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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

General

• Maintain and develop good relationships with other staff within the department and with our Service Users such as theatres, wards and various other departments.
• Behave in a professional manner at all times.
• On rotational basis duties include: receiving, disassembly and cleaning of contaminated equipment including the high-level disinfection of flexible endoscopes.
• To inspect, test, assemble, pack, sterilize and distribute instruments, endoscopes and equipment for supply to customers, wards, departments, theatres and external customers.
• To assess and approve work of colleagues and others.
• To record all the essential stages of the decontamination/sterilisation process.
• Operate and test all equipment within the department.
• To make a diagnosis of daily test results on machinery used in Decontamination Facilities and inform relevant personnel if results are contrary to the required standards; ISO 13485, HTMs, MDD 93/42/EEC  and Health & Safety.
• Carry out functionality tests on all re-usable medical devices.
• To record and process the test results and demonstrate compliance, so as to enable audits and facilitate analysis.
• Participate in Department and Trust wide audits when requested by the Decontamination Manager and support the introduction of any changes in practice shown to improve standards.
• Assist with Planned Preventive Maintenance.
• Carry out all duties in line with the Trust’s Health and Safety policies.
• Carry out all duties in line with the Department’s accredited Quality System.
• Receive and document goods and equipment, check delivery notes against goods delivered for accuracy and record non-conformances.
• Assist in restocking of supplies and record all information required.
• Carry out assigned clerical tasks as required.
• Mentoring / training of new colleagues and less experienced members of staff.
• Keep areas clean and tidy; maintain a safe and compliant environment.
• Deliver the workload within the agreed time and to the required customer service level agreement.
• Prioritise, depending on customer requirements to ensure, minimal disruption to patient care e.g., surgical lists and trust waiting list initiatives/targets.
• Pushing/manoeuvring trolleys, manual handling of instrument sets and stock.
• To have an understanding of how to escalate any problems or emergency relating to decontamination equipment to the Team Leaders/Production Coordinators or Managers.
• To contribute to ensuring that quality assurance and production controls systems are maintained in accordance with work instructions.
• To report all customer complaints to the Quality Manager or Production Manager.
• To attend any training as required.
• To participate in performance and development review.
• To work alongside organisational colleagues in order to contribute to the NBT’s vision and values “Exceptional healthcare, personally delivered” and to contribute fully towards Facilities objectives, divisional and departmental delivery plans.

Raw Material Store & Endoscopy Storerooms

• Process orders using correct documentation; ensure rotation of stocks, removal of external packaging.
• Pushing/manoeuvring trolleys, manual handling of instrument sets and stock.
• Take part in stock take exercises when required.
• Comply with legislation relating to required storage conditions e.g., temperature, humidity, COSHH and manual handling.
• Responsible for maintaining levels of stock and the raising of orders for raw materials.

Washrooms

• Carry out daily test & maintenance on all Washer/Disinfectors, Trolley Washers, Niagara SI Ultrasonic WDs, Medisafe Ultrasonic Cleaner and Automatic Endoscope Reprocesses (AERs) and record the test results to demonstrate compliance, so as to enable audits and facilitate analysis.
• Follow Washroom protocols and standard operating procedures all the time.
• To log all incoming set, scopes and instruments into the department via the Fingerprint Tracker computer system and prioritise workload.
• To check that all equipment is present and correct.
• Report any discrepancies to the customer and the Team Leader/Production Coordinator immediately.
• Complete the relevant documents for non-conformances.
• To wash and decontaminate medical devices according to the departments policies and procedures, particularly Health and safety and Control of Infection.
• To take delivery of and process unique specialist loan medical device for use in complex clinical procedures, following the manufacturers’ instructions.
• To be able to recognise single use equipment and dispose of as appropriate.
• Deal with customers’ queries and reschedule workload as Fast Track items as received.
• Receive and document contaminated equipment, check delivery notes against equipment delivered for accuracy and record non-conformances (NCR) where necessary.
• Adhere to specified levels of Personal Protective equipment and universal precaution for Cytotoxic, NICE Guidance & CJD (Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease) Policies.
• Disposal of waste bags to include clinical waste, sharps containers, linen bags, and fluids.

Inspection Assembly and Packing (IAP) Room & Endoscopy Clean Room

• Take readings and record environmental checks on air handling units.
• Test and record results of heat sealers and diathermy testers.
• Undertake quality checks for cleanliness and functionality before packing to agreed specifications.
• Pack sets and instruments using various designs of wrappings/containers in such a way as to ensure an effective sterile field for up to one year after sterilisation.
• The packer will sign the tray lists of instruments/apparatus, therefore accepting final responsibility for work undertaken.
• Deal with clinical user queries and reschedule workload when Fast track items are received.
• Visual checks are carried out on all wash cycles to ensure correct parameters are achieved, if these are not achieved wash load is failed on traceability system and returned for reprocessing.
• To include tamper proof security seals, sterilizing indicators and wrapping materials.
• Assist in restocking of supplies and record all information required.
• Comply with Gowning room procedure.
• Deliver the workload within the agreed time and to the required customer service level agreement.
• Prioritise depending on customer requirements to ensure minimal disruption to patient care e.g., surgical lists and trust waiting list initiatives/targets.
• A technician working in Endoscopy Decontamination Unit (EDU) will scan the endoscopes out of the washers and for their subsequent despatch to the end user, therefore accepting final responsibility for work undertaken.

Sterilisers

• Test all sterilisers within the department in accordance with the departmental Quality Control Procedures.
• To record and process the test results and demonstrate compliance, so as to enable audits and facilitate analysis.
• Process instruments using sterilisers, maintaining safe working practice at all times, use correct PPE when necessary.
• Deliver the workload within the agreed time and to the required customer service level agreement.
• Prioritise workload depending on customer requirements to ensure minimal disruption to patient care e.g., surgical lists and trust waiting list initiatives/targets.
• Inspect sets/instruments on a regular basis to ensure integrity of loads i.e., visual indicators.
• To raise Non-Conformance Reports (NCR’s) where necessary.
• Categorise all sets/instruments into appropriate areas for despatch.
• Raise decontamination certificates for returned loan sets and repairs.
• To process and deliver Fast Track items to meet customer demands.
• Receive and record sets and instruments using manual and traceability systems.
• Competent to use low temperature gas plasma sterilizer - Sterrad by following departmental protocols.

High Level Disinfection / Endoscopy

• To decontaminate flexible endoscopes to agreed standards as per departmental standard operational procedures.
• To ensure endoscopes are stored and transported in line with agreed standards as per departmental standard operational procedures.
• To ensure all equipment used to decontaminate flexible endoscopes is used correctly.
• To undertake the complete cycle of endoscope decontamination - visual inspection, manual cleaning, disinfecting, storing, tracking & tracing and collection and delivery of all flexible scopes used in the Trust.
• To implement the correct method of decontamination of the endoscopes in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and protocols as issued by the department.
• To safely and correctly use Endoscope Washer Disinfectors (EWDs), Drying Cabinets and all other associated equipment as per manufacturer’s instructions.
• To work within COSHH Regulations in respect of substances used, comply with departmental procedures for use of PPE and be competent in dealing with spillages of chemicals.
• To assist with all relevant tests required on endoscopes, washer disinfectors and associated equipment as per departmental protocol.
• To ensure all necessary documentation concerning the decontamination of each endoscope (tracking and tracing) is completed effectively and efficiently and in accordance with the departmental procedure (electronic and paper systems).
• Have an understanding of any non-conformities or deficiencies that may occur in the decontamination process and inform the line manager of such.
• Report any faults discovered on individual endoscope operation (failures) to Team Leaders or Production Coordinators.