Job summary An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Medical Laboratory Assistant to join our Traceability Pathology Team Medical Laboratory Assistant focussing on Blood/Blood Product Traceability, Blood/Blood Product storage unit maintenance, audit and incident investigation and record keeping. The appointment is to the Pathology Directorate and post holders will be expected to work at any Trust site and in any department that is required. The post holder is required to follow standard operating procedures and follow health & safety guidelines to protect themselves and colleagues at all times. Interview Date - 4th March 2025 Main duties of the job 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 or Biochemistry and will rotate through all sections in that discipline and Specimen Reception. Strict patient confidentiality must also be maintained. The role will involve working in a busy laboratory and working alongside Biomedical Scientists to ensure the timely turnaround of results. The department runs a continuous service providing 24-hour coverage to a busy Hospital Trust. About us Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 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, freeing up space for more unwell patients. 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 Date posted 17 February 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 3 Salary £24,071 to £25,674 a year Per Annum, Pro Rata Contract Permanent Working pattern Part-time Reference number 409-6997243 Job locations Whiston Hospital Warrington Road Prescot L35 5DR Job description Job responsibilities KEY DUTIES SPECIMEN RECEPTION Checking patient identification details and numbering of samples for analysis. Making reference on request form to any missing samples. Returning pods to wards. Delivering samples to the appropriate department. Receiving visitors to pathology and informing relevant member of staff. Receiving deliveries, notifying the correct department at arrival of each delivery. Assist in the cleaning and disinfecting of work areas and equipment. Disposal of waste. TECHNICAL To follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs). To undertake routine operative maintenance on laboratory instruments, change reagents and log actions. To prepare reagents required for laboratory investigations. To report any instance or event to BMS staff which may cause a service delivery failure. Perform analysis of specified diagnostic tests under indirect qualified supervision. Filing of completed samples and request forms for storage. Monitor and record fridge temperatures daily at Whiston Hospital and weekly at St Helens and Fairfield Return unused blood to stock and replace emergency O Neg stock in satellite fridges on both sites as required. During sample preparation visual examination of samples such as underfilled, haemolysed, lipaemic, must be recorded as directed by departmental SOPs. To load, sample and remove samples from main line analysers. To perform routine quality control on the analysers, reporting any out-of-range results to qualified staff. To assist in clinical audits, trials and research projects as directed by departmental management. LABORATORY INFORMATICS Enter specimen and patient details into 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 polices, 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 SPECIMEN RECEPTION Checking patient identification details and numbering of samples for analysis. Making reference on request form to any missing samples. Returning pods to wards. Delivering samples to the appropriate department. Receiving visitors to pathology and informing relevant member of staff. Receiving deliveries, notifying the correct department at arrival of each delivery. Assist in the cleaning and disinfecting of work areas and equipment. Disposal of waste. TECHNICAL To follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs). To undertake routine operative maintenance on laboratory instruments, change reagents and log actions. To prepare reagents required for laboratory investigations. To report any instance or event to BMS staff which may cause a service delivery failure. Perform analysis of specified diagnostic tests under indirect qualified supervision. Filing of completed samples and request forms for storage. Monitor and record fridge temperatures daily at Whiston Hospital and weekly at St Helens and Fairfield Return unused blood to stock and replace emergency O Neg stock in satellite fridges on both sites as required. During sample preparation visual examination of samples such as underfilled, haemolysed, lipaemic, must be recorded as directed by departmental SOPs. To load, sample and remove samples from main line analysers. To perform routine quality control on the analysers, reporting any out-of-range results to qualified staff. To assist in clinical audits, trials and research projects as directed by departmental management. LABORATORY INFORMATICS Enter specimen and patient details into 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 polices, 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 Knowledge & 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 Knowledge & 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. Employer details Employer name Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Address Whiston Hospital Warrington Road Prescot L35 5DR Employer's website https://www.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)