West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Admin Assistant/Medical Laboratory Assistant - Band 3 - Pathology

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Job summary

The Point of Care Testing (POCT) team are looking to recruit an Administrative Assistant/Medical Laboratory Assistant to their small and friendly team. This role will give the post holder the opportunity to work in an exciting and emerging area of Pathology, which has improving patient care at its core. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the POCT team were pivotal in providing rapid COVID-19 testing within the Trust. Whilst there are also many exciting upcoming projects, such as replacing the Trust glucose/ketone meters and expanding IT connectivity across the POCT device portfolio.

POCT, as the title suggests, is patient testing at or near the patient bedside. Meaning a faster turnaround time to results to allow for quicker diagnosis and treatment. Although POCT sits within Pathology, many of POCT operators are clinical staff. Therefore, the role of the POCT team is to ensure laboratory standards are met for all operators, devices and results across multiple areas and sites.

Main duties of the job

As a POCT Administrative Assistant/Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA) your role will be to assist the POCT team with administrative duties, including:

Diary management, minute taking and distribution of meeting papers.

Producing external quality assessment (EQA) distribution letters and packaging EQA samples.

Assisting in the production of POCT communications.

However, as part of the MLA aspect of the role, you will assist the Associate Practitioners with duties such as:

Processing quality control solutions on devices.

Ordering and distributing stock.

Troubleshooting analysers.

As such, the successful candidate will be pro-active with undertaking tasks on wards and in other clinical areas. Furthermore, you will need to have previous administrative experience, excellent IT skills and be a good communicator. The role involves multi-tasking and prioritisation and so being organised with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail is a must.

About us

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

Were a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and childrens ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Date posted

17 July 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£22,816 to £24,336 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9179-23-5052-C

Job locations

Harwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

Suffolk

IP33 2QZ

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description for more detail ion supporting information

JOB PURPOSE:

The post holder will assist with ensuring all West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) Point of Care Testing (POCT) responsibilities operate and are controlled in a manner consistent with the Trust POCT policy, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and relevant UKAS accreditation guidelines. The post holder will provide general administrative and secretarial duties for the POCT team with limited direct supervision. Typical duties will include taking messages, arranging meetings, diary management and minute taking. The post holder will also assist with and/or complete some of the tasks designated to the Associate Practitioners, as appropriate and as required. Full training will be provided for these tasks to ensure competence and to build POCT knowledge to benefit this role.

KEY TASKS:

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

POCT team
All medical and nursing staff who use POCT equipment
All pathology laboratory (NEESPS) staff

Anti-Coagulation Monitoring Service (AMS) staff

Pathology consultants
EBME staff
IT staff
Pharmacy staff
Purchasing staff
POCT equipment and consumable suppliers
POCT staff in other Trusts
Governance Department
Complaints Department
HR Department

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical

- Provide confidential and efficient support to the POCT team; including word processing, diary management, message taking, minute taking, distribution of meeting papers and other usual secretarial skills.

- Deal with a range of routine POCT queries relaying and resolving them with appropriate members of the team, when necessary.

- Communicate routine information to POCT staff from other departments and external contacts.

- Undertake administrative tasks such as filing and photocopying.

- To collect, sort and distribute the incoming mail for staff and to ensure outgoing mail is delivered.

- Arrange meetings for members of the POCT team. This will include liaison with internal departments and external agencies and room bookings.

- Order, check, maintain and distribute equipment, office supplies and stationery for the team, as required.

- Assist with stock checks and orders for all POCT device consumables, as required.

- Create and maintain an up to date POCT training record database for all POCT users, ensuring the accuracy of information held.

- Assist with and/or undertake internal quality control (IQC) processes for all POCT devices, as required.

- Produce external quality assessment (EQA) distribution letters, package EQA samples and distribute, as required.

- Attend basic user training for the POCT devices, to expand POCT knowledge and assist with role.

- Organise POCT training sessions for both the team and all POCT users and undertake all associated administrative tasks.

- Issue/re-issue POCT user barcodes.

- Assist in the production of POCT communications e.g. memos, newsletters and training posters.

- Manage a POCT team generic email inbox and calendar.

- Resolve conflicting appointments and schedules.

- Organise own day to day work in line with priorities set.

Information resources

- Be able to record test results on the computer and manual systems in accordance with agreed standard operating procedures (SOPs).

- Ad hoc retrieval of information from Trust systems to support POCT service e.g. e-Care.

- To ensure patient confidentiality and conformance to Data Protection Act and Caldicott Guidelines.

- Be able to use IT systems, email, internet and other software packages, as required.

Quality/Governance/Risk Management

- Follow policies and procedures ensuring that the quality management system (QMS) for POCT is complied with.

- Comment on proposals for change to appropriate policies and SOPs within own area.

- Assist in audits and where appropriate, propose service improvements within own area.

- Complete incident forms where appropriate.

- Support team members in investigation of incidents and complaints.

Education, Training and Development

- Participates in appraisal process in line with current policies.

- Participate in continual professional development (CPD).

- Responsible for personal education, training and competencies.

- Attend training, including external seminars/conferences, to achieve and maintain competence and expand knowledge.

Other responsibilities

- Support quality control processes and follow departmental policies.

- Assist in the introduction of new processes and systems.

- Maintain a clean and safe working environment.

- To ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard, and in accordance with current quality initiatives within the area of work.

- To assist the Associate Practitioners with their duties and cover some of their tasks if there is absence or leave, as directed by the POCT Coordinator.

- To undertake additional duties in line with scope of practice.

- To work flexibly in reflection of service needs.

Please note: This role may bring the post holder into contact with human bodily fluids and tissues, mainly blood and urine, and hazardous chemicals.