Find More Than 10K+
United Kingdom Jobs

Job description

An opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, experienced; HCPC registered Senior Biomedical Scientist specialising in dissection.

Alongside other duties expected of a senior biomedical scientist this role will involve participation in the dissection of specimens in category A-C and the successful candidate will have or be working towards the IBMS diploma of expert practice in dissection or equivalent.

The role requires a high level of self-motivation and the ability to prioritise the workload whilst supervising a well-established team and an ability to use initiative, whilst always maintaining a high degree of quality and accuracy. The successful candidate will participate in all aspects of routine and specialist histological techniques and will play an active leadership role for the continuous improvement of the department.

The department is fully CPA and HTA accredited and is housed in a modern, spacious newly fitted laboratory, currently processing in excess of 27,000 surgical requests each year using both traditional and microwave technology and utilising state of the art equipment for both routine H&E and Immunohistochemistry staining.

The department is fully computerised and uses iSOFT Telepath, Pathosys, OCS Trust order communications and Sunquest ICE systems and is fully committed to continuous quality improvement of its service.

The role of Expert Practitioner in Specimen Dissection has been created to produce biomedical scientists with specialised skills which makes them competent in the macroscopic description and sampling of a limited number of specimen types (categories A-C), as designated by the Royal College of Pathologists. Evidence for this competency is provided in the form of a portfolio and the successful completion of the IBMS Diploma of expert practice in the candidates chosen field. The Expert Practitioner will provide support to the medical staff by participating in the weekly cut-up rota. They will continue to develop their learning and hone their skills throughout their tenure.

The Cellular Pathology department delivers a tissue and cellular diagnostic service provided by a team of highly qualified scientific and medical staff to determine the presence or absence of disease, enabling diagnosis and monitoring the effectiveness of treatment. The post holder will take an active role in the sampling and dissection of the full range of surgical specimens and be involved in post dissection slide reviews to aid their learning in the dissection room.

Continuous professional development is actively encouraged amongst all members of the team and the department has a good track record of developing its staff to realise their full potential.

St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is the only acute Trust in Cheshire and Merseyside, and one of the few in the entire country, to achieve the title of OUTSTANDING, rated by the Care Quality Commission.

We provide a full range of acute adult services to our local population of circa 360,000 and provide tertiary services across a much wider area in the North West, North Wales and Isle of Man. We are a Major Trauma Unit and the Mersey Regional Burns Unit.

Our '5 Star Patient Care' strategy is at the heart of all that we do; supporting our vision to provide world class services for all our patients by getting it right for every patient, every time.

Our latest achievements include:

• Acute Trust of the Year – HSJ Awards November 2019
• Trust rates Outstanding by the CQC – Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers and Health Service Journal)
• Best acute Trust in the North West for quality of care (NHS Staff Survey 2021)
• Best place to work in the North West (NHS Staff Survey 2021)

In the NHS Staff Survey 2021 the Trust scored the highest marks in the North West for the following areas;

• Standard of care
• Best place to work
• Care of patients being the Trust’s priority
• Staff engagement
• Staff morale
• Compassionate and inclusive
• Providing a safe environment for staff

KEY DUTIES

• To assist the histopathologists in histological dissection technique of specimens in categories A-C.
• Performing specimen dissections as part of the speciality team.
• Participating in feedback sessions with medical staff to review performance.
• Training of Biomedical Scientists in appropriate dissection techniques.
• Participating in histological dissection training for new junior pathologists.
• Providing support and advice to junior medical staff in the dissection room.
• Work under their own initiative referring to standard operating procedures and amending as required after consultation with Histopathologist and Histopathology Management Team.
• Participating in multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDT) meetings in support of the specialty teams ensuring effective patient management, providing specialist input where appropriate to clinicians and medical staff from other departments. This is seen as an integral part of the extended role.
• Attaining appropriate knowledge, skills, and qualifications in relation to advanced practitioner role.
• Working with medical and technical staff to develop and improve techniques in the cutup laboratory. To be responsible in consultation with the Lead Pathologist and the Histopathology Manager for the strategic direction of the service ensuring the service is developed in line with the national and local policy.
• Liaising with colleagues external to the department to improve services, e.g. Bowel Cancer Screening Nurses.
• Responsible in consultation with the Lead Pathologist for histology audits as required demonstrating the quality of the histology service.
• Maintain and foster the highest possible standards of technical work in the department, meeting all internal and external Quality Assurance and CPA/UKAS standards
• Lead in any relevant EQA schemes, undertaking internal quality control on a daily basis
• Manage and ensure that corrective action is undertaken and its impact monitored and re-evaluated for problems highlighted by internal and external QA schemes.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Communicating with colleagues, other healthcare professionals and staff from external organisations.
• Using a high level of hand to eye co-ordination, to undertake specimen dissection in accordance with Royal College guidelines, seeking medical supervision when required
• To develop and direct the implementation of departmental policies and ensure compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in order to ensure and maintain best practice and quality of the diagnostic result
• Consult regularly with Consultant Lead Histopathologist and Department Manager communicating to senior members of the Department all issues which affect the efficient service of the department
• Reporting adverse clinical incidents through the Trust Risk Management system and suggest preventative or corrective action(s) to improve the safety and efficiency of the overall service.
• Participating in section meetings, disseminating information to junior staff and giving feedback / information / suggestions for improvements.
• Maintaining a personal professional portfolio that demonstrates competence in theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
• The nature of this post requires portfolio of a career-long learning, experience and formal education. The post holder will have successfully completed the Diploma of Extended Practice in Histological Dissection.
• Participate in service development and audit for instance evaluate equipment or test new products, producing a written report if requested.
• Review working practices and procedures in relation (if appropriate) to management suggesting changes that would have a positive impact on the service.
• Follow the department’s quality management procedures.
• Adhere to the Healthcare Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics.
• Adhere to the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) Standards of Conduct.
• The post holder should not work outside their defined field of competence.
• Attend mandatory training sessions as required by the Trust.
• Attend various conferences and symposia to ensure that their expertise and knowledge remain current and valid.
• Participate in Continuing Professional Development to satisfy the HCPC standards for CPD Registration.
• As a Biomedical Scientist, there is a responsibility for the individual to keep up to date with professional issues that influence biomedical science relating to their area of clinical practice, management, education, and research

COMMUNICATION

• Interpret complex information and provide advice and information to laboratory, ward, GP staff regarding sample handling, including information on collection conditions for varying samples
• To communicate any relevant information to laboratory colleagues within the department of change in procedures and protocols
• To actively participate in departmental meetings, team briefings, educational and audit meetings, as appropriate
• Provide all the technical, statistical and manpower data required for Clinical Pathology Accreditation annual registration and annual clinical Benchmarking data
• Principle relationships include the Pathology Management Team, senior Cellular Pathology staff, Consultant medical staff, Coroners Officer and bereavement staff.

LABORATORY HEALTH AND SAFETY

• Comply at all times with the Trust Health and Safety Policy and the Laboratory Health and Safety Policy
• The job with involve frequent exposure to unpleasant body fluids and tissue that are potentially infective with pathogenic micro-organisms/viruses (including blood borne viral infections e.g., Hepatitis, HIV, nvCJD, TB)
• Exposure to harmful chemicals, including carcinogens, will be dealt with, and adhered to under the COSHH regulations
• Annually review risk and COSHH assessments and develop, implement, and monitor safe systems of working practice
• Observe the immunisation policy of the Laboratory/Trust
• Participate in internal and external safety audits
• Attend mandatory and statutory, fire, lifting and handling and health and safety training
• All staff have a responsibility to report any risks, clinical and non-clinical incidents promptly and to co-operate with any investigations undertaken

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely via the laboratory document control system (Qualys) for compliance with current Clinical Pathology Accreditation / UKAS ISO 15189 standards
• To comply with good laboratory practice required for the standards of Clinical Pathology Accreditation / UKAS and HSE guidelines

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES

• Has responsibility for the supervision, education and training of Biomedical Scientists, Trainee BMSs, Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLA), Anatomical Pathology technicians and lead for Healthcare Science training in the dissection room
• To ensure the delivery of training, development, and competence assessments of the above.
• To lead, as required by the Departmental Manager, in the organisation of, and participation in, formal dissection training programmes for staff
• To train MLAs and Trainee BMSs in accordance with departmental policies and SOPs, ensuring that all are aware of on-going training
• Manage and undertake tutorial sessions to assist trainee BMSs within the department, assisting them with the completion of IBMS Registration and Specialist portfolios
• To attend educational and training courses as required by the Departmental Manager, maintaining knowledge of advances in relevant scientific areas, through continuing professional development.
• Key elements of this process will be used to establish evidence of Continuing Professional Development and competence to practice as a BMS and will contribute to the corporate objectives of the department and the Trust.
• Act as mentor for Biomedical Scientists, Trainee BMS’s, Medical Laboratory Assistants and Anatomical Pathology Technicians, engaging with external support when necessary e.g. Local universities and NHS further education programmes.
• Participate in the teaching and training of staff within agreed departmental policies.
• Attending appropriate internal and external training meetings.
• Participate in the induction of new staff.
• Contribute to the development and education of all staff including junior medical staff.
• Take part in the teaching of medical staff and other healthcare professionals within the Trust and local health authority where appropriate.
• Demonstrate working practices to groups and individuals as appropriate.