Clinical Scientist

Job responsibilities

At Synnovis, we are currently shaping the future of pathology services by creating a world-leading Hub and Spoke pathology network with our NHS partners. A large part of this modernisation will involve moving 70% of our services to a purpose built, state of the art Hub laboratory in the heart of London. For now, the job you are applying for will be based at one of our hospital sites however, from 1 April 2024 our people and services will start to move to our Hub laboratory in Blackfriars, Southwark, SE1, with some work remaining in refurbished essential services laboratories across our hospital network, focusing on the rapid turnover of urgent tests. Please do ask your recruiting manager if you wish to find out more.

What you will do

You will hold a variety of accountabilities in the laboratory environment. These include, but are

not limited to:

Day-to-day responsibility for the provision of a range of clinical, technical and scientific

diagnostic activities, including interpretation and clinical validation of results;

communicating complex information and advice that will aid and determine clinical

diagnosis.

Supervise and provide specialised training to less experienced employees, students,

trainees and other healthcare professionals

Undertake research in your own field under the direction of more senior clinical scientist

colleagues, contributing to the development of specialist investigations, identifying better

ways of working and finding efficiencies in service delivery.

Participate in research activities and publications; attend and present at regional, national

and international meetings.

Spend a proportion of time focused on quality and UKAS orientated activities, service

development and technical and clinical validation of results.

Key Responsibilities

Maintain standards of conduct required by the HCPC to practice as a registered Clinical

Scientist.

Perform investigations in line with local Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including

but not limited to result authorisation, ordering follow-up laboratory procedures, initiating

actions, escalating results when required.

Perform necessary action on the Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS),

ensuring all Information Governance (IG) requirements are met.

Communicate complex results, including making clinical and differential judgements

involving complicated facts or situations that impact on patients. This will include

exchanging specialist information with colleagues from your own and other disciplines.

Provide specialist expertise and technical advice to other laboratory and clinical colleagues

as required and within limits of competency.

Participate in the strategic development and service improvement of the analytical service,

being responsible for the implementation of new techniques, equipment, and tests,

including all verification and validation work. Where necessary this may include analysing

clinical trial samples.

Keep up to date with new developments by regular literature reviews and attendance at

relevant conferences.

Undertake research projects in specialised area in collaboration or as requested by

Principal or Consultant Clinical Scientists. Ensure outcomes from research and

development are placed in the public domain by publication and presentation at relevant

local, national and international conferences.

Ensure all incidents and events are correctly reported by junior staff in Q-Pulse quality

management database and other relevant software and support them in learning quality

procedures and investigations.

In conjunction with the Quality team, monitor, report and action errors, hazards, and

incidents logged in the CAPA module of Q-Pulse. This may include taking part in

investigations of incidents and providing expert insight into making improvements based

on outcomes.

Participate in appropriate clinical audits and take part in all Continuous Quality

Improvement (CQI) activity in your area.

Monitor, and report on EQA and IQC procedures and be responsible for corrective action

on problems that have been identified.

Ensure compliance with all legislative and quality requirements of regulatory directives,

accreditation bodies, and local management including:

Care Quality Commission

UKAS

Synnovis policies and SOPs

Any other body in area of responsibility.

Prepare statistical reports for use in meetings, quality assurance, and development events.

Develop, prepare, write, and review relevant documents, including SOPs, COSHH and

risk assessments in line with the ISO 15189 standard.

Provide supervision for employees, including participating in the departmental clinical rota,

potentially including out of hours cover.

Ensure that all Synnovis policies and procedures are implemented and maintained.

Encourage junior employees in their scientific expertise, knowledge and professional

development, including the safe use of highly complex and sensitive equipment.

Deliver training and supervision of less experienced colleagues in your area of specialism.

Demonstrate professionalism, patience and empathy when explaining complex subjects,

and in particular when communicating with people who do not share same level of

knowledge or understanding.

Attend, and where required, chair regular departmental meetings and contribute to

effective communication within the department.

Work closely with Operations Manager to ensure stock inventory compliance.

Deputise for the Principal or Consultant Clinical Scientist including attendance at meetings,

as required.

Take part in CPD activities to ensure that your practices and knowledge are always

relevant and up to date to your specific area.

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.

The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.

The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.

The hub is an eight-storey building, and we are working across 10 floors including the ground and lower ground floors. Synnovis corporate function operates from the hub on the 8th floor, above the laboratories underneath. This is a total net internal area of almost 10,000m squared across the 10 floors.

Based in Blackfriars, its less than a 5 minute walk from Southwark Tube or Blackfriars station and nestled closely to a vast array of entertainment and fabulous places to dine, relax and meet people.

Qualifications

Essential

• First or second-class honours degree in relevant scientific subject or Healthcare Science
• MSc in relevant scientific subject
• HCPC State registration as a Clinical Scientist
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

Desirable

• Willing to work towards higher levels of professional practice such as PhD or FRCPath Part 1

Experience

Essential

• Registered clinical scientist with a detailed working knowledge of specific discipline
• Supervising junior employees
• Education of physiology, pathology, and scientific principles relevant to specialism
• Experience in and ability to perform and supervise analysis, interpretation and technical validation of routine, complex and specialist results
• Using Laboratory Information Management Systems
• Maintaining quality systems
• Resolving troubleshooting activity for highly technical and precision equipment and assays

Desirable

• Involvement in research and development projects
• Leadership qualities with experience of coaching, coordinating and managing a team
• Experience working with mass spectrometry assays

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• A high degree of skill, knowledge and judgement where interpretation of results can be highly subjective
• Well-developed physical skills, demonstrable ability to use precision equipment and consumables
• Ability to troubleshoot and train those who use the Laboratory Information Management Systems
• Ability to manage effectively in a dynamic environment with multiple conflicting priorities
• Competent at communicating verbally and in writing with colleagues, clinical staff and external parties
• Ability to effectively manage own time, able to prioritise work for self and study
• Ability to maintain focus and concentration for extended periods of time
• Knowledge of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)
• Knowledge of the correct policies and procedures to implement in relation to quality systems, with reference to ISO/UKAS
• Knowledge of the management of laboratory procedures in your own areas, including following Health and Safety legislation and procedures

Desirable

• Good awareness of current issues within pathology locally and nationally
• Awareness and understanding of current trends in field of expertise

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).