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Job description

The Cellular Pathology department within the Royal Victoria Infirmary has an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our team as a Healthcare Science Associate Practitioner (HCSAP).

The department provides Histopathology, Cytopathology and Mortuary services housed within a purpose built facility in a prime city-centre location. The laboratory is one of the largest services in the country and handles around 80,000 histology requests per annum. We receive a broad range of specimens from within the Trust, General Practitioners and as a specialist referral centre handles cases regionally, nationally and from overseas. We also work in collaboration with the Regional Genetics service.

Informal enquiries are welcomed.

• Interview Date: 7 July 2023
• 37 hours 30 minutes/week
• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.

The post involves the reception and preparation of tissue samples for microscopic analysis including microtomy, embedding, staining, equipment maintenance and preparation for genetic analysis.

Applicants should be enthusiastic, well motivated individuals who have experience in histological techniques. They should have a good knowledge and understanding of the role of Cellular Pathology in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Applicants should enjoy working as part of a team, possess keyboard skills, excellent communication skills and be flexible to service needs. Full training will be provided, this is also an excellent opportunity for experienced HCSAP's to build and expand on current skill set.

Shift patterns are 7.5 hours Monday to Friday between the laboratory opening hours of 7am - 6pm, with some rotation on a Saturday rota. Flexibility is strongly encouraged to support staff and service needs.

We offer training opportunities to all grades of staff in a supportive and modern environment. The post is primarily to support Registered and Specialist Biomedical Scientists in the Immunohistochemistry section of the department, opportunities to rotate into other areas may be possible.

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with over 18,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion.

Rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC for the second consecutive time in 2019, we have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.

We’re also proud to be the second largest provider of specialised services in the country. This means we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.

Our staff oversee around 1.84 million patients ‘contacts’ each year, delivering high standards of healthcare.

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

• A Healthcare Science Associate Practitioner is part of a clinical support team whose purpose is to provide timely and accurate high quality scientific information that will assist service users from the hospital and community, in the establishment of a clinical diagnosis and monitoring of patient treatment.
• The Healthcare Science Associate will use practical skills to carry out tasks associated with the pre-analytical preparation of specimens within the Histopathology Department. The tasks undertaken are more advanced than those of an HSA.
• Specimen reception: To deal with the reception, sorting and labelling of patient specimens, identifying inadequate and mis-labelled specimens and ensuring urgent samples are prioritised.
• Recording specimen dissection descriptions, data entry including macroscopic descriptions onto APEX, preparing specimens for analysis, including booking in patient and specimen details, storing, retrieving and disposing of specimens. Assessing x-rays to determine end part of decalcification.
• Carefully prepare samples for diagnostic testing or storage. This may involve delicate procedures to manually handle category A samples, describe samples and place into labelled cassette matching necessary paperwork and documentation.
• As directed, undertake basic testing under supervision of BMS staff, record and enter results onto laboratory computer systems e.g. macroscopic descriptions of category A specimens.
• Assist in the training of new members of staff in the standard operational procedures required of them.
• As directed by BMS in technical charge of section, assist in the induction, basic training and competency assessment (as appropriate) of new or less experienced staff by demonstrating duties and providing advice and guidance.
• Loading/unloading tissue processors and initiating processing programmes.
• To carry out, under supervision, laboratory procedures:

o Embedding. Morphological alignment of surgical biopsies within molten wax
o Microtomy. Cutting 4 micron sections of tissue
o Special stains; Undertake staining procedures to identify specific tissue
structures or organisms
o Antigen retrieval procedures (heat mediated and enzyme digestion)
o Processing of biopsies into epoxy resin for electron microscopy
o Identifying and labelling electron micrographs
o Undertaking manual immunocytochemistry procedures
o Pipette body fluids, which require manipulation of transfer pipettes and
manual dexterity.

• Use laboratory equipment:

o Faxitron X ray equipment,
o Cassette labelling machines
o Cytospins and centrifuges
o Slide staining machines,
o Immunocytochemistry autostainers (programming daily runs,
loading/unloading of slides, preparation of reagents general maintenance)

• To work in compliance with local health and safety rules to ensure a safe working environment for you, colleagues and visitors.
• To adhere to department and Trust Health and Safety policies (including COSHH, Risk assessments and Standard Operating Procedures) and to report any non-compliances to a senior member of staff.
• Oversee HSAs working in the section.
• Train new members of staff (HSAs).
• Answer telephone enquiries, retrieving results in accordance with SOPs.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.