Job summary
This post is based at Whiston Hospital Pathology Department
This post will involve working weekends -Saturday 11-7, Sunday 10-6 at Whiston Hospital. This post also includes working bank holidays on a rota. The post holder will also be included in the Out of Hours support for the On-Call rota covering our service at Ormskirk District General Hospital.
We are looking for an enthusiastic, organised, methodical and highly motivated individual.
The responsibilities of this job are to perform basic clerical and reception duties within the laboratory, receive and log specimens into the department and record tests requested on the laboratory computer system.
Working independently although under the technical supervision of a qualified Biomedical Scientist, to undertake pre-analytical preparation of specimens received and to act as the first point of reference for enquiries into the department.
Main duties of the job
To contribute to the timely delivery of 24hr pathology services to our users. Key duties will involve sample handling and checking, aliquoting, data entry into the Pathology Administration System, sample loading and clerical duties. Ensuring the air tube is working and reporting faults without delay. It also includes dealing with visitors and telephone queries and Pathology Stores.
This post will involve working closely with Consultants and junior medical staff, General Practitioners, Laboratory and other hospital/professional staff both in this organisation and outside agencies and assisting patients with general enquiries both on the telephone and face to face.
You will be expected to participate in the bank holiday and weekend work rotas as required.
Please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated, should a sufficient number of applications be received, you are therefore advised to apply at your earliest convenience.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
- Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
Technical
- Duties may vary slightly from site to site so may or may not be applicable on all sites.
- Receive and barcode all samples and request forms as appropriate
- Enter Patient and Sample details into Laboratory Information System. Data entry of all patient identifiable information, clinical details and request details for all disciplines with the exception of Blood Transfusion into the Pathology (Telepath) system (accuracy is vitally important).
- Sort and deliver bar-coded samples/requests to appropriate department in a timely manner
- Receive requests into Telepath via the order communications systems
- Process samples through pre-analytical stages such as centrifugation, aliquoting into additional tubes, removal of clots and loading onto the analytical track to be analysed.
- Numbering, Telepath entry and loading of Blood Cultures onto the analyser in Microbiology
- Take and communicate as required all telephone enquires
- Prioritise urgent samples for fast tracking
- Process add-on Requests
- To use the Patient Administration System and other systems to check patient details.
- Pneumatic Air Tube- Pathology Reception is responsible for receiving fault calls regarding the air tube that must be dealt with immediately as per policy.
- Purge air tube system and clear simple faults as required
- Report ongoing faults to Facilities Maintenance
- Respond to telephone enquiries from service users, patients, relatives, and departmental colleagues with correct use of telephone and the giving out authorised results from Telepath as required.
- Use of fax, photocopier, according to the manufacturers instructions, as required.
- Understand and follow storage and stock rotation requirements of relevant stock in various storerooms.
- Distribution of GP orders (including blood forms) to surgeries in a timely manner.
- To ensure that all reports are sorted and distributed to the relevant bodies through internal and external posting systems in a timely and efficient manner.
- Accurate filing and retrieval of reports. Scanning of request forms.
- To work closely with all departments within the Pathology Directorate to ensure that a timely accurate service is delivered.
- To provide cross cover for colleagues as and when required.
- Night rota staff will work in Microbiology including processing Blood Cultures to the point of loading and starting the analyser.
- Any other duties deemed necessary to ensure the smooth running of the department commensurate with the grade.
Workflow Management
- Timely data entry of requests to facilitate maximum efficiency of turnaround times of results.
- Collect samples from wards/departments/Phlebotomists to meet required turnaround times when required by supervisor/manager.
- To maintain good working relations with all members of staff and to promote effective teamwork.
- To promote an efficient, courteous telephone manner to our service users.
- To actively participate in departmental meetings.
- Ensure risks to service such as faulty equipment or unexpected staff shortages are reported to the supervisors or manager as soon as possible.
- Replenish stock of blood bottles as required and prepare and despatch orders to community locations.
- Receive visitors to the laboratory as necessary
- Flexibility in helping to cover holiday/sickness absence.
- Participate in departmental meetings as required.
- To advise the Supervisor or Biomedical Scientists when consumables are approaching minimum stock levels, or take appropriate action
- Tidy Reception area when appropriate
- Decontaminate all work areas following Standard Operating Procedure.
- Health and Safety
- Adhere to Trust and departmental Health & Safety protocols and Fire regulations.
- Identify risks, and to be aware of risk assessments affecting the workplace. Report clinical incidents to the Blood Sciences Service Lead. Report any defects or required maintenance in building /services to the Blood Sciences Service Lead.
- Adhere to current Control of Substances Hazardous to Health legislation (COSHH). Ensuring the preparation, safe handling, storage, and disposal of reagents is carried out in accordance with departmental policy and COSHH legislation regarding hazardous materials and chemicals.
- Communication
- Communicate any relevant information to laboratory colleagues within the section and inform effectively at hand over.
- Actively participate in departmental meetings, team briefings, educational and audit meetings as appropriate.
- Ensure effective communication is maintained within the department.
- Maintain good working relations with all members of staff and promote effective teamwork.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
Technical
- Duties may vary slightly from site to site so may or may not be applicable on all sites.
- Receive and barcode all samples and request forms as appropriate
- Enter Patient and Sample details into Laboratory Information System. Data entry of all patient identifiable information, clinical details and request details for all disciplines with the exception of Blood Transfusion into the Pathology (Telepath) system (accuracy is vitally important).
- Sort and deliver bar-coded samples/requests to appropriate department in a timely manner
- Receive requests into Telepath via the order communications systems
- Process samples through pre-analytical stages such as centrifugation, aliquoting into additional tubes, removal of clots and loading onto the analytical track to be analysed.
- Numbering, Telepath entry and loading of Blood Cultures onto the analyser in Microbiology
- Take and communicate as required all telephone enquires
- Prioritise urgent samples for fast tracking
- Process add-on Requests
- To use the Patient Administration System and other systems to check patient details.
- Pneumatic Air Tube- Pathology Reception is responsible for receiving fault calls regarding the air tube that must be dealt with immediately as per policy.
- Purge air tube system and clear simple faults as required
- Report ongoing faults to Facilities Maintenance
- Respond to telephone enquiries from service users, patients, relatives, and departmental colleagues with correct use of telephone and the giving out authorised results from Telepath as required.
- Use of fax, photocopier, according to the manufacturers instructions, as required.
- Understand and follow storage and stock rotation requirements of relevant stock in various storerooms.
- Distribution of GP orders (including blood forms) to surgeries in a timely manner.
- To ensure that all reports are sorted and distributed to the relevant bodies through internal and external posting systems in a timely and efficient manner.
- Accurate filing and retrieval of reports. Scanning of request forms.
- To work closely with all departments within the Pathology Directorate to ensure that a timely accurate service is delivered.
- To provide cross cover for colleagues as and when required.
- Night rota staff will work in Microbiology including processing Blood Cultures to the point of loading and starting the analyser.
- Any other duties deemed necessary to ensure the smooth running of the department commensurate with the grade.
Workflow Management
- Timely data entry of requests to facilitate maximum efficiency of turnaround times of results.
- Collect samples from wards/departments/Phlebotomists to meet required turnaround times when required by supervisor/manager.
- To maintain good working relations with all members of staff and to promote effective teamwork.
- To promote an efficient, courteous telephone manner to our service users.
- To actively participate in departmental meetings.
- Ensure risks to service such as faulty equipment or unexpected staff shortages are reported to the supervisors or manager as soon as possible.
- Replenish stock of blood bottles as required and prepare and despatch orders to community locations.
- Receive visitors to the laboratory as necessary
- Flexibility in helping to cover holiday/sickness absence.
- Participate in departmental meetings as required.
- To advise the Supervisor or Biomedical Scientists when consumables are approaching minimum stock levels, or take appropriate action
- Tidy Reception area when appropriate
- Decontaminate all work areas following Standard Operating Procedure.
- Health and Safety
- Adhere to Trust and departmental Health & Safety protocols and Fire regulations.
- Identify risks, and to be aware of risk assessments affecting the workplace. Report clinical incidents to the Blood Sciences Service Lead. Report any defects or required maintenance in building /services to the Blood Sciences Service Lead.
- Adhere to current Control of Substances Hazardous to Health legislation (COSHH). Ensuring the preparation, safe handling, storage, and disposal of reagents is carried out in accordance with departmental policy and COSHH legislation regarding hazardous materials and chemicals.
- Communication
- Communicate any relevant information to laboratory colleagues within the section and inform effectively at hand over.
- Actively participate in departmental meetings, team briefings, educational and audit meetings as appropriate.
- Ensure effective communication is maintained within the department.
- Maintain good working relations with all members of staff and promote effective teamwork.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE level in English and Maths or equivalent qualification/experience
- RSA ll or equivalent qualification/experience
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Computer data input skills
- Attention to detail and accuracy
- Ability to work with indirect supervision
- Understands the requirement for patient confidentiality
- Ability to work in a team working environment
Desirable
- Working in a laboratory environment
- Follow standard operating procedures
- Able to prioritise urgent samples, previous samples and sort for distribution in a timely manner
- Previous NHS experience
- Willing and able to learn new skills
Skills
Essential
- Flexibility - willingness to alter hours to suit workload needs
- Completion of tasks to point of handover
- Excellent communication skills
- Good interpersonal skills
- To remain calm and co-operative under pressure
Desirable
- Able to handle plasma/serum and other bodily fluids as per protocol
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE level in English and Maths or equivalent qualification/experience
- RSA ll or equivalent qualification/experience
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Computer data input skills
- Attention to detail and accuracy
- Ability to work with indirect supervision
- Understands the requirement for patient confidentiality
- Ability to work in a team working environment
Desirable
- Working in a laboratory environment
- Follow standard operating procedures
- Able to prioritise urgent samples, previous samples and sort for distribution in a timely manner
- Previous NHS experience
- Willing and able to learn new skills
Skills
Essential
- Flexibility - willingness to alter hours to suit workload needs
- Completion of tasks to point of handover
- Excellent communication skills
- Good interpersonal skills
- To remain calm and co-operative under pressure
Desirable
- Able to handle plasma/serum and other bodily fluids as per protocol
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.
