Specimen Reception Lead

Job description

Job responsibilities

To lead on the day to day running of the pathology services department, compiling rotas and ensuring service cover.

To escalate issues and problems to senior staff for mitigation and support.

To liaise with and deputise for the POCT Coordinator to ensure service provision and support.

To escalate absence and annual leave to senior staff for recording, approval and further action.

To be the point of contact for day-to-day queries and issues within the department.

To provide input for operational changes as envisaged by senior staff, and to provide reasonable challenge as required.

Reception:

To safely collect, log and send samples to the relevant pathology assessment service in accordance with the Pathology standard operating procedures (SOPs) and national guidelines for the for the dispatching of pathology samples.

To receive samples from network sites and clinics, to prepare, log and send them on to the relevant pathology provider, returning the containers and labelled Bio-Bottles as required.

To carefully check the request form and patient samples in accordance with the Request Form and specimen Labelling Policy.

To collate and ensure delivery of consumables to wards, clinics and network sites to enable continuing pathology testing.

To prioritise the workload so that urgent samples are dealt with in a timely manner and to record all urgent requests as required, to follow these up and promptly give results to the requesting clinician.

Administrative:

To carefully check subject details so that the requests out and results back to the Trusts information system are suitable for clinicians to access.

To use and update Open Eyes and PAS to ensure Data Quality, where necessary.

To be aware of handling all complex and sensitive information appropriately in accordance with the pathology SOP and to ensure all abnormal blood results are sent to the appropriate recipients, including the GP if necessary.

To deal with queries, either physically, via email or over the telephone in a courteous manner and use own initiative to deal with enquiries, taking messages to pass on and escalate as needed.

To receive patient reports from external laboratories, log them on the pathology database, Open Eyes and to send these to the requesting clinicians, as appropriate.

To comply with the Pathology SOPs including for safe secure confidential processing, storage and disposal of patient and other laboratory information in accordance with good work practices as required by the standards of UKAS against ISO15189:2022.

To monitor and maintain stock above a minimum acceptable level, using the Trusts ordering system to replenish stock and consumables as required.

To liaise and engage with TDL as the main pathology provider over consumables sent/received as part of existing standing orders.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience within specimen reception
• Experience in handling pathological samples

Desirable

• Experience with complex blood tests and special samples
• Experience of Point of Care Testing

Education

Essential

• Good general education, e.g. GCSE or equivalent to grade C or above

Desirable

• HCPC registration

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Microsoft Office or similar packages
• Good verbal and written communication skills with patients and staff in relation to our ophthalmic setting
• Proven ability to work under pressure or demanding schedule to avoid long waiting times

Desirable

• Computer skills in clinical settings i.e. LIMS/PAS

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

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

City Road

City Road

London

EC1V 2PD

Employer's website

https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/work-for-us (Opens in a new tab)