Job summary
We are looking for a motived Medical Laboratory Assistant to join our friendly Labatory Medicine in York. The post holder will be expected to assist in the provision of an efficient, high quality service.
This is SHYPS Microbiology role which is primarily based at York but opportunities may arise to work across any of the SHYPS sites as the need arises.
Working pattern may involve available Bank shifts, between Monday to Sunday (including Bank Holidays). The shifts may be a mixture of days, nights, lates, and earlies, to enable us to provide a service. Bank shifts are subject to the demand within the department.
Main duties of the job
Core Duties include:
Receipt and sorting of samples into the department
Preparation of samples
Assisting in the general cleanliness and tidying of the section
Previous experience of working in an NHS Pathology Laboratory would be advantageous, especially in the role of MLA, other laboratory experience would be considered. Previous experience of patient data inputting and any typing qualifications are desirable, but not essential. Flexible and logical approach to work, good telephone manner and a team worker are all personal qualities which are essential to this role
Please note: This advert is only open for a short period and interview will be held on the Friday 4th November.
About us
York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a comprehensive range of acute hospital, community and specialist healthcare services for approximately 800,000 people living in and around York, North Yorkshire, North East Yorkshire and Ryedale - an area covering 3,400 square miles, and which includes Scarborough and Bridlington.
Our mission is to be a valued and trusted partner within our care system, delivering safe effective care to the population we serve.
We're situated in a fantastic part of the country: home to two national parks, a beautiful coastline, and the city of York, which is consistently voted one of the best to live in the UK.
It's our privilege to be the largest provider of healthcare in the region and we are incredibly proud of our 8,500 staff, working across 9 hospital sites, supporting safe, high quality patient-centred care on a day-to-day basis.
We hope to hear from you soon!
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a high quality and efficient support service to the Microbiology department under the indirect supervision of registered scientific staff. This includes receipt, preparation and processing of diagnostic specimens using precise, specific and repetitive manual analytical techniques, and high throughput automated analytical equipment. This role involves exposure to infectious material and bodily fluids.
To work with speed and accuracy inputting patient and specimen details into the laboratory information management system (LIMS), and issuing authorised results to service users over the telephone. Laboratory housekeeping and equipment maintenance, assisting in daily laboratory quality control protocols and responsibility for safe disposal of all laboratory waste including use of laboratory autoclave.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
- Communication and Relationship Skills
- To demonstrate politeness, courtesy and sensitivity in dealing with patients/clients, visitors/relatives and colleagues, maintaining good relations.
- To support the role of Biomedical Scientists in each area within the Microbiology Department under the supervision of the MLA Manager and HPC registered staff.
- To respond to telephone enquiries for results from clinicians and other users and to relate validated results.
- Knowledge, Training and Experience
- The sorting, packaging and dispatch of referred specimens to other laboratories either by courier, post or hospital transport in compliance with local SOPs and international legislation.
- The post holder will ensure that all specimen discrepancies, especially for mislabelled or lost samples, are reported to appropriate senior staff.
- After appropriate training and achievement of competency, the post holder will assist in the training and direction of new staff.
- The post holder will follow guidelines and policies on the handling of all high risk and potentially infectious specimens
- To ensure compliance with COSHH regulations and risk assessments in the handling of hazardous materials.
- The post holder will comply with Local Rules for Health and Safety including departmental security and fire awareness.
- Analytical Skills
- Support the role of Biomedical Scientists (BMS) within Microbiology under the supervision of the MLA manager and HCPC registered staff.
- Receive and unpack all microbiological samples, determine if adequately identified, note any discrepancies, allocate appropriate laboratory identification and direct to work streams
- Perform laboratory based manual, semi-automated and fully automated analytical techniques according to the laboratory SOP when - Preparing samples for examination
- Processing diagnostic samples using automated analysers including molecular platforms
- Processing rapid immunological tests for reading and reporting by BMS
- Performing basic maintenance and responding to error messages on analysers as detailed in the SOP
- To input patient and specimen details into the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) in an accurate and timely manner.
- The post holder will be familiar with the input and retrieval of information utilising the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).
- To participate in the departmental weekend and Bank Holiday rotas.
- To provide clerical and wash-room Back-up when the need arises.
- Planning and Organisational Skills
- The timely dispatch of laboratory consumables to wards, clinics and GP surgeries.
- To monitor the use of bench stocks of consumables and to report shortfalls to senior member of staff.
- Physical Skills
- Use of VDU equipment
- Use of complex analytical equipment
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Responsibilities for Patient/ Client Care
- To work safely, with regard to the safety of patients, colleagues and others in conformance with current legislation.
- The post holder will have a personal responsibility to report any accidents, adverse incidents or breaches of Health and Safety to senior staff.
- To maintain strict confidentiality on any matter concerning patients.
- Responsibilities for Policy and Service Development
- To participate in Individual Development Review in accordance with Trust Policy.
- To participate in training and development programmes appropriate to the post and in line with agreed Personal Development Plan within the Microbiology Department.
- To ensure departmental service improvement objectives are achieved through development of their knowledge and skills.
- Responsibilities for Financial and Physical Resources
- The post holder will support the trusts internal audit service during regular reviews of financial and other systems across the organisation, the post holder will assist the auditor and provide information as required and without undue delay.
- Responsibilities for Staff/ HR/ Leadership/ Training
- Assist the MLA manager in drawing up staff rotas and ensuring sufficient staff cover for all areas.
- Ensuring all staff attend mandatory training.
- Responsibilities for Information Resources
- To treat with discretion all confidential and other information requiring protection, avoiding disclosure to any unauthorised person the result of any investigation gained in the practice of the profession.
- To ensure adherence to the requirements of the Data Protection Act and to seek relevant information about the Act from the Data Custodian within the Trust where appropriate.
- Responsibilities for Research and Development
- When required work with the research and development team, assisting the team by providing information as required and without undue delay.
- Freedom to Act
- The post holder will uphold and support the trust in its goal to promote and embed diversity and inclusivity throughout the organisation.
- The post holder will ensure that everyone is treated as an individual, with dignity and respect.
- The post holder will embrace the trust philosophy that as individuals we are all unique, and will acknowledge and value difference in order to treat everyone fairly.
EFFORT AND ENVIRONMENT
- Physical Effort
- Physical effort required when working on busy shifts, adapting to current workloads and timescales as the service develops.
- Mental Effort
- Sustained mental effort and high levels of concentration required often
- Emotional Effort
- Emotional effort required to deal with the management of change, staffs personal and emotional problems including confidential and sensitive information.
- Working Conditions
- Able to wear protective clothing as appropriate
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a high quality and efficient support service to the Microbiology department under the indirect supervision of registered scientific staff. This includes receipt, preparation and processing of diagnostic specimens using precise, specific and repetitive manual analytical techniques, and high throughput automated analytical equipment. This role involves exposure to infectious material and bodily fluids.
To work with speed and accuracy inputting patient and specimen details into the laboratory information management system (LIMS), and issuing authorised results to service users over the telephone. Laboratory housekeeping and equipment maintenance, assisting in daily laboratory quality control protocols and responsibility for safe disposal of all laboratory waste including use of laboratory autoclave.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
- Communication and Relationship Skills
- To demonstrate politeness, courtesy and sensitivity in dealing with patients/clients, visitors/relatives and colleagues, maintaining good relations.
- To support the role of Biomedical Scientists in each area within the Microbiology Department under the supervision of the MLA Manager and HPC registered staff.
- To respond to telephone enquiries for results from clinicians and other users and to relate validated results.
- Knowledge, Training and Experience
- The sorting, packaging and dispatch of referred specimens to other laboratories either by courier, post or hospital transport in compliance with local SOPs and international legislation.
- The post holder will ensure that all specimen discrepancies, especially for mislabelled or lost samples, are reported to appropriate senior staff.
- After appropriate training and achievement of competency, the post holder will assist in the training and direction of new staff.
- The post holder will follow guidelines and policies on the handling of all high risk and potentially infectious specimens
- To ensure compliance with COSHH regulations and risk assessments in the handling of hazardous materials.
- The post holder will comply with Local Rules for Health and Safety including departmental security and fire awareness.
- Analytical Skills
- Support the role of Biomedical Scientists (BMS) within Microbiology under the supervision of the MLA manager and HCPC registered staff.
- Receive and unpack all microbiological samples, determine if adequately identified, note any discrepancies, allocate appropriate laboratory identification and direct to work streams
- Perform laboratory based manual, semi-automated and fully automated analytical techniques according to the laboratory SOP when - Preparing samples for examination
- Processing diagnostic samples using automated analysers including molecular platforms
- Processing rapid immunological tests for reading and reporting by BMS
- Performing basic maintenance and responding to error messages on analysers as detailed in the SOP
- To input patient and specimen details into the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) in an accurate and timely manner.
- The post holder will be familiar with the input and retrieval of information utilising the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).
- To participate in the departmental weekend and Bank Holiday rotas.
- To provide clerical and wash-room Back-up when the need arises.
- Planning and Organisational Skills
- The timely dispatch of laboratory consumables to wards, clinics and GP surgeries.
- To monitor the use of bench stocks of consumables and to report shortfalls to senior member of staff.
- Physical Skills
- Use of VDU equipment
- Use of complex analytical equipment
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Responsibilities for Patient/ Client Care
- To work safely, with regard to the safety of patients, colleagues and others in conformance with current legislation.
- The post holder will have a personal responsibility to report any accidents, adverse incidents or breaches of Health and Safety to senior staff.
- To maintain strict confidentiality on any matter concerning patients.
- Responsibilities for Policy and Service Development
- To participate in Individual Development Review in accordance with Trust Policy.
- To participate in training and development programmes appropriate to the post and in line with agreed Personal Development Plan within the Microbiology Department.
- To ensure departmental service improvement objectives are achieved through development of their knowledge and skills.
- Responsibilities for Financial and Physical Resources
- The post holder will support the trusts internal audit service during regular reviews of financial and other systems across the organisation, the post holder will assist the auditor and provide information as required and without undue delay.
- Responsibilities for Staff/ HR/ Leadership/ Training
- Assist the MLA manager in drawing up staff rotas and ensuring sufficient staff cover for all areas.
- Ensuring all staff attend mandatory training.
- Responsibilities for Information Resources
- To treat with discretion all confidential and other information requiring protection, avoiding disclosure to any unauthorised person the result of any investigation gained in the practice of the profession.
- To ensure adherence to the requirements of the Data Protection Act and to seek relevant information about the Act from the Data Custodian within the Trust where appropriate.
- Responsibilities for Research and Development
- When required work with the research and development team, assisting the team by providing information as required and without undue delay.
- Freedom to Act
- The post holder will uphold and support the trust in its goal to promote and embed diversity and inclusivity throughout the organisation.
- The post holder will ensure that everyone is treated as an individual, with dignity and respect.
- The post holder will embrace the trust philosophy that as individuals we are all unique, and will acknowledge and value difference in order to treat everyone fairly.
EFFORT AND ENVIRONMENT
- Physical Effort
- Physical effort required when working on busy shifts, adapting to current workloads and timescales as the service develops.
- Mental Effort
- Sustained mental effort and high levels of concentration required often
- Emotional Effort
- Emotional effort required to deal with the management of change, staffs personal and emotional problems including confidential and sensitive information.
- Working Conditions
- Able to wear protective clothing as appropriate
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GSCE grades A-C or equivalent in Maths and English
Practical Skills
Essential
- Ability to organise and prioritise own workload
- Attention to detail.
Desirable
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GSCE grades A-C or equivalent in Maths and English
Practical Skills
Essential
- Ability to organise and prioritise own workload
- Attention to detail.
Desirable
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.
