Medical Laboratory Assistant

at  Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Applications are sought from highly motivated and enthusiastic Medical Laboratory Assistants .
You will join our friendly team working in the busy Clinical Biochemistry department based at Whiston Hospital. Although the role is based at Whiston hospital, occasional travel may be required to any site where the Department provides a service.
As a member of a hard-working team performing 10 million tests per year, the successful candidate will support Biomedical Scientists in the laboratory.
The role operates across core days and includes participation in afternoon, weekend , Bank Holiday and night shifts on a rota basis. The successful candidate will require excellent communication, clerical and IT skills and must have a keen eye for detail. Experience of working in a clinical laboratory would be a distinct advantage.
Interview Date - To Be Confirmed
The MLA role involves the handling of blood and body fluids from receipt in the laboratory to their safe storage following analysis.
Strict adherence to policy to maintain patient sample identity throughout sample handling is required, and all data must be accurately entered into the Laboratory information System.
MLA’s will operate analysers and carry out non-complex tests. They will assist Biomedical Scientists in the course of their duties and will rotate through all sections in that discipline and Specimen Reception.
Strict patient confidentiality must also be maintained
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

KEY DUTIES

To keep the workplace and workbenches clean and tidy.
To maintain good working relations with all members or staff and to promote effective teamwork.
To maintain and promote the professional image of the Directorate of Pathology, St. Helens & Knowsley Hospitals.
Ensure that equipment is used in accordance with departmental policies and supplier’s instructions and is maintained correctly. Notify equipment/general building fitting failures to the appropriate senior person.
The job will involve frequent exposure to unpleasant body fluids and tissue including sputum, faeces, blood, urine, and samples that are potentially infective with pathogenic micro-organisms (including infections such as Hepatitis, HIV, nvCJD, TB).
Due to the nature and pressure and variety of work there is a need for the ability to multi-task both physically, mentally and be expected to communication with all grades of staff. Transport of chemicals, reagents and solutions requires some physical effort.
The job will involve exposure to harmful chemicals, including carcinogens, which should be dealt with under COSHH regulations.
The job involves visits to clinical areas to maintain and control point of care testing equipment, blood fridges or other systems.
Should understand and be aware of and act in accordance with all appropriate National and Trust Health & Safety policies, COSHH regulations and should be aware of the trained first aiders within the department.
To observe the immunisation policy of the Laboratory/Trust.
To attend mandatory and statutory fire, moving and handling health and safety training.
To participate in the internal and external safety audits as appropriate.
To take appropriate action if there is a spillage of body fluids or hazardous chemicals in order to minimise the risk to staff and public.
The performance of the post holder will be continually assessed for professional competence by means of an annual appraisal.
The post holder is required to comply with all Trust Policies and Procedures.
Specimen Reception
Checking patient identification details and numbering of samples for analysis
Referring on request form to any missing samples
Returning pods to wards
Delivering samples to the appropriate department
Receiving visitors to pathology and informing relevant member of staff
Receiving deliveries, notifying the correct department at arrival of each delivery
Assist in the cleaning and disinfecting of work areas and equipment.
Disposal of waste
Technical
To follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
To undertake routine operative maintenance on laboratory instruments, change reagents and log actions.
To prepare reagents required for laboratory investigations.
To report any instance or event to BMS staff which may cause a service delivery failure.
Perform analysis of specified diagnostic tests under indirect qualified supervision.
Filing of completed samples and request forms for storage.
Monitor and record fridge temperatures daily at Whiston Hospital and weekly at St Helens and Fairfield
Return unused blood to stock and replace emergency O Neg stock in satellite fridges on both sites as required.
During sample preparation visual examination of samples such as underfilled, haemolysed, lipaemic, must be recorded as directed by departmental SOP’s.
To load, sample and remove samples from main line analysers.
To perform routine quality control on the analysers, reporting any out-of-range results to qualified staff
To assist in clinical audits, trials and research projects as directed by departmental management.
Laboratory Informatics
Enter specimen and patient details into the pathology computer according to departmental SOP’s. Check and correct, if necessary, information input by other laboratory staff.
To comply with the local and national policies for safe, secure, and confidential processing and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
To use the Pathology Computer Systems according to the SOP’s.
To enter their own results and those obtained by others into Telepath.
To maintain the integrity and accuracy of laboratory databases.
To use Trust wide I.T. systems as appropriate following trust polices, guidelines and procedures.
To participate in sample receipt and checking previous computer record
Preparation of outstanding lists from the Laboratory Information System and locating appropriate samples, ensuring correct labelling of samples
Communication
To telephone patient results to clinical users following appropriate policies and procedures.
To contact service users in case of any problems with received samples.
To communicate any relevant information to laboratory colleagues within the section.
To actively participate in team meetings and to inform effectively at hand over.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Staff should ensure that they keep their training up to date by carrying out any competencies or assessments set by BMS staff within the department.
Any updates to documentation or SOP’s notified should be acknowledged and adhered too.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

To comply with good laboratory practices required for the standards of UKAS ISO15189.
To Comply with MHRA BSQR Guidelines
To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of UKAS ISO15189.
To comply with good laboratory practices required for the standards of UKAS ISO15189 including Health and Safety.
To undertake work file management to ensure that reporting of results is carried out in a timely fashion.
To advise the Senior Biomedical Scientists when stocks of reagents and consumables are approaching minimum stock levels.