Senior Clinical Biochemist – Newborn Screening (Generation Study)

at  Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

An exciting opportunity for a Clinical Biochemist has arisen from a collaboration between the North West Genomic Medicine Service Alliance (NW GMSA) and the Newborn Screening (NBS)/ Specialist Endocrine Laboratory (Directorate of Biochemistry) at MFT. In addition to joining a small team of scientists in delivering routine newborn blood spot screening services for Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Cumbria (55,000 babies per year), the post-holder will help to support the co-ordination of results arising from the new Genomics England Generation Study. The Generation Study is a long-term research study taking place across NHS Trusts in England, using whole genome sequencing to test for rare conditions in 100,000 babies.
The successful applicant will have completed or be undertaking a formal post graduate training programme approved as appropriate for registration and have obtained or be on track to obtain HCPC registration on completion of the training programme or be eligible to obtain HCPC registration via the equivalence route. Clinical liaison and advisory duties would be performed under supervision of an experienced practitioner until the post-holder is registered. The department is committed to training, delivering a programme of tutorials and departmental seminars, and providing mentoring opportunities. Appointment would be at Band 6 until HCPC registration is obtained.
A wide range of analytical techniques are employed in the NBS and Specialist Endocrine Laboratory, along with bespoke laboratory IT systems. NBS assays: fluoroimmunoassay for congenital hypothyroid and cystic fibrosis screening, tandem mass spectrometry for sickle cell disease screening and quantitative PCR for severe combined immunodeficiency screening. Specialist endocrinology assays: manual ELISA for insulin and C-peptide, automated chemiluminescence for growth and bone markers, tandem mass spectrometry for blood spot 17-hydroxyprogesterone.
The focus of the role is paediatric and the postholder will participate in the paediatric duty biochemist rota and to provide advice to clinicians on the interpretation of a wide range of biochemical tests. There will also be opportunities to input into the wider clinical biochemistry department which has responsibility for both adult and paediatric services across the entire MFT group of hospitals. There are established close working relationships with paediatric endocrinology and the cystic fibrosis teams bringing opportunities to attend multidisciplinary team meetings and collaborating on research and audit projects.
The post is fixed term in the first instance, ending March 2026, to align with the NW GMSA contract but is likely to be extended as the Generation Study is expected to last 5 years.
MFT is one of the largest NHS Trust In England with a turnover of £2.6bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We’re creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.
Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 28,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you’ll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.
We’ve also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.
We’re proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What’s more, we’re excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.
At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.
To assist the Head of Department in providing a comprehensive scientific service (analytical and interpretative) by the Clinical Biochemistry Department to nationally accepted standards.
To co-ordinate results arising from the Generation Study including referrals, data collection, training, communication and governance within the pathway, with support from the senior newborn screening laboratory team, the NW GMSA, Generation Study team (including the principal investigator) and the North West Genomic Laboratory Hub .
To deliver a broad range of complex, specialised and non-routine scientific work requiring skilled performance with a high level of individual responsibility.
To provide clinical and scientific advice to clinicians regarding biochemical investigations and their interpretation.
To develop specialised knowledge of newborn screening and specialist endocrinology and take responsibility for provision of scientific services in that area.
To undertake research and development projects in newborn screening and specialist endocrinology

Please refer the Job description for details