Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities
1. Communication
To ensure prompt referral of results that exceed action limits to duty biochemist and clinical staff, and to discuss technical information with clients within the hospital and community.
To interact with Pathology staff from other specialisms in the case of unforeseen emergency pressures, offering appropriate professional support and assistance to colleagues when patient healthcare may be affected.
To offer guidance on the services available from the speciality, information about the analyses performed, and to refer medical queries to duty biochemist for follow-up clinical advice.
To communicate with clinical and biochemistry staff and assist in resolving critical concerns affecting the patient, liaising with other staff in the Clinical Laboratories as necessary.
To liaise with the requesting clinician to maximise the usefulness of specialist tests.
To attend departmental meetings and briefings, and to disseminate relevant information to staff.
To solve urgent queries raised by bleep or telephone, using a properly professional attitude including a degree of empathy towards service users when solving contentious issues that may conflict with laboratory service targets.
2. Personal and people development
To assist in formal staff appraisals at annual performance and development reviews, making recommendations for further promotion and training needs.
To assist, supervise and instruct trainee and less experienced Biomedical Scientists, Laboratory Assistants and support staff in all aspects of equipment operation.
To provide tutorial and instruction to entry grade BMS and assist in the completion of Training Logs and Portfolios in preparation for HCPC registration.
To participate in the Appraisal process relevant to grade.
3. Service development
To implement new SOPs, and review, amend or revise current SOPs.
To undertake specialised and developmental work, preparing and storing samples suitably for the purposes of drug trials and research.
To continually improve service provision, undertaking developmental work as required.
4. Biomedical investigation and intervention
To certify the suitability of samples received, liaising with medical staff as appropriate.
To take responsibility as needed for completing and checking work performed by more junior staff after assessment of analytical and technical validity.
To perform technical interpretation of partial, highly complex or conflicting results, any of which if reported may result in inappropriate medical intervention.
To cover emergency requests from other Hospital Trusts.
To monitor the use of consumables and reagents, using the Oracle system to order supplies, and to take responsibility for the receipt and correct storage of deliveries.
To perform highly specialised test procedures, training and educating less experienced staff when necessary.
To function independently with enhanced responsibility, working alone as required.
To take the lead role when paired with staff from a different specialism.
To prioritise investigations appropriate to clinical need, arranging workflow to accommodate instrument capability and to optimise turn-round time for urgent requests.
To provide a rapid, reliable and efficient results service by performing a comprehensive range of routine and specialist biochemistry analyses, or referral to other providers as needed.
To apply specialised knowledge and skills, taking overall responsibility for the satisfactory performance of analyses within the area of accountability (delegated on a rotational basis).
To provide users of point-of-care test equipment with technical, operational & maintenance support and advice.
To provide, where possible, specialised items or supplies from the department which have been requested by the clients to perform specific investigations.
5. Systems and equipment
To check all relevant safety procedures, troubleshoot, repair and maintain instruments for correct operation, or make suitable alternative arrangements in the case of equipment malfunction. This will include co-ordinating with company engineers to ensure continuous operation of essential equipment.
To liaise with IT support in resolving any computer system difficulties.
6. Information processing
To ensure that agreed internal and external quality control procedures are carried out and regularly reviewed, and that appropriate corrective measures are taken to maintain approved standards
7. People management
To supervise and co-ordinate the activities of staff within a section of the specialism, ensuring that the highest standards of work are maintained.
To ensure that all staff work to established protocols in the satisfactory completion and validation of routine and specialist biochemistry analyses, informing and updating staff of developments and changes in practice.
To plan work schedules and determine work priorities according to agreed policies.
To deputise for the Chief Biomedical Scientist in their absence.
Compliance adhere to standard operational procedures, bringing areas of risk to note. Supervise analytical conformity within area of responsibility
Performance ensure turnaround times are maintained. Persistent non-compliance with service targets must be investigated and recommendations made.
8. Quality
To monitor the area of responsibility for compliance with UKAS standards, working with senior and management staff to resolve any problems.
9. Health safety and security
To take appropriate responsibility for the safety and security of the laboratory.
Clinical Governance / Quality
To monitor the area of responsibility for compliance with UKAS standards, working with senior and management staff to resolve any problems.
Education and training development
To assist in formal staff appraisal reviews, making recommendations for further promotion and training needs.
To assist, supervise and instruct trainee and less experienced Biomedical Scientists, Laboratory Assistants and support staff in all aspects of equipment operation.
To provide tutorial and instruction to entry grade BMS and assist in the completion of Training Logs and Portfolios in preparation for HCPC registration.
Skills escalator fulfil individual potential by undertaking mandatory and optional training.
Take the lead role in the training and development of less experienced scientific, medical, technical and support staff.
Equality and Diversity
It is the responsibility of every member of staff to understand our equality and diversity commitments and statutory obligations under current equality legislation (the Equality Act 2010) and to:
Act in ways that support equality and diversity and recognises the importance of peoples rights in accordance with legislation, policies, procedures, and good practice.
Valuing people as individuals and treating everyone with dignity and respect, consideration and without prejudice, respecting diversity and recognising peoples expressed beliefs, preferences and choices in working with others and delivering appropriate services.
Recognise and report behaviour that undermines equality under Trust policy.
Be consciously aware of own behaviour and encourage the same levels of behaviour in colleagues.
Acknowledge others different perspectives and recognise the diverse needs and experiences of everyone they come into contact with.
With the support of managers develop an equality and diversity objective through the personal development review process.
Values and Behaviours
We are Caring
We are kind to each other and always show compassion to ourselves and others.
We know we are doing this when:
We are always kind and compassionate to ourselves, our patients, families and colleagues:
We recognise and appreciate each other, taking pride in working here and our contribution to success;
We are professional and always seek to deliver the best standards of care
We are Fair
We treat people equitably and value their differences.
We know we are doing this when:
We value everyone for their unique contribution, and we embrace diversity;
We are confident in speaking up and we support all our colleagues to do the same;
We are open and honest
We Are Innovative
We work as one team to continuously improve the way we deliver and transform health care.
We know we are doing this when:
We continuously improve the services we deliver and pioneer new ways of doing things;
We learn from mistakes, striving to ensure we get things right first time;
We create and share knowledge with each other, patients and our professional communities.
For the complete Job description and personal specification please see attached documents.
