Band 6 Specialist Biomedical Scientist

NHS; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job description

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

This is an exciting opportunity for you to join University Hospitals Birmingham, one of the largest teaching hospitals in England with state-of-the-art facilities and employing over 20,000 colleagues across 4 sites (Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals).

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and experienced Biomedical Scientist with experience in all aspects of Microbiology, and who must be HCPC registered. A learning agreement will be considered for those who have not completed their specialist portfolio.

This role is based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital but there may be future requirement to work across all sites that are part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. Microbiology is part of the Clinical Pathology department, providing a patient focused quality service that is committed to the trust values of being Kind, Connected and Bold.

The Microbiology department provides a dynamic service that actively promotes innovation and service development. We are committed to staff health and well-being, training and development, enabling and equipping staff with the tools to embark on an exciting and fulfilling career.

You will be part of a UKAS accredited service, made up of a specialist and experienced team of 50+ staff, all working towards a common goal. The department uses a range of state-of-the-art equipment including lab automation in bacteriology and the latest molecular technology in virology.

Main duties of the job

The candidate will be expected to have a good understanding of areas within Microbiology and Virology. They will be required to train and motivate their peers and take a lead role when the seniors are not present. We are looking for people who work well within a team and have a patient focused attitude with quality in mind.

In providing a 24/7 health service, there is requirement for working at weekends and on statutory and public holidays, in addition the participation of overnight shift, as well as late shifts would be necessary.

Main Duties

1. To safely handle, use and dispose of biological samples including blood, urine, faeces, CSF and semen, body tissues and other body fluids/samples and hazardous and/or radioactive chemicals. Be aware these samples can isolate ACDP hazard group 2 and 3 organisms.
2. To maintain compliance with good laboratory practice, quality assurance procedures in accordance with the standards of UKAS ISO 15189: 2022/23.
3. To ensure that all results are reported within the agreed turnaround time and report to Duty Senior of any non-compliance.
4. To be familiar with and ensure compliance to national, Trust and departmental Health and Safety policies e.g. risk assessments and COSHH assessments.
5. Be proficient in automated equipment and instruments, such as the Kiestra/WaspLab, Vitek2, MaldiToff Mass Spec, BacTAlert Blood culture, Dynex DS2, Hologic Panther/Fusion, Abbott Alinity m, Cepheid GeneXpert. Maintenance and problem solving will be crucial.

About us

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.

Job responsibilities

Please Note: For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science or equivalent academic achievement that is ratified by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS).
• State registration with Healthcare Professions Council (HCPC).
• Post registration specialist competency portfolio or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and proficiency in accordance with HCPC guidelines.

Experience

• Experience of working in clinical laboratories commensurate with the laboratory position.
• Experience of laboratory techniques and automation.
• Experience of dealing with suppliers, clinical and support staff, the public or customer care.
• A working knowledge of Biomedical Science theory and practice (Haematology, Transfusion, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Cellular Pathology).
• Quality control and assurance practices.
• Laboratory health and safety.
• HCPC and IBMS professional standards, ethics, and proficiencies.
• Understanding of accreditation within labs (e.g. ISO 15189, MHRA).

Additional Criteria

• Numerate and able to undertake scientific calculations with and without the use of aides.
• Perform in a team.
• Manual dexterity to undertake automated, manual, and specialised techniques.
• Good and accurate IT input and MS Office skills.
• Effective communication skills both written and oral.
• Demonstrate logical thought processes and the ability to solve problems and plan remedial action.
• Reliability.
• Resilience and adaptability.
• Self-motivated.
• Expected to participate in all out of hours periods as required by service provision.

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.