Detailed job description and main responsibilities

•  To carry out all work to specified standards as lay down by the professional bodies including Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS), Health Care Professions Council (HCPC), and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
• To participate in the routine work of the department rotating through all sections of the department, working without supervision.
• To plan and organise own work, unsupervised, on a daily basis ensuring results are produced in an accurate and timely manner. This involves the adjustment of plans based on results generated.

• To actively redistribute workload/staff dependent upon demand in each area of the laboratory.
• To ensure data integrity when entering patient demographics onto the Meditech computer system.
• To approve test procedures using the Meditech computer system. This requires the assessment of multiple factors based upon experience to form a judgement.
• To enter test results onto the Meditech computer system including non-personally generated data.
• To highlight urgent and clinically important results.
• To professionally deal with telephone enquiries from patients and doctors, using tact, diplomacy and empathy whilst maintaining strict confidentiality.
• To operate and maintain expensive and sophisticated equipment on a daily basis to ensure proper and efficient use of equipment and consumables without wastage.
• To participate in maintaining a system for the safe and confidential storage and retrieval of proper records and specimens both physically and electronically

• To contribute to departmental management decisions including active participation in departmental meeting.

Management

• To write, review and ensure implementation of departmental Standard Operating Procedures using knowledge of, and with reference to, best practice procedures and the PHE Standards for microbiology investigations (SMIs).
• To monitor levels of reagents and consumable items.
• To comply with and ensure colleagues adhere to Trust and Departmental Health and Safety policies. This includes reporting of all accidents, incidents, hazards and defects as soon as possible.

Training

• To contribute to the delivery of training to MLA, Trainee BMS, BMS staff and colleagues.
• To act as a mentor to new colleagues ensuring their competence in skills and supporting their learning.
• To undergo mandatory training in as required by the Trust.
• To participate in annual performance review including the development of a Personal Development Plan (PDP).
• To participate in the induction of staff, students and visitors

Education and experience

• GCSE in English or evidence of English language proficiency
• Registered as a biomedical scientist with Health professions council (HCPC)
• To maintain registration with Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Minimum 2 years post registration experience in a Microbiology laboratory registered with the IBMS for training.
• To have gained the IBMS specialist (post-registration) diploma in Microbiology
• To attend courses for the development of knowledge in specialist areas, sharing developments with colleagues.
• To make pro-active contribution to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of both self and colleagues, through structured self-study and journal based learning.
• To have sufficient experience to operate in all sections of the laboratory, understanding the rationales underpinning the methodologies used in the laboratory.
• To have specialist knowledge of paediatric disease processes.

• Undertake a period of specific on-site training prior to the commencement of lone out of hours working. 

Communication

• To communicate effectively with peers, senior colleagues and service users on a daily basis. This will include discipline specific technical information ensuring understanding by non-pathology staff.
• To regularly liaise with external users offering advice/information regarding the use of the service, including advice regarding the appropriateness of testing.
• To liaise with external departments to coordinate service provision in relation to samples processed offsite. 

Analytical skills

• To work unsupervised as a Biomedical Scientist.
• To undertake a wide variety of non-automated, complex operations requiring a high level of skill, knowledge and manual dexterity on a daily basis. These operations may be of a specialised nature due to the quality and size of paediatric specimens.
• To regularly review Quality Control procedures, highlighting outlying results and correcting potential problems.
• To assess the suitability and appropriateness of samples received liaising with medical staff as appropriate.
• To troubleshoot problems with methodologies, researching potential solutions.

• To undertake the reception, processing, referral and storage of a variety of biological specimens on a daily basis that may contain high risk micro- To participate in the Microbiology Saturday morning rota.
• To participate in the surveillance and infection control procedures within the department.

• To participate in the collection of environmental samples and to process the resulting cultures. This includes the collection of water samples from the hydrotherapy pool and air sampling from theatres and ward areas.
• To be competent in the use and maintenance of microscopes.
• To validate own work and issue results on Meditech.
• To ensure all of Pathology’s clinical waste is made safe by autoclaving and then disposed of correctly before Portering staff remove it from site 

Planning and organising skills

• To participate and support the departmental 24 hr service provision shift pattern, operating as a lone worker taking full responsibility for technical issues and the functioning of the department. This accounts for approximately 25-35% of contracted hours.
• To operate as first point of contact for advice, requiring a broad spectrum of knowledge and operating procedures.
• Out of hours workload is unpredictable requiring clinical prioritisation.
• Multitasking and task changing at minimal notice are inherent features of the system. 

Physical skills

• To handle hazardous chemicals and reagents appropriately, on a daily basis, according to COSHH regulations.
• To move and manipulate heavy objects whilst following appropriate manual handling guidelines 

Responsibility for research and development 

• To participate in developmental/project work including method evaluation.
• To take part in regular audit as defined by the Quality Management System.