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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical
1.    To be responsible for the day to day selection, performance and interpretation of abnormal results including highly specialist diagnostic tests and to identify and troubleshoot issues to maintain the quality of the diagnostic service.
2.    To analyse, interpret, report and validate patient results, adding comments in view of other available clinical data.
3.    To independently discuss and advise clinicians on the complex interpretation of results.  e.g. advise on differential diagnoses, monitoring and test requesting.
4.    To determine the clinical priority for urgent tests, clinical implications of abnormal results and recommendations on further tests and referrals, in order to provide appropriate advice and result interpretation contributing to patient care, determining the best course of action in complex cases.
5.    To be responsible for organising and planning sections workload to meet service and patient needs, readjusting plans as situations change/arise.
6.    To be responsible for preparing spreadsheets and databases for analysing clinical data for case review meetings with other multidisciplinary Medical staff.
7.    To write clinical guidelines and policies for the Department and other specialities

Managerial    
1.    As a Principal Clinical Scientist contribute to the development, integration and management of the Wessex Genomics Laboratory discipline within Pathology. 
2.    To oversee the quality of the relevant area of the department and ensure all the protocols/procedures are followed and all the work correctly documented/recorded.  To participate in relevant national external quality control assessment schemes (NEQAS) and present the data at laboratory meetings.
3.    Contribute to departmental lab meetings to ensure clinical governance issues are addressed and taken to the pathology steering group meetings.
4.    Ensure good communication and efficient performance within the department by actively participating in regular operational meetings. 
5.    To provide clinical leadership and supervise members of staff including Clinical Scientists, STPs, Biomedical Scientists, Healthcare Science Practitioners, Medical Laboratory Assistants, research staff and medical and science students in the clinical relevance of tests, specimen requirements and clinical authorisation.
6.    To be responsible for implementation of National, Trust and Departmental policies within the Department. Responsible for producing local and regional policies within broad professional and NHS guidelines, which will lead to changes in working practice for the Department and result in improved performance. 
7.    To maintain a high personal standard of professional practice and behaviour to meet the required professional standards (e.g. HCPC, UKAS) and encourage others within the team and under your supervision to do likewise.
8.    To be responsible for prioritising the clinical activities and workloads of the relevant area of the department, to plan and organise this efficiently with regard to patient management and use of time.
9.    To ensure that the IT system is appropriate for the needs of the Department for data entry, spreadsheets and report writing.
10.    To recognise the opportunities to plan and initiate cost improvements and income generation schemes via audits.
11.    To interpret national and international relevant policies for disease testing and standardise validation practise in the department.
12.    To contribute to the annual appraisals of the STPs, clinical scientists within the department

Scientific
1.    To be able to develop and perform novel or complex analyses for routine or specialist investigation requiring highly developed physical skills where accuracy is important.  To ensure that others in the Department are fully trained in their use.

With specialist knowledge, provide a high quality clinical diagnostic service on diagnoses and treatment of patients to medical staff within the Trust, Primary Care and external referrals from other Trusts, by the analysis, interpretation and reporting of clinical results.
2.    To provide expert analytical and advisory service nationally, on request.
3.    To co-ordinate and initiate Development and Research as a major job role.
4.    As a Principal Clinical Scientist oversee the quality of service, make decisions and implement policies.
5.    To train staff to ensure compliance with professional standards.
6.    To perform local, regional and national audits and implement their findings.
7.    To liaise regularly with clinical users to ensure provision of a high quality diagnostic service to achieve improved clinical governance.
8.    To supervise Scientist Training Programme staff on appropriate training programmes, Specialist Registrars in training for the FRCPath and Biomedical Scientists.