Job description

Job responsibilities

Purpose of the Job

This role delivers specialist biomedical investigations and provides first line people management as part of the laboratory team. Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will have a high level of responsibility, including leading in an area of expertise, to ensure the successful delivery of pathology services, in line with our corporate objectives.

What you will do

You will hold a variety of accountabilities in the laboratory environment. These include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for a specialist area, providing specialised technical scientific services andcommunicating complex information that will aid and determine clinical diagnosis.
• Contribute to the development of specialist investigations, identifying better ways ofworking and finding efficiencies in service delivery.
• Manage day-to-day staffing with the Operations Manager to ensure all resourcing needsare met, manage workflow and relevant training to meet turnaround times, cover benchwork and where required supervise others as part of early or late or weekend shifts.
• Take part in other activities such as audits, training, and potentially clinical trials asrequired.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyse samples in line with local Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including but not limited to recording results and necessary action on the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), ensuring all Information Governance (IG) requirements are met.
• Maintain standards of conduct required by the HCPC to practice as a registered Biomedical Scientist.
• Provide technical advice to clinical colleagues as required and within limits of competency.
• Participate in the strategic development and service improvement of the analytical service, be responsible for the implementation of new techniques, equipment, and tests, as directed including all verification and validation work. Where necessary this will include analysing clinical trial samples.
• Ensure all incidents and events are correctly reported by junior staff in Q-Pulse quality management database and other relevant software and support them in quality learning procedures and investigations.
• In conjunction with the Quality team, monitor, report and action errors, hazards, and incidents logged in the CAPA module of Q-Pulse. This may include taking part in investigations of incidents and providing expert insight into making improvements based on outcomes.
• Participate in appropriate clinical audits as required and directed.
• Monitor, and report on EQA and IQC procedures and be responsible for correcting problems that have been identified.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and quality requirements of regulatory directives, accreditation bodies, and local management including:

- Care Quality Commission - UKAS - Synnovis policies and SOPs - Any other body in area of responsibility

• Provide supervision for all employees, including participating in early, late, night and weekend and Bank Holiday shifts as required.
• Line manage employees as required. This includes delivering all aspects of people management, such as recruitment, performance management, absence management, learning and development, employee health and wellbeing.
• Encourage junior employees in their scientific expertise, knowledge and professional development, including the safe use of highly complex and sensitive equipment.
• Develop, prepare, write, and review relevant documents, including SOPs, COSHH and risk assessments in line with ISO 15189 2022 standards.
• Demonstrate ongoing laboratory-based competency against training plans.
• Ensure that all Synnovis policies and procedures are implemented and maintained.
• Demonstrate professionalism, patience and empathy when explaining complex subjects, and in particular when communicating with people who do not share the same level of knowledge or understanding.
• Attend, and where required, chair regular departmental meetings and contribute to effective communication within the department.
• Work closely with Operations Managers to ensure stock inventory compliance.
• Deputise for the Operations Manager including attendance at meetings, as required.
• Take part in CPD activities to ensure that your practices and knowledge are always relevant and up to date to your specific area.

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South Eeast London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.

The hub is an eight-storey building, and we are working across 10 floors including the ground and lower ground floors.

Synnovis corporate function operates from the hub on the 8th floor, above the laboratories underneath. This is a total net internal area of almost 10,000m squared across the 10 floors.

Based in Blackfriars, its less than a 5 minute walk from Southwark Tube or Blackfriars station and nestled closely to a vast array of entertainment and fabulous places to dine, relax and meet people.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BSC (Hons) IBMS accredited degree or equivalent
• HCPC State registration as a Biomedical Scientist
• Specialist portfolio in Microbiology or equivalent experience (if HCPC Registration via IBMS Portfolio route) or FIBMS
• MSc, FIBMS or equivalent experience in a similar role.
• Evidence of ongoing Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

Desirable

• Quality or Management qualification
• Willing to work towards higher levels of professional practice
• IBMS membership

Experience

Essential

• Leadership qualities with experience of coaching, coordinating and managing a team
• Experience of supervising junior employees
• Significant demonstrable discipline specific practical experience.
• Lead in area of special interest and expertise in one or more areas of the laboratory, for example Quality, Health & Safety, Training or IT

Desirable

• Cultivating junior colleagues with skills in areas of interest or expertise such as Quality, Healthy & Safety, Training or IT.
• Cultivating Specialist BMS with skills in research, clinical or analytical areas.
• Acting as owner for escalation and communication to internal and external users in the event of quality/analyser/assay failures.
• Line management experience
• Worked as part of a 24/7 shift pattern.

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Demonstrates a high degree of skill, knowledge and judgement where interpretation of results can be highly subjective
• Well developed physical skills, demonstrable ability to use precision equipment and consumables.
• Manage the resolution of troubleshooting activity for highly technical and precision equipment and assays
• Ability to troubleshoot and train those who use the Laboratory Information Management System
• Ability to manage effectively in a changing dynamic environment with multiple conflicting priorities
• Knowledge of effective line management techniques including all aspects of people management, for example recruitment and rota management
• Ability to maintain focus and concentration for extended periods of time.
• Knowledge of the correct policies and procedures to implement in relation to quality systems, with reference to ISO/UKAS.
• Knowledge of the management of laboratory procedures in your own area, including following Health & Safety legislation and procedures.

Desirable

• Good awareness of current issues within pathology, both locally and nationally.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Synnovis Analytics

Address

Friars Bridge Court

41-43 Blackfriars Road

London

SE1 8NZ

United Kingdom

Employer's website

http://www.synnovis.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Job description

Job responsibilities

At Synnovis, we are currently shaping the future of pathology services by creating a world-leading Hub and Spoke pathology network with our NHS partners. A large part of this modernisation has 70% of our services to a purpose built, state of the art Hub laboratory in the heart of London. The job you are applying for will be based at our Hub laboratory in Blackfriars, Southwark, SE1, and occasionally you may be required to support our services remaining in refurbished essential services laboratories across our hospital network, focusing on the rapid turnover of urgent tests. Please do ask your recruiting manager if you wish to find out more.

The Specialist Biomedical Scientist is an experienced scientific and technical professional who has developed their own skills and theoretical knowledge to a very high standard, performing a highly complex role. They will be continuously developing scientific and technical practice within the Histology section of the Histopathology department and have management responsibilities for a section/team within the Histology laboratory. They will have their own work area /operation responsibilities and have attained a Masters or higher-level postgraduate qualification or equivalent relevant experience.

After in-house training and successfully completing the relevant competency assessments (with the support of the Senior Specialist BMS and other competent colleagues), they will rotate through the routine histology laboratory and Advanced Diagnostics sections of the laboratory. They will experience different points of contact with the samples and work with the team to ensure delivery of a professional, efficient and a high quality diagnostic service is maintained.

Further responsibilities include:

To organise and supervise a team of Medical Laboratory Assistants, Biomedical Scientists, and Trainee Biomedical Scientists within the department with the support of Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientists.

To provide an expert level of theoretical and practical knowledge to the Tissue Sciences Service.

To perform and assist with various validations and verifications of procedures, techniques and equipment in the current setting and for the move to the Hub and Spoke model.

To ensure that all areas of responsibility comply with the requirements of the internal and external QMS.

To provide professional leadership to Trainee Biomedical Scientists and Medical Laboratory Assistants within the Histology laboratories.

To partake in projects for service improvement with relations to research, trials, reports and present findings to the Healthcare professionals as required.

To continue with personal development through academic or practical experience.

Excellent communication skills, both written and in spoken English is essential on order to give and seek complex scientific, medical and sensitive information as part of the scientific and communication process of service provision.

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.

The partnership provides services to millions of people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.

The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.

The Hub

You will be close to the vibrant the South Bank, which are exceptional London locations; perfect places to work and relax next to such iconic venues as The Tate museum, Big Ben, The London Eye and The Shard!

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science accredited with the Institute of Biomedical Science or equivalent
• HCPC registration
• Active CPD participation
• IBMS specialist portfolio in Cellular Pathology

Desirable

• Membership of the Institute of Biomedical Science
• Qualifications in Training & Development

Experience

Essential

• Collaborative team player with strong problem-solving skills
• Experience in Quality processes
• Experience in Equipment maintenance and management
• Full awareness of the medical laboratories, requirement for quality and competence

Desirable

• Experience in performing and troubleshooting specialist techniques
• Experience in laboratory supervision
• Experience in Audits.

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Ability to undertake technical validation, interpretation and clinical authorisation of results
• Thorough practical knowledge of Histological techniques.
• Good communication skills and excellent numeracy and literacy skills
• Basic use of Microsoft Word and Excel
• Quality Control and Assurance
• Knowledge of Health and Safety Procedures

Desirable

• Demonstrable experience of good team management

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Synnovis Analytics

Address

Friars Bridge Court

41-43 Blackfriars Road

London

SE1 8NZ

United Kingdom

Employer's website

http://www.synnovis.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)