Job summary
- Main area
- Histopathology - Associate Practitioner
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Including weekends and late shifts pro-rata)
- Job ref
- 265-6390024
- Employer
- Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Northampton General Hospital
- Town
- Northampton
- Salary
- £23,949 - £26,282 Dependent on experience
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 24/07/2024 23:59
Employer heading
Associate Practitioner in Histology
Band 4
Job overview
The job involves the processing of tissues achieving high quality, the fulfilling turnaround time to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of patients. Northampton General Hospital has a full-time Associate Practitioner at Band 4 Biomedical Scientist position.
The histopathology department processes 25,000 histology and 3000 non-gynae cytology cases per annum and is looking for an individual who has a genuine interest and desires to provide a high-quality service to our patients. We require staff that is compassionate and empathetic to the needs of our service users and patients.
To be an efficient and flexible member of the Histopathology laboratory team who will provide a high-quality diagnostic service through scientific and technical activities commensurate with the training and education of an Associate Practitioner.
To maintain competence to practice and to improve professional expertise through in-house training and Continual Professional Development (CPD
To follow written Policies and Procedures, especially in relation to Health & Safety and Quality.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be a part of a team of Biomedical Scientists and Biomedical support workers delivering a high-quality Pathology service.
The post holder will participate in all quality activities and be expected to attend departmental meetings on a regular basis.
The post holder will be required to train/teach the staff of all grades within the scope of their competencies.
The post holder will be required to undertake their responsibilities within any of the sections of Pathology to comply with national standards e.g. ISO15189 and HTA.
Working for our organisation
Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.
Our Excellence Values
Compassion
Accountability
Respect
Integrity
Courage
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone’s full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.
We are a Defence positive trust, supporting our reservists, veterans, spouses and partners.
The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals.
We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication
Communicate in a manner that is consistent with legislation policies and procedures.
Communicate effectively with all members of the Pathology staff, clinicians, and visitors to the department.
Improve communication by the use of communication skills.
Be aware of possible barriers to communication and how to overcome them.
Deal sensitively with patient/ clinician inquiries in stressful situations.
Ensure confidentiality of all written verbal and electronic information.
Keep accurate and complete records in line with legislation, policies, and procedures.
Provide approved departmental information and advice to other healthcare professionals, patients, and the public, referring to appropriate specialist requests for information outside their area of responsibility.
Be able to use all relevant forms of communication.
Attend and participate in departmental meetings.
Personal and People Development
Take responsibility for your own personal development and take an active part in learning opportunities.
A portfolio must be maintained to demonstrate:-
How the post holder is applying skills and knowledge in relation to their KSF outline.
To record that the post holder is keeping up to date with current scientific and technical developments including participation in scientific meetings as appropriate.
Be required to have achieved the appropriate qualification, e.g Foundation Degree in Healthcare Science.
Be required to assist in the training and development of Biomedical Support Workers, in the procedures for which the post holder is responsible.
Attend all Mandatory and role-specific training.
Health Safety and Security
Comply with the policies and procedures of Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust.
Observe and adhere to local and national risk management and Health and safety policies.
Safely handle potentially infectious body tissue and cytology specimens and hazardous chemicals on a daily basis.
Keep the workbenches clean and tidy.
Service Improvement
Maintain a flexible approach to the post in order to rapidly assimilate changes in workload, patterns, and requirements.
Alert their line manager when users of the service are adversely affected.
Participate in audits and other service evaluations when required.
Comment on any proposed changes to your own work area when required.
Quality
Comply with good work practices in accordance with the standards of UKAS.
Measure and monitor the accuracy and imprecision of laboratory investigations using appropriate quality control procedures.
Undertake appropriate validation tests, as directed by Senior BMS.
Be able to cope with the unpredictable workload and maintain quality.
Recognize and take corrective action when quality control or assurance procedures indicate loss of performance of the laboratory instruments or methods reporting any out-of-consensus results to registered BMS staff.
Monitor the performance of biomedical support workers if required
Equality & Diversity
Treat everyone associated with Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust with dignity, courtesy, and respect.
Be aware of and act in accordance with legislation and policies.
Recognize and report behavior that undermines equality and diversity.
Biomedical Investigation
Be able to interpret and follow standard operating procedures.
Perform biomedical investigations to the point of technical validation as specified by the Senior BMS including:-
Automated techniques
Semi-automated techniques
Manual techniques
Be responsible for stock control of reagents and other consumables.
Be responsible for resolving outstanding work lists.
Be responsible for retrieving retrospective specimens.
Check and confirm the identification and quality of specimens/samples at all relevant stages in line with established procedures and protocols including the checking of anomalous or abnormal results.
Handle and deal with specimens/samples in a way which:-
is consistent with the indicated degree of risk or urgency.
maintains the required quality and integrity.
maintains their unique identification and their links to relevant records/documentation.
is appropriate to the nature and stage of the investigation.
Assess the process and outcomes of investigations using the correct quality control criteria referring anomalous results to the biomedical scientist staff.
Store and prepare and use reagents according to manufacturers’ instructions.
Participate in the introduction of new methods in the laboratory.
Refer to biomedical scientist staff in the case of incidents that put health and safety or the quality of specimens at risk.
Comply with legislation, policies, and procedures.
Equipment
Responsible for monitoring and performing daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance of laboratory equipment, ensuring that logs are completed.
Check the safety and functioning of all equipment.
Perform simple troubleshooting and report malfunctions to BMS staff.
Participate in the introduction of new equipment or methods to the department.
Contribute to method and laboratory instrument evaluation as directed.
Assist in the resolution of equipment or method failures, which may include dismantling instruments to carry out simple repairs.
Be able to use the sample tracking systems and store samples appropriately.
Information Collection & analysis
Comply with local and national policies for the safe, secure, and confidential processing, and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
Use the Laboratory and appropriate Trust Information System according to the authorized protocols.
Enter patient demographics and technical laboratory data into the Laboratory Information System.
Collect and collate data/information effectively and to time, using set systems and consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.
Be able to monitor the temperature monitoring system and act appropriately on temperature excursions.
Stock control of reagents and other consumables.
Confirm that the data/information meets pre-set quality criteria.
Maintain the integrity of data/information using agreed procedures.
Report the data/information clearly in the required format at the time agreed.
People Management
Plan and prioritize own work to meet deadlines.
Supervise and allocate work to Biomedical Support Workers.
Report poor performance to Biomedical Scientist staff
Person specification
Educations, Training and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Minimum of Foundation degree in Healthcare Science or equivalent e.g. IBMS Certificate of Competence level 1.
- GSCE’s in Mathematics and English.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Working experience in the relevant NHS Pathology discipline.
- Working on analytical platforms.
- Understanding of quality indices.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of co-ordinating day to day laboratory activities.
- Experience of listed current platforms in use.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Oral & written communication skills.
- Ability to transmit information to other healthcare professionals.
- Effective interpersonal skills.
- Analytical skills.
- Able to perform routine analytical techniques.
- Maintenance and troubleshooting on analytical equipment.
- Perform and interpret IQC, including reports and interpret within scope of practice.
- Planning & organisational skills.
- Prioritise own workload that will include a number of ongoing tasks.
- Work with minimum supervision and organise the workload of others.
- Basic IT skills to include use of Microsoft Office package.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of current Laboratory IT system.
Key Competencies, Personal Qualities and Attributes
Essential criteria
- Team worker.
- Confident.
- Takes responsibility for own development.
- Positive attitude.
- Flexible.
- Adaptable to change.
- Attention to detail.
- Problem solving.
- Some physical effort required.
- Moving reagents.
- Inputting data.
- Able to multitask.
- Able to manage an unpredictable workload with changing priorities.
- Need to be able to concentrate for considerable periods when performing tests or validating test results.
- Indirect exposure to emotional situations.
- Could be exposed to stress situations particularly when working alone.
- On a daily basis need to be able deal with biological fluids and human tissues.
- Handle chemicals.
- Required to work out-of-hours as part of 24 hour 7 day service provision.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Iyob Ghebrenegus
- Job title
- Operational Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01604 545408
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