Biomedical Scientist (Microbiology), Band 5

at  Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

This is an excellent opportunity for a suitably qualified Biomedical Scientist to gain experience in a large, busy UKAS accredited and IBMS registered training laboratory.
The Microbiology laboratory is located on the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital site and provides an extensive service to two acute hospitals, smaller local hospitals and to GPs in Gloucestershire and south Worcestershire. The current workload is 380,000 specimens a year.
The Microbiology department has a well-equipped laboratory offering a comprehensive service including automated urine analysis, molecular diagnostics, liquid TB culture, Mycology and Andrology. The department provides an extensive Serology and Virology service.
The successful candidate will be reliable, enthusiastic, motivated and forward thinking. They will demonstrate good interpersonal skills and must be a team player. Candidates must have current HCPC registration and previous experience of working as a Biomedical Scientist in an NHS Microbiology laboratory. They will have the opportunity to work in all sections of the department, and will receive full training and support relevant to their level of experience.
This role will include analysing clinical specimens, adhering to appropriate infection control policies, assuming specific responsibilities for equipment maintenance, trouble shooting, document control, stock management, performance of both internal and external quality control and supporting the service users when required.
The successful candidate will be expected to participate in the weekend, bank holiday and on-call rotas.
The Department of Microbiology is based on the GRH hospital site in Gloucester. The laboratory provides an extensive service to the two hospitals and GP surgeries in Gloucestershire. The laboratory has a staff team of about 60 people, including scientific and medical roles. The core working hours are 0830 to 1700, Monday to Friday, but all staff help provide the services outside core hours. This includes weekend and Bank Holiday working.
The department has a long history of training and developing staff in different roles. It is approved as a training laboratory by the Institute of Biomedical Science, and has been accredited by UKAS to the ISO15189 standards.

Main Duties

• Preparation of biomedical specimens and materials.
• Analysis of samples using various techniques.
• Use of the laboratory computer to accurately record patient data.
• Interpretation of analytical results
• Knowledge in the troubleshooting, adjustments and repair of instrumentation
• To ensure departmental quality standards are maintained through adherence to standard operating procedures, implementation of quality control programs and instrumentation maintenance and troubleshooting.
• Strict adherence to the codes of practice in all matters concerning conduct at work including patient confidentiality.
• Adherence to all Trust and laboratory employment and Health and Safety policies & Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations.
• Achieve competency in the processing of biomedical specimens for screening, diagnostic monitoring and preparation of therapeutic materials. Provide accurate and timely appropriate analytical data. Competencies should be documented and signed off.
• Prioritisation of work to take account of workload and urgency of analyses
• Participation in internal audit, internal and external quality control.
• Participation as appropriate in laboratory meetings, discussion groups and projects.
• Maintaining high standard of professional competence and up-to-date knowledge of new developments in both the laboratory and in the field of clinical microbiology in general.

Technical Duties

• Preparation of biomedical specimens and materials.
• Analysis of samples using various techniques.
• Use of the laboratory computer to accurately record patient data.
• Interpretation of analytical results
• Knowledge in the troubleshooting, adjustments and repair of instrumentation
• To ensure departmental quality standards are maintained through adherence to standard operating procedures, implementation of quality control programs and instrumentation maintenance and troubleshooting.
• Strict adherence to the codes of practice in all matters concerning conduct at work including patient confidentiality.
• Adherence to all Trust and laboratory employment and Health and Safety policies & Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations.
• Achieve competency in the processing of biomedical specimens for screening, diagnostic monitoring and preparation of therapeutic materials. Provide accurate and timely appropriate analytical data. Competencies should be documented and signed off.
• Prioritisation of work to take account of workload and urgency of analyses
• Participation in internal audit, internal and external quality control.
• Participation as appropriate in laboratory meetings, discussion groups and projects.
• Maintaining high standard of professional competence and up-to-date knowledge of new developments in both the laboratory and in the field of clinical microbiology in general