meetings.
* To liaise with clinical scientists from other hospitals with particular expertise when arranging specialist investigations.
Analytical skills
* To carry out a variety of analytical techniques requiring a high level of skill and manual dexterity. This may involve performing novel or complex assays, particularly within the areas of the laboratory that require manually based techniques.
* To be responsible for the safe use of complex and expensive analytical equipment.
* To contribute to the development and selection of analytical methods and to maintain full awareness of their reactions, limitations and causes of interference and error. This knowledge is essential for the validation of reports, identifying errors and explaining anomalous results to clinical staff.
* To critically evaluate analytical methods and equipment to maintain highest possible standards.
* To be involved in the implementation, development and on-going evaluation of analytical methods as directed by the Consultants / Head of Department. This involves the designing of experimental protocols and procedures to produce robust and reliable information and may require collaboration with colleagues from other disciplines and other hospitals.
* To understand the scientific principles of methods in order to solve problems and troubleshoot.
Planning and organising skills
* To contribute to the development of policies, standard operating procedures and protocols, including clinical protocols, and ensuring that these are implemented within the work area.
* To contribute to the testing and selection of new analytical equipment.
* To be responsible for planning own workload on a day-to-day basis, influencing personal training and establishing appropriate timelines for long term projects.
Physical skills
* Excellent hand eye coordination to ensure high precision when manipulating specimens and reagents.
Responsibility for patient/client care
* To participate in the duty biochemist rota answering clinical queries and dealing with clinical and laboratory problems as they arise.
* To interpret biochemistry results, looking at patterns, abnormalities and clinical details to formulate differential diagnoses.
* To provide advice to service users on all aspects of the provision of laboratory services.
* To maintain a broad understanding of the wider clinical situation and other medical disciplines relevant to the patients in order to be able to offer a diagnostic / therapeutic opinion.
* To undertake clinical audits of service effectiveness and contribute to clinical audits in other medical specialities.
* To ensure that clinical incidents and complaints are investigated and reported and are used to improve practices in line with Trust and departmental clinical governance guidelines.
Responsibility for policy/service development
* To develop a broad understanding of managerial processes within the Trust and NHS, becoming involved where appropriate.
* To comply with Trust and Departmental Health and Safety policies for the well being of all staff within the laboratory.
* To adopt the Trust philosophy and policies relating to Clinical Governance and Risk Management leading to best practice.
* To undertake audits of service provision.
* To provide leadership and guidance to laboratory staff on matters of quality assurance related to laboratory analysis and to take appropriate action where errors are identified.
* To apply knowledge to problems that may arise in the routine provision of the service.
* To develop specialist experience and knowledge within a particular area.
* To ensure hazardous chemicals and reagents are handled appropriately and according to COSHH regulations.
Responsibility for human resources
* To contribute to postgraduate teaching sessions in Clinical Biochemistry and training seminars for medical, nursing and laboratory staff.
* To supervise and provide in-service training to trainee Clinical Scientists.
* To provide clinical and scientific leadership to staff in specific areas.
Responsibility for information resources
* Use of laboratory and hospital computer systems to identify patients, report results, resolve and correct errors, and compile information.
* To carry out literature searches/internet searches to gather information and be able to critically evaluate this information.
* To be involved in monitoring quality within the laboratory through internal and external quality control assessments. This involves the computerised manipulation of externally received data, in order to undertake trend analysis which may require follow up, with close liaison with other laboratory staff members.
Responsibility for research and development
* To support the on-going research activities in the department and the collaborative support given to the trust Clinical Trials department.
* To produce and present results requiring a variety of statistical analysis, and to present research findings to other groups within and outside of the Trust.
* To maintain up to date knowledge of recent developments and research relating to the discipline and be able to critically evaluate information in the form of e.g., scientific papers.
Education and knowledge
* To maintain a high level of knowledge in clinical biochemistry and a general knowledge of other medical disciplines. This is essential for the interpretation of results.
* To participate fully in local and national professional training.
* To be an active member of the National Metabolic Biochemistry Network, attending workshops, meetings and submitting clinical cases for discussion and training purposes. To gain experience in other areas of pathology.
Person specification
Experience
* To have completed a formal postgraduate training programme approved as appropriate for HCPC registration together with supervised in-service experience totalling a minimum of 2 years
* Experience in a paediatric biochemistry department
* To have developed an expertise in one or more specialised analytical or clinical areas.
* Experience in supporting research or clinical trials in a clinical biochemistry department
Qualifications
* First degree in Biochemistry or a related subject
* Registration as a Clinical Scientist in Clinical Biochemistry with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
* MSC in Clinical Biochemistry
* FRCPath part 1 in clinical Biochemistry (essential for 8a band only)
* Experience in research (PhD)
* Specialist interest and training in Paediatric Clinical Biochemistry
* Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (RCPath scheme or equivalent)
Knowledge
* To have a thorough knowledge and experience of Clinical Clinical Biochemistry.
We reserve the right to close vacancies without notice when we have received a sufficient number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.
Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will contact you using this regarding your application. All candidates will be notified via email whether or not they have been shortlisted.
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are committed to creating a well-managed, flexible working environment that supports staff and promotes their welfare and development. We actively promote equality and diversity and operate a Zero Tolerance policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment.
Should you require any assistance during the application stages please contact recruiting manager of vacancy or the recruitment team at recruitment@alderhey.nhs.uk or call 0151 282 4599.
Please declare within the supporting information if artificial intelligence (AI) has been used in your application.
Please note, the selection processes at Alder Hey Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have regular contact with vulnerable people and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Name Darren Powell Job title Consultant Clinical Scientist Email address darren.powell@alderhey.nhs.uk Telephone number 0151 252 5486 Additional information
Suzanne Armitage, Clinical Scientist, 0151 252 5486
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