Job Description

The place to work in pathology!

Synnovis is a partnership between SYNLAB UK & Ireland, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, and King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Our organisation brings together the very best in clinical, scientific and operational expertise, and displays in action the core values at the heart of our brand: science for life, collaboration for the benefit of everyone, and innovation and quality



We aim to set the standard for the future of pathology.



As Team Manager you will have a key role in providing support and guidance to Central Specimen Reception [CSR] team for the successful delivery of day-to-day tasks.



You will be working closely alongside other managers for CSR and will be based at the Synnovis Blackfriars Hub.



There will also be an expectation to support the recruitment of staff and candidates must have demonstrable managerial skills and experience in both staff and change management.



This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who is looking to further develop managerial skills.



The role is very fast paced and therefore requires someone who has excellent time management skills and the ability to manage other workloads as well as their own. Candidates must be flexible, have excellent communication & IT skills, and be able to adapt under pressure. A positive professional attitude and being committed to improving pre and post analytical processes are key.



Candidates must be flexible with time, as weekday shift working and occasional weekend work will be scheduled. Working hours are between 8am-9pm.



Central Specimen Reception (CSR) team are expected to regularly and effectively communicate to colleagues within the department and also various other Synnovis colleagues across Services, Analytics & Group.



You will be responsible for the day to day management of a team of pre-analytical assistants known as Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLA), within the Central Specimen Reception (CSR) service. Duties will include supporting the administration and operational management of the CSR service, managing the CSR team to ensure that staff carry out their duties in accordance with established policies and procedures, delivering training to staff in all reception processes, and line managing staff including annual performance reviews.



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.



Duties and Responsibilities



Handle and manage samples, in line with SOPs and assessed competencies.



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.



Ensure rota is covered and implement plans to reassign work or cover gaps as required.



Perform and supervise cleaning activities, prepare pre-analytical 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 processes within training parameters and where appropriate under supervision.



Work with Training Lead and ensure appropriate competency training is delivered.



Demonstrate professionalism, patience and empathy when explaining technical issues, in particular when communicating with people who do not share the same level of knowledge or understanding.



Undertake preventative maintenance and troubleshooting on pre-analytical instruments and equipment.



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.



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, audits and maintaining ISO 15189 accreditation, as required.



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



Adhere to the 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.



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 always maintaining patient confidentiality and following Information Governance (IG) guidelines.



Complete any assigned laboratory administrative tasks including but not limited to: stock monitoring and ordering, logging of operational performance data



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!



King's College Hospital Foundation Trust is one of the UK's leading NHS Foundation Trusts in specialist teaching. King's has various divisions including Neurosciences, Haematology, Cancer and Cardiovascular sciences, where there are unlimited opportunities to develop and perfect your career.



Over the last 170 years, King's has delivered nothing but world class service to all its patients from deprived communities as well as some of the wealthiest in London.