Job Description

Please note that applicants who have previously applied for this post (VIS6976 - Associate Practitioner) and were unsuccessful will not be considered on this occasion.



This is an exciting opportunity for a full time Associate Practitioner at Guys and St Thomas' Blood Transfusion Laboratory.



You will work with and supervise a small team of Blood Transfusion MLAs, as a key part of the wider Blood Transfusion Team.



Blood Transfusion use Winpath Enterprise and Blood-Track systems and Bio-Rad analysers.



Upon satisfactory completion of in-house training and competency assessment you may be required to work between 8am and 8pm, in addition applicants may also be required to work on a full 24/7 rota in the future including night shifts.



This role supports the delivery of biomedical investigations and supervises MLAs as part of the Laboratory teams in Synnovis. Reporting to the Senior Specialist BMS, you will hold a variety of responsibilities to ensure the successful delivery of pathology services, in line with our corporate objectives.



Duties and Responsibilities



You will hold a variety of accountabilities in the laboratory environment. These will include, but are not limited to:



Deliver work autonomously, within all regulations and legislative requirements.



Handle and manage samples, in line with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and assessed competencies.



Perform tasks, operate and troubleshoot laboratory equipment within all safety standards and according to local SOPs relevant to your area.



Prepare solutions, reagents etc, and utilise a variety of laboratory equipment to carry out investigations.



Rotate around the laboratory to ensure a broad range of understanding and knowledge is cultivated.



Day-to-day supervision of MLAs and new members of the laboratory where necessary.



Use cost effective methods in your practice and maintain levels of consumable goods and supplies in your area, and report shortages accordingly.



Provide administrative support to all areas of the laboratory, as appropriate and dependent on experience and training



Key Responsibilities



Perform cleaning activities, prepare laboratory equipment, perform daily checks, environmental monitoring and waste management activities, and complete all required paperwork.



Prepare specimens and perform manual, semi-automated and fully-automated laboratory investigations within training parameters and where appropriate under supervision.



Perform and interpret routine biomedical investigations by participating in regular daily workloads, under the supervision of an appropriate Biomedical Scientist in your area.



Undertake preventative maintenance and troubleshooting on laboratory instruments and equipment prior to them being used for patient investigations.



Safely handle, use and dispose of biological specimens including infectious material or hazardous chemicals according to laboratory and health and safety protocols.



Understand hazards and risks of working in a laboratory and use adequate precautions and personal protective equipment at all times.



Ensure all laboratory samples, consumables and equipment are appropriately stored and maintained in line with SOPs, health and safety guidelines and recording protocols.



Use departmental resources efficiently and apply good stock management of reagents, consumables and stationery. Receipt and unpack new deliveries and advise/order when approaching minimum stock levels.



Process samples under supervision for clinical trials and research and development projects as and when required.



Supervise MLAs by mentoring and ensuring performance is in line with laboratory standards.



Report and record all incidents and adverse events under the direction of the senior members of staff.



Participate in quality management activities including inspections and audits, as required.



Organise day-to-day tasks, identifying and prioritising urgent work to ensure that deadlines are met, and to the highest standards possible. Escalate to senior member of staff, as necessary.



Answer the telephone, deal with calls politely and professionally, escalating requests when necessary to appropriate senior staff or departments.



Adhere to the laboratory SOPs and work with the team to review working practice to maintain a high quality and safe service.



Perform specimen reception duties including checking details, receiving and logging patient requests on to the LIMS.



Process referral specimens, receive samples dispatched from other laboratories and prepare samples for despatch to other laboratories or hospitals.



Complete data entry accurately, on time and in accordance with Information Governance (IG) procedures.



Seek practical advice from more experienced colleagues, including alignment with requirements of accreditation bodies and local management processes.



Use LIMS to accurately record sensitive patient information, requiring frequent, long periods of concentration, whilst maintaining patient confidentiality and following IG guidelines.



Take part in educational activities to ensure that your practices and knowledge are relevant and current to your specific area.



Complete any assigned laboratory administrative tasks including but not limited to: stock monitoring and ordering, logging of operational performance data, taking operational meeting minutes, recording team annual leave and updating training plans.



Undertake periodic laboratory training and competence assessment. Maintain knowledge and skills as identified by line manager



Your development and learning



You will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The Synnovis Way Development programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the Synnovis Academy through which you can receive funding / support for advanced qualifications.



Through our Innovation Accelerator Fund, you can apply for finance to get that new innovative scientific project off the ground, and participate with the wider scientific community through symposiums, conferences and other peer group meetings.



Key Responsibilities



Perform cleaning activities, prepare laboratory equipment, perform daily checks, environmental monitoring and waste management activities, and complete all required paperwork.



Prepare specimens and perform manual, semi-automated and fully-automated laboratory investigations within training parameters and where appropriate under supervision.



Perform and interpret routine biomedical investigations by participating in regular daily workloads, under the supervision of an appropriate Biomedical Scientist in your area.



Undertake preventative maintenance and troubleshooting on laboratory instruments and equipment prior to them being used for patient investigations.



Safely handle, use and dispose of biological specimens including infectious material or hazardous chemicals according to laboratory and health and safety protocols.



Understand hazards and risks of working in a laboratory and use adequate precautions and personal protective equipment at all times.



Ensure all laboratory samples, consumables and equipment are appropriately stored and maintained in line with SOPs, health and safety guidelines and recording protocols.



Use departmental resources efficiently and apply good stock management of reagents, consumables and stationery. Receipt and unpack new deliveries and advise/order when approaching minimum stock levels.



Process samples under supervision for clinical trials and research and development projects as and when required.



Supervise MLAs by mentoring and ensuring performance is in line with laboratory standards.



Report and record all incidents and adverse events under the direction of the senior members of staff.



Participate in quality management activities including inspections and audits, as required.



Organise day-to-day tasks, identifying and prioritising urgent work to ensure that deadlines are met, and to the highest standards possible. Escalate to senior member of staff, as necessary.



Answer the telephone, deal with calls politely and professionally, escalating requests when necessary to appropriate senior staff or departments.



Adhere to the laboratory SOPs and work with the team to review working practice to maintain a high quality and safe service.



Perform specimen reception duties including checking details, receiving and logging patient requests on to the LIMS.



Process referral specimens, receive samples dispatched from other laboratories and prepare samples for despatch to other laboratories or hospitals.



Complete data entry accurately, on time and in accordance with Information Governance (IG) procedures.



Seek practical advice from more experienced colleagues, including alignment with requirements of accreditation bodies and local management processes.



Use LIMS to accurately record sensitive patient information, requiring frequent, long periods of concentration, whilst maintaining patient confidentiality and following IG guidelines.



Take part in educational activities to ensure that your practices and knowledge are relevant and current to your specific area.



Complete any assigned laboratory administrative tasks including but not limited to: stock monitoring and ordering, logging of operational performance data, taking operational meeting minutes, recording team annual leave and updating training plans.



Undertake periodic laboratory training and competence assessment. Maintain knowledge and skills as identified by line manager



Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's 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.



Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital Foundation Trust is a major emergency and specialist teaching Trust which has all the specialties associated with a fascinating and career defining case load including: Women's Services, Fetal Medicine, Haematology, Oncology, Transplantation, and is also home to the Evelina Children's Hospital and the Cancer Centre on the Guy's site.



You will be close to the vibrant Borough Market and the South Bank, which are exceptional London locations; perfect places to work and relax next to such iconic venues as Big Ben, The London Eye and The Shard!