University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Band 5 Quality Assurance Practitioner - Cellular Pathology

The closing date is 02 June 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated, enthusiastic individual to join our friendly, busy Tissue Services team, within Cellular Pathology.

The post holder will assist the operations manager and quality lead in the maintenance and updating of any databases used for the monitoring of quality standards. The role requires participating in and leading team briefing and assisting with licensing and accreditation activities by liaison with cellular pathology personnel. The post holder will also provide advice and training in quality matters, ensuring quality inputs are valid, monitoring and reviewing improvements and participating in audit, validation and verification exercises. The post holder will also be expected to participate in stock management activities for Tissue Services that will include use of Trust procurement systems, stock receipt and warehousing.

Tissue Services provide Human Tissue Act (HTA) licensable activities such as the procurement, screening, storage, distribution, disposal and traceability of human tissue that will be used in the treatment of patients. There are similar responsibilities for tissue substitutes that are not regulated by the HTA. Clinical laboratory services adhere to the principles of patient focused laboratory medicine, adopting a proactive stance on optimising the delivery of medical laboratory services to give maximum efficiency and effectiveness to healthcare. The guiding core values are those of the Trust.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking a self-motivated individual who is able to work to deadlines and has effective communication and motivational skills as the post entails working with other NHS professionals at all levels. You will be educated to degree level or equivalent professional qualification and ideally will have experience of working in a regulatory environment (e.g. HTA / UKAS). The candidate must have an eye for detail and be confident in using MS office and other IT systems.

The main duties will include:

- assisting in accreditation process.

- participate in the audit programme, including traceability audits and assist in rectifying audit findings.

- to assist in asset management including organising maintenance and return to service processes.

- to perform temperature monitoring checks and investigate and rectify any deviations.

- to assist in the procurement (using Trust Systems) and to receipt, accept and check deliveries of tissue and substitutes.

In your supporting statement please state how your current knowledge, skills and abilities meet the criteria for this job and include the responses to the following questions:

1. How would you describe your keyboard and organisational skills?

2. You will be required to interact with staff at all levels. describe your experiences of this in your previous or current role?

3. Describe your experience of working to deadlines, and the coping strategies used when working under pressure?

Please limit your answers to 100 words per question.

About us

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.

Date posted

21 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£29,970 to £36,483 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

304-1093829

Job locations

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Mindelsohn Way

Birmingham

West Midlands

B15 2TH

Job description

Job responsibilities

*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*

Job description

Job responsibilities

*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to degree level or equivalent
professional qualification within the
field of expertise or relevant work
based evidenced experience

Experience

Essential

Experience in a regulated environment
(HTA/ UKAS)
* Knowledge of human organ, tissue and
cells, blood and medicines legislation
across the UK
* Knowledge of diagnosis testing,
donation of blood, tissues. Principles
of the collection, storage and disposal
of tissues, principles of organ donation
and transplantation
* Knowledge of blood collection, testing,
manufacturing and issuing processes
* Experience of working with
information technology using
Microsoft Office packages (Word, Excel
and PowerPoint) or equivalent systems
* Experience of using IT systems to
produce reports and correspondence
which are timely, professional and
accurate
* Understanding of Data Protection,
Freedom of Information, UK
Accreditation Service (UKAS), Good
Laboratory Practise (GLP), Human
Tissue Authority Regulations and
Standards (HTA).
* Knowledge of good laboratory
practise, and quality assurance
practices
* Knowledge of Laboratory
accreditation, relevant ISO and HTA
and other appropriate European
standards
* Knowledge of fault finding and trouble
*
shooting

Additional Criteria

Essential

Reliable and conscientious
* Use own initiative
* Show attention to detail
* Flexible view of job to ensure the
needs are met to the high level of
quality required.
* Ability to work under pressure, often
to tight deadlines.
* As per the contract, maybe expected
to work outside of core hours with
reasonable notice

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to degree level or equivalent
professional qualification within the
field of expertise or relevant work
based evidenced experience

Experience

Essential

Experience in a regulated environment
(HTA/ UKAS)
* Knowledge of human organ, tissue and
cells, blood and medicines legislation
across the UK
* Knowledge of diagnosis testing,
donation of blood, tissues. Principles
of the collection, storage and disposal
of tissues, principles of organ donation
and transplantation
* Knowledge of blood collection, testing,
manufacturing and issuing processes
* Experience of working with
information technology using
Microsoft Office packages (Word, Excel
and PowerPoint) or equivalent systems
* Experience of using IT systems to
produce reports and correspondence
which are timely, professional and
accurate
* Understanding of Data Protection,
Freedom of Information, UK
Accreditation Service (UKAS), Good
Laboratory Practise (GLP), Human
Tissue Authority Regulations and
Standards (HTA).
* Knowledge of good laboratory
practise, and quality assurance
practices
* Knowledge of Laboratory
accreditation, relevant ISO and HTA
and other appropriate European
standards
* Knowledge of fault finding and trouble
*
shooting

Additional Criteria

Essential

Reliable and conscientious
* Use own initiative
* Show attention to detail
* Flexible view of job to ensure the
needs are met to the high level of
quality required.
* Ability to work under pressure, often
to tight deadlines.
* As per the contract, maybe expected
to work outside of core hours with
reasonable notice

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Certificate of Sponsorship

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Mindelsohn Way

Birmingham

West Midlands

B15 2TH

Employer's website

https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/jobs.htm (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Mindelsohn Way

Birmingham

West Midlands

B15 2TH

Employer's website

https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/jobs.htm (Opens in a new tab)