Job Description

Are you a suitably qualified and motivated individual looking to develop your career as a Lead Biomedical Scientist for University Hospitals Plymouth Blood Sciences service? We currently have an exciting opportunity to join our Blood Sciences team, supporting and serving our clinical partners throughout the South West Peninsula.

Reporting to the Blood Sciences Laboratory Operations Manager you will be a part of the Senior Pathology Management & Leadership Team. This is an opportunity to utilise your existing experience and develop your knowledge and skills working within a progressive Peninsula Pathology Network.

This is an exciting time for Pathology where we are in the process of upgrading our current LIMS to an EPR and preparing a full Pathology transition to a newly designed, purpose-built laboratory facility.

Our laboratories are UKAS accredited, have full HCPC/IBMS training accreditation and support a range of educational pathways to professional success.



You will hold a post graduate qualification or be a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Scientists and will be State Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You will be self-motivated with excellent communication skills and have significant experience in one or more of the Blood Science disciplines.

If this opportunity is the next step for your development and you would like an informal discussion, please contact us:

Katie Boote, Laboratory Operations Manager. Email:

Katie.boote@nhs.net



The post holder will directly manage a group of approximately 65 staff including scientific, technical, support, nursing and/or administrative staff.



The post holder in collaboration with the Laboratory Operations Manager, Pathology Service Line Manager, Deputy Pathology Service Line Manager and Consultant Pathologists will provide a timely, high quality, accurate, cost-effective and safe service.



The post holder will ensure the timely processing of approximately 10 million patient samples serving UHP, ICB's representing 90 general practices and specialist assays referred from other Trusts within the Peninsula



We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.



Operational

1. To assist the Laboratory Operations Manager in the management of the clinical and technical services within the department and ensuring that this meets the requirements of the clinical leads, service users and patients.

2. To ensure effective channels of communication are identified and used throughout the laboratory sections.

3. Deals with contentious and highly complex information and uses this information to report to the Laboratory Operations Manager any issues that could affect the optimal performance of the department.

4. To support the Laboratory Operations Manager and Clinical Leads in evaluating and researching new techniques and equipment for suitability. To actively manage the installation and assessment of new equipment and methods prior to routine use.

5. Achieve, demonstrate, maintain and promote scientific & technical excellence, and by example ensure high professional standards amongst the scientific, technical and support staff in your sections within the Laboratory.

6. To advise the Laboratory Operations Manager in the planning and provision of an innovative, cost effective and comprehensive service, including the management, implementation and policy development of any agreed changes to the service.

7. Liaise with service users to solve problems and to satisfy users' service needs, within the budgetary constraints of the department.

8. Support the laboratory by attending meetings, on behalf of the department, to give expert advice where appropriate within their area of expertise.

9.To be responsible for implementing any procedural changes required by the Laboratory Operations Manager and disseminate information relating to them.

10. To be responsible for the accurate maintenance of all records pertaining to the activities of the laboratory.

11. To be responsible for the adequacy of maintenance, repair, servicing and safety of all equipment within the laboratory.

12.Take a shared responsibility for the fabric of the Department.

13. Provide supervision of other sections within the department covering absence of colleagues.

14. Prepare and provide statistical and other information as required including maintenance of the test cost model and production of business intelligence data.

15. Provide workload statistics.

16. Participate in the Pathology On-call Manager Rota.



Training

17. Promotes, motivates and provides an environment conducive to continual learning and development through effective teaching, training and sharing of skills, knowledge and understanding.

18. Support and help to develop the training of the department's junior medical staff and Clinical Scientists.

19. Responsible for mentoring other Biomedical Scientist staff under their direct line management, to ensure their career progression and optimum performance.

20. Be responsible for identification of own personal and professional development needs in discussion with the Laboratory Operations Manager and the Head of Department.

21. To participate in an annual appraisal review and achieve any targets set within the agreed time.



Technical

21. The post holder will be required to provide complex information relating to test results, which may be very sensitive in nature.

22. As a state registered Biomedical Scientist with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) understand the pathology of disease in relationship to the results produced whilst being aware of their significance in the authorisation of patients results with reference to the normal ranges.

24. To understand the principles underlying the analytical processes used in your speciality to maintain their operation and quality of results.

25. To possess highly developed, advanced specialist scientific skills.



Financial

30. Work with the Trusts procurement team to ensure value for money is achieved for all purchasing.

31. Work with Trust procurement ensure best practice in the use of Oracle ordering systems.

32. Support income generation initiatives within your sections and the department.

32. Ensure that all business is conducted within the framework of the Trust's Standing Financial Instructions (SFI's).

33. Will monitor the laboratory expenditure against contract value and inform the Laboratory Operations Manager when variance occurs.

34. Provide any financial information required for the purposes of charging.

35. Support the Business, HR and Finance Manager in the maintenance of SLA's

36. Delegated responsibility for the management of the relevant cost centres of the departmental budget.

37. Responsibility for authorising all payments for overtime, expenses claims, study leave and out of hours payments for the laboratory.

38. Working with the Laboratory Operations Manager to maintain asset registers and capital list requirements.



Services Management

40. Responsibility to plan the delivery of your sections of the laboratory service, maximising the available resources effectively and encouraging a team ethos to achieve multidisciplinary objectives.



41. To be responsible for the promotion, identification and implementation of efficiency measures within the laboratory. Work with other departmental leads in the laboratory to ensure that any efficiency measures identified within the department are implemented.



42. As part of the Senior Management Team, help introduce, People First, LEAN and KATA practices and attend training as required to enable this.



43. Promote a service improvement culture amongst the teams encouraging participation of all staff in service improvement meetings at departmental, service line and divisional level



Quality Management

43. In conjunction with the Laboratory Operations Manager ensure the implementation and maintenance of the quality standards set by UKAS ISO 15189:2022 and MHRA.

44. Working with the Laboratory Operations Manager to develop and implement Trust procedures and policies on risk in accordance with Clinical Governance.

45. Ensure the completion of all DATIX and timely reporting in line with Trust policy and the use of Patient Safety Incident Responses Framework (PSIRF).

46. Working with the Laboratory Operations Manager to develop, coordinate and maintain the department's programme of continuous service review in accordance with internal and external quality systems and within the Trust's framework of continuous quality improvement.

47. To be responsible for the establishment and participate in the auditing of all working procedures and protocols within the laboratory.

48. To be the owner of all standard operational procedures, protocols and policies within the sections of the laboratory within their remit and ensure that they are maintained, reviewed and updated when necessary.



Human Resources

49. Ensure annual leave is granted in accordance with departmental policy and there are always sufficient staff to provide the necessary standards of service provision.

50. Participate and support the management of change.

51. Responsible for the recruitment and selection of staff in conjunction with the section leads for the sections within their remit.

52. Responsible for conducting appraisal, formulating personal development plans appropriate to the career needs of the individual, the needs of the service and reviewing individual performance of senior staff in the laboratory.

53. Performance management of all staff using the Trust's agreed policies and procedures, in particular capability in relation to the management of sickness absence and performance/conduct issues.



Communication

54. To respond to complaints relating to the laboratory and provide a full report to the Laboratory Operations Manager and Pathology Service Line Manager/ Deputy Pathology Service Line Manager as necessary.

55. Communicate any difficulties, problems, accidents or incidents affecting the delivery of the service to the Laboratory Operations Manager and Pathology Service Line Manager / Deputy Pathology Service Line Manager promptly.

56. Maintain clear and effective lines of communication with all staff always involving motivational and training skills.

57. Attend departmental, Trust, regional and national meetings as required.

58. Maintain excellent communication with representatives of companies supplying equipment, consumables and services to the department.

59. Regular communication with Consultant Pathologists, Clinical Scientists, clinicians and nursing staff regarding samples required, appropriateness of tests and provision of results.

60. The post holder will be responsible for using their excellent interpersonal skills to communicate sensitive and/or contentious issues where there is considerable resistance from a minority and/or the larger group.

61. Whilst demonstrating your personal leadership use the skills of persuasion, negotiation and understanding to deliver change management finding consensus amongst an audience with diverse views and different levels of comprehension.

62. Deputise as the chair of meetings with senior scientific staff and section/speciality Leads.

63. Deputise for the Laboratory Operations Manager at directorate and Trust meetings.

64. In conjunction with the Laboratory Operations Manager prepare and deliver monthly Trust and departmental briefings ensuring all staff attend or have access to the minutes.

65. Responsibility for reviewing the minutes of the regular speciality service meetings.



WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

1. Accountable to the Pathology Service Line Manager / Deputy Pathology Service Line Manager through the Laboratory Operations Manager.

2. Key working relationships will exist between the post holder, Consultant Head of Department, Consultant Specialty Leads, Laboratory Operations Manager, Quality Manager, Section Leaders, Specialist Practitioner of Transfusion, Business, HR and Finance Manager, HR People Partner, HR Business Partner, Procurement and other Personnel.

3. Work closely with Pathologists on clinical issues.

4. NHS colleagues both in the hospital and primary care.

5. NHS colleagues across the Peninsula Pathology Network