Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Medical Laboratory Assistant

This job is now closed

Job summary

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust has an exciting opportunity for a Medical Laboratory Assistant (Band 2) to join our dynamic Cellular Pathology team at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth.

The Histopathology section of the Cellular Pathology department processes over 40,000 specimens per year and plays an essential part in supporting Cancer pathways for patients. The laboratory has full UKAS accreditation and is located within a spacious, modern, purpose-built laboratory complex, which opened in August 2007.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our dynamic, friendly laboratory team in providing a high quality, patient- focussed service.

The MLA team provides essential support to our Biomedical Scientists and Consultant Pathologists, assisting them to prepare patient samples for diagnosis and maintain laboratory equipment and functions. We are also embarking upon an exciting project to implement Digital Pathology reporting which will require essential slide scanning support from the MLA team.

Main duties of the job

You will be working in a modern well equipped department carrying out a wide range of tasks, which require attention to detail with good hand-to-eye coordination and manual dexterity being essential.

You will assist with the receipt and processing of tissue samples and provide laboratory support to our team of senior Medical Laboratory Assistants, Associate Practitioners, Biomedical Scientists and Consultants. This involves data entry and requesting of patient cases, reagent changes and instrument maintenance, preparing and organising tissue blocks, filing of tissue blocks and microscopy slides, digital slide scanning, preparing specimens for sending away and archive maintenance.

This involves learning new techniques, as well as training to maintain analysers, manage archival material and quality control processes. You will be working with highly skilled Pathologists, assisting them while they analyse patient samples. The Histopathology department supports Cancer Services and works as a team to deliver a rapid, high quality cancer diagnostic service to the local population. This role provides a chance to be a part of this team and make a difference to the lives of thousands of patients each year.

About us

The Trust is committed to driving excellence in care for our patients and communities and was rated good by the Care Quality Commission report published 2020 and became a University Hospital. We are ranked as the third in the country for research; embedding education and training across the organisation and we continuously strive to achieve our core values which are at the heart of everything we do. The Trusts main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, starting life as a military hospital over a century ago and now one of the largest hospitals on the south coast and you may have seen us on the TV series Nurses on the Ward. The Trust provides comprehensive secondary care and specialist services to a local population of 675,000 people across South East Hampshire. The Trust employs over 8,000 staff and are #ProudtobePHU; our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because its the right thing to do, but because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for providing outstanding care and support for patients, colleagues and our community you will find a home at PHU. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veterans status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.

Date posted

22 March 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£20,270 to £21,318 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C8192-CD-23-0349

Job locations

Queen Alexandra Hospital

Southwick Hill Road

Cosham

Portsmouth

PO6 3LY

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

1. To help provide a safe, clean and well-maintained department in co-operation with other laboratory staff, enabling the department to provide a high quality and efficient diagnostic service to patients and medical staff.

2. Assist with the maintenance of departmental equipment, databases and archives.

3. Operate digital slide scanners and assist with maintenance and troubleshooting.

4. Assist in the provision of reliable and accurate analytical data for the Trust, in accordance with UKAS and ISO15189 standards.

5. To work as part of a team of Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners, Medical Laboratory Assistants. A&C and Medical staff to deliver, within budget, a patient-orientated medical laboratory service to contribute to efficient and effective care.

Specific Core Functions

1. Scientific and Technical

1.1. Maintain a safe and clean working environment., dispose of waste, monitor basic laboratory equipment and prepare reagents.

1.2. Assist with pre-analytical preparation of clinical specimens according to departmental policies and procedures.

1.3. Defined routine equipment maintenance procedures undertaken as scheduled.

1.4. Undertake pre-analytical sample quality checks.

1.5. Undertake post-analytic storage of clinical specimens and appropriate filing or slides and paraffin wax tissue blocks to maintain well-ordered archives.

1.6. To ensure adequate supplies of in-use materials/reagents.

1.7. Undertake the retrieval and filing of stored specimens for additional work or for multi-disciplinary team meetings.

1.8. Prepare and load slides for digital scanning.

1.9. Perform routine maintenance on digital scanners and assist with troubleshooting.

1.10. To perform data entry on patient samples, inputting accurate data into a departmental database.

1.11. To assist with the discard of tissue that has been deemed appropriate for safe disposal.

1.12. To adhere to departmental SOPs at all times.

2. Communication and Relationships skills

2.1. To respond to incoming telephone and email enquiries in a helpful, polite and efficient manner.

2.2. To contribute to sharing of good practice within the department and across Pathology.

2.3. To participate fully as a team member, sharing knowledge and information, and supporting colleagues to promote a cohesive team and the achievement of team objectives.

3. Administrative

3.1. To ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of UKAS.

3.2. To assist in preparation and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures.

3.3. To train, develop and support the competence of other Medical Laboratory Assistants if required.

3.4. To participate in monitoring supplies of reagents and consumables and assist in the ordering and receipting of stock, informing senior staff when stocks are low and need to be replenished.

3.5. To take receipt of laboratory consumables and transfer to the appropriate storage conditions (i.e. room temperature, refrigeration or freezing).

4. General

4.1. To perform all duties to the best of the post holders ability under conditions which are often stressful due to time constraints, staffing levels and environmental condition.

4.2. Maintain, update and develop personal and professional knowledge and skills by participating in the Trust Annual Performance Review system.

4.3. Be familiar with all Health and Safety policies of the Trust and Department to ensure a safe working environment is maintained for employees and visitors.

4.4. To co-operate with other departmental and hospital staff to promote awareness of the professional image of Pathology throughout the Trust.

5. Education and training

5.1. Participate in a structured departmental training program to achieve required levels of competence in all assigned tasks.

6. Information Resources

6.1. Enter patient, test and clinical information onto the laboratory information management system (LIMS) in an accurate and timely manner (frequent periods of high concentration).

6.2. Work under the principles of GDPR and NHS Information Governance to ensure patient confidentiality is maintained at all times.

7. Responsibility Research and Development

7.1. Under direction, participate in the delivery or research, development and audit projects.

8. Responsibility Freedom to Act.

8.1 To work under indirect supervision with access to senior members of staff when required.

8.2 To be able to organise own day-to-day work tasks within parameters.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

2. Assist with the maintenance of departmental equipment, databases and archives.

3. Operate digital slide scanners and assist with maintenance and troubleshooting.

4. Assist in the provision of reliable and accurate analytical data for the Trust, in accordance with UKAS and ISO15189 standards.

Specific Core Functions

1. Scientific and Technical

1.1. Maintain a safe and clean working environment., dispose of waste, monitor basic laboratory equipment and prepare reagents.

1.2. Assist with pre-analytical preparation of clinical specimens according to departmental policies and procedures.

1.3. Defined routine equipment maintenance procedures undertaken as scheduled.

1.4. Undertake pre-analytical sample quality checks.

1.5. Undertake post-analytic storage of clinical specimens and appropriate filing or slides and paraffin wax tissue blocks to maintain well-ordered archives.

1.6. To ensure adequate supplies of in-use materials/reagents.

1.7. Undertake the retrieval and filing of stored specimens for additional work or for multi-disciplinary team meetings.

1.8. Prepare and load slides for digital scanning.

1.9. Perform routine maintenance on digital scanners and assist with troubleshooting.

1.10. To perform data entry on patient samples, inputting accurate data into a departmental database.

1.11. To assist with the discard of tissue that has been deemed appropriate for safe disposal.

1.12. To adhere to departmental SOPs at all times.

2. Communication and Relationships skills

2.1. To respond to incoming telephone and email enquiries in a helpful, polite and efficient manner.

2.2. To contribute to sharing of good practice within the department and across Pathology.

2.3. To participate fully as a team member, sharing knowledge and information, and supporting colleagues to promote a cohesive team and the achievement of team objectives.

3. Administrative

3.1. To ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of UKAS.

3.2. To assist in preparation and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures.

3.3. To train, develop and support the competence of other Medical Laboratory Assistants if required.

3.4. To participate in monitoring supplies of reagents and consumables and assist in the ordering and receipting of stock, informing senior staff when stocks are low and need to be replenished.

3.5. To take receipt of laboratory consumables and transfer to the appropriate storage conditions (i.e. room temperature, refrigeration or freezing).

4. General

4.1. To perform all duties to the best of the post holders ability under conditions which are often stressful due to time constraints, staffing levels and environmental condition.

4.2. Maintain, update and develop personal and professional knowledge and skills by participating in the Trust Annual Performance Review system.

4.3. Be familiar with all Health and Safety policies of the Trust and Department to ensure a safe working environment is maintained for employees and visitors.

4.4. To co-operate with other departmental and hospital staff to promote awareness of the professional image of Pathology throughout the Trust.

5. Education and training

5.1. Participate in a structured departmental training program to achieve required levels of competence in all assigned tasks.

6. Information Resources

6.1. Enter patient, test and clinical information onto the laboratory information management system (LIMS) in an accurate and timely manner (frequent periods of high concentration).

6.2. Work under the principles of GDPR and NHS Information Governance to ensure patient confidentiality is maintained at all times.

7. Responsibility Research and Development

7.1. Under direction, participate in the delivery or research, development and audit projects.

8. Responsibility Freedom to Act.

8.1 To work under indirect supervision with access to senior members of staff when required.

8.2 To be able to organise own day-to-day work tasks within parameters.

Person Specification

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Evidence of ability to work using own initiative and without direct supervision.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Demonstration of manual dexterity through previous employment/interests.
Demonstration of excellent numeracy skills through previous experience or employment.
Good hand to eye co-ordination.
Conscientious, methodical approach to duties with attention to detail.
Demonstration of good interpersonal skills.

Experience

Essential

Experience with electronic handling of data and keyboard skills.

Desirable

Previous laboratory experience

Qualifications

Essential

Sound education including GCSEs in English and Mathematics or equivalent.
BTEC or NVQ 2 (Pathology Support) or equivalent

Desirable

GCSE in Science (either Biology, Chemistry or Combined Science) or equivalent.
BTEC or NVQ 2 (Pathology Support) or equivalent.

Person Specification

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Evidence of ability to work using own initiative and without direct supervision.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Demonstration of manual dexterity through previous employment/interests.
Demonstration of excellent numeracy skills through previous experience or employment.
Good hand to eye co-ordination.
Conscientious, methodical approach to duties with attention to detail.
Demonstration of good interpersonal skills.