Job overview
We are recruiting for a Quality Control Laboratory Assistant (Reception/Technical) who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.
The Quality Control Department at Lister hospital is a specialist unit providing pharmaceutical and scientific services to NHS Trusts, private healthcare providers and commercial organisations.
We are looking for an enthusiastic, reliable, and conscientious individual who has a keen eye for detail and a strong work ethic.
Please note that this is a non-clinical role and you will not be in contact with patients or any patient specimens but you will work in laboratory environment.
Our laboratory assistant role supports various functions of the Quality Control laboratories. You will need to be organised in order to meet deadlines and able to prioritise your workload in a busy environment. Training for this role will be provided and on-going support from senior staff will be available.
Our Values are Include, Respect and Improve. It is important that you understand and refer to our values during your recruitment process and beyond!
Main duties of the job
You will deal with customers and health professionals on a first line contact/response basis. The role includes various duties such as answering phone calls, receipt and logging of samples, processing of documentation, samples and products and their dispatch to customers.
You will also undertake physical, chemical, and microbiological testing and microbiology media preparation.
Working hours are 08:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday but note that occasional out of hours and weekend work will be required.
Working for our organisation
At East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general & specialist services we provide & our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible & innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.
We run the following hospitals:
* The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
* New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
* Hertford County, Hertford
* Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood
We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation; our staff & patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.
We understand that finding and starting a new job is an important life decision. If you need reasonable adjustments for a disability, or a life event, such as menopause - so that we can consider your application fairly & to get the best out of you during the selection process, please let us know.
We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. Employees are entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns & we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made & considered formally, & will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Person specification
Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
* Relevant NVQ 2 or equivalent level of relevant work experience.
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
* Previous relevant experience
Desirable criteria
* Experience of working in a science based laboratory environment
Skills
Essential criteria
* Good verbal and written communication skills communication skills (including legible hand writing) to ensure clear communication with all staff and customers.
* High level of customer care awareness and good interpersonal skills (including a very clear and courteous telephone manner)
* Good IT skills (use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Data bases)
* Office procedures: data entry, document filing and archiving, use of office equipment (computer, photocopier, scanner etc.)
* Ability to work accurately and concentrate on repetitive tasks being undertaken.
* Good literacy and numeracy skills
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Understanding of confidentiality and quality of service issues
* Understanding of Health & Safety at Work
Desirable criteria
* Understanding of COSHH Regulations
Our values
We want our staff to believe in, demonstrate and live our values in everything we do.
Include
We value the diversity and experience of our community colleagues and partners, creating relationships and climates that provide an opportunity to share, collaborate and grow together.
Respect
We create a safe environment where we are curious of the lived experience of others, seek out best practice and are open to listening and hearing new ideas.
Improve
We are committed to consistently delivering excellent services and continuously looking to improve through a creative workforce that feels empowered to act in service of our shared purpose.
Committed to our Community
East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for all job applicants, staff, patients and the wider community. We want to create a workforce which represents the communities we serve. We are on a journey to become a more inclusive organisation and we welcome applications from everyone regardless of their background. In particular we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities, and candidates from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are currently under-represented in various parts of our workforce .
We understand the importance of balancing work and home life. We are committed to support flexible working for our staff wherever possible and all our employees are given the opportunity to discuss potential for flexible working.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and achieved our status in 2019.
We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact us by emailing resourcing.enh-tr@nhs.net
We are also proud to support our UK armed forces by supporting Reservists, Cadet Instructors, Veterans and military spouses/partners into employment and offering supportive policies that value their contribution to the community and to our Trust.
We are committed to being a carer-friendly environment, addressing the complex needs of families with caring responsibilities. In partnership with Carers in Hertfordshire, all our working carers have access to support from recruitment. We are also a member of Carers UK, providing resources to make balancing work and caring easier. Our approach is inclusive, recognizing diverse challenges and creating a supportive environment where carers feel valued.