The Virology ISO:15189 accredited Hub laboratory at St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey (Berkshire Surrey Pathology Services (BSPS), has a vacancy for two Senior Pathology Support Workers to work in the laboratory. This will be a fixed term contract for 14 months to cover an NHS pilot study for blood borne virus testing on serum samples. Successful applicants will be required to work Monday - Friday between the hours of 7am - 7pm in 7.5 hour shifts. The project may require evening working which can be discussed at interview.
BSPS is a successful, progressive pathology network formed as a contractual joint venture between 5 trusts providing services to acute Trusts, primary and community care and private healthcare.
We are looking for an energetic, enthusiastic and well-motivated candidate with appropriate qualifications and/or relevant experience to join the team of the Virology department for Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services (BSPS). We are looking for a candidate who has experience in specimen reception and laboratory skills for the accurate and safe use of laboratory equipment and reagents.
Main duties of the job
This post involves routine laboratory duties to support the department including the receipt of samples from specimen reception and tracking, disposal of samples/reagents, responsibility for the referral of samples to other laboratories and entry of results into the laboratory computer information system (LIMS). The senior pathology support workers answer telephone/email queries and perform maintenance of equipment.
In addition, you will also receive full training to use and maintain automated equipment in the department to perform assays, rotating through sections of each laboratory under the supervision of biomedical scientists.
We are looking for candidates who have some general laboratory skills for the accurate and safe use of laboratory equipment and reagents but Virology experience is not necessary. To be successful the candidate, as well as being friendly and reliable, will need a flexible attitude towards work with good organisational skills, attention to detail and communication. They must have the ability to work under pressure and work well within a team.
About us
Internally the postholder will develop effective working relationships with:
* Virology laboratory and medical staff
* Pathology staff in other departments
* Support services staff
Externally this includes:
* All participating trusts within Berkshire Surrey Pathology Services
* Hospital Doctors including Consultants, Ward Staff, GPs, GP surgeries and private hospitals
* Engineers, porters and other hospital staff
Job responsibilities
The main duties of the role are listed below. For other duties please refer to the job description:
1. Accepts a wide range of clinical samples into the department from hospital staff, clinic staff and transport services.
2. Assesses samples for urgency and sorts by section/work area.
3. Ensures sample detail matches request form detail and assigns unique laboratory number to sample and form, requiring complete accuracy and attention to detail.
4. Ensures that samples meet acceptance criteria, dealing with any non-compliance in accordance with departmental protocols.
5. Ensures sample is appropriate type for all tests.
6. Is fully conversant with relevant departmental policies and Standard Operating Procedures, ensuring that personal performance complies with Accreditation standards.
7. Analyses potentially infectious samples using sophisticated automated equipment to produce results of a quality consistent with excellent patient care.
8. Works in cooperation with BMS staff to ensure workload is processed in a timely and efficient manner.
9. Performs a range of administrative tasks in all sections of the laboratory as required. This includes archiving and retrieval of specimens and data, maintenance of archived material and audit trails.
10. Ensures efficient use of resources and is aware of stock levels and rotation, storage conditions, batch numbers and expiry dates, thus ensuring the viability of reagents and/or blood products used.
11. Ensures appropriate stock levels are maintained in own area of operation, this may include issuing stock to external departments and GP surgeries, and ordering stock from external suppliers under supervision.
12. Ensures accurate stock records are maintained.
13. Performs a variety of manual laboratory procedures, which are under indirect supervision from Registered BMS staff. Procedures include the setting up of tests and pre-analytical sample preparation.
14. Works to achieve competencies across the repertoire of the department as appropriate to grade.
15. Participates in the Trust Personal Development Programme and works towards identified development needs.
16. Attends and completes all mandatory training courses as appropriate.
17. Provides training support and assistance to newly staff as appropriate (including the demonstration of procedures to less experienced staff).
18. Maintains good standards of discipline, dress, timekeeping and behaviour.
19. Maintains a clean and safe working environment through good laboratory practice. This may include disposal of clinical waste, autoclaving, decontamination processes.
20. Aware of Clinical Governance, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and local Health and Safety policies, reporting problems, errors or breaches to the Senior BMS staff.
21. Despatches biological samples to referral and ensures that sample despatch complies with current guidelines.
22. Ensures incidents are reported in a timely fashion using the Pathology Risk Policy procedures.
23. Participates fully in all aspects of the service including both the routine and non-core hours.
24. Works across BSPS sites as required.
25. Performs such other reasonable duties as may be required by senior staff.
26. In conjunction with Biomedical Scientist (BMS) staff, ensures the validity of automated results by the use of appropriate control materials.
27. Carries out appropriate maintenance, checks and fault finding procedures on sophisticated automated equipment.
28. Performs telephone duties that include making and receiving calls from and to the laboratory, verbally transmitting confidential results and conveying sensitive information and advice to healthcare professionals.
29. Communicates effectively with other staff groups both internal and external, including healthcare professionals, transport and portering staff, patients and their representatives and commercial suppliers.
30. Provides and receives sensitive information from patients and their representatives where empathic skills are required.
31. Displays and maintains an appropriate level of IT skills. Is able to input patient and request data, maintain and amend patient records, interrogate the laboratory and hospital databases and perform basic word processing and spreadsheet work.
32. Demonstrates excellent personal communication and team working skills.
33. Complies with the requirement to practice within information governance, data protection and confidentiality guidelines.
34. Works as part of a team to ensure that departmental performance targets are met by continually assessing priority of work.
35. Attends and participates in departmental and Trust-wide staff meetings as appropriate and demonstrates a positive attitude to these.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Good basic education to include GCSE, O-Levels/A Levels or NVQ level 3 or IBMS Certificate of Achievement (Part 1)
* Ability to work as part of a team
* Willing to undergo relevant training
* Ability to liaise effectively with clinical and clerical staff and able to follow written instructions
* Willingness to respond to direction
Skills and Behaviours
* Possess basic IT skills and have the ability to perform mathematical calculations
* Have knowledge & awareness of diversity and human rights as appropriate to your role
* Ability to write clearly
* Observant of detail, ability to make basic judgement decisions
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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