Blood Sciences Quality Officer

at  The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

The MHRA annually inspect hospital blood banks to assess compliance with Blood Safety and Quality Regulations and with Good Manufacturing Practice. RMH is overdue for an inspection and the Hospital Transfusion Team have been requesting additional support in maintaining and developing compliant quality protocols and practices within the Trust. A recent mock MHRA inspection identified areas requiring significant improvement for which we do not have the resource currently to resolve and so there are areas of concern and a full inspection could result in significant impact on our services and patient care if no action is taken. regulatory pressures have increased significantly over the last few years and the intention of this post is to initially support the urgent improvements in transfusion and then move to a broader remit of supporting the rest of blood sciences in meeting the requirements for the updated UKAS standards.
The post holder will work with the Blood Sciences Quality Manager and Transfusion Team to ensure the effective operation and continual development of the Blood Transfusion Quality Management System and to ensure compliance with all required national and international standards (UKAS ISO15189 and MHRA).
The post holder will also work with the Pathology Quality Manager and Lead Biomedical Scientists to support the effective functioning and development of the Pathology Quality Management System to ensure compliance with all relevant national and international standards across Biochemistry and Haematology (UKAS ISO15189). The Quality Officer will support the development of the department and improve its efficiency and the quality of the service provided.
The post holder will support and deputise for the Quality Manager in managing external assessment visits, Quality & Risk Management committee meetings, Transfusion Team and Committee meetings and participating in local quality meetings as required. The post holder will have a high level of individual responsibility and autonomy to complete the required tasks.
The key working relationships will be with staff in Blood Transfusion and the Lead Biomedical Scientists, but the post holder will also be expected to liaise with staff throughout Pathology and the Trust.
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.
At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That’s why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.
At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification
Attendance at and participation in meetings in relation to quality, audit and improvement
To prepare papers for Quality & Risk Management Committee meetings and Blood Transfusion Committee meetings
To assist in the organisation of external assessment visits for Blood Transfusion, Biochemistry and Haematology.
Ensure that new regulatory initiatives, evolving guidelines and changes in legislation that impact on the Blood Transfusion quality system and subsequent operations are communicated to the Blood Sciences Quality Manager and Technical Leads.
Promote the continuous improvement of the service through change management practic

Please refer the Job description for details