Specialist Biomedical Scientist

Integrated Care System; Halifax; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Halifax seeks a Specialist Biomedical Scientist. This role involves routine investigations, supervising staff, and contributing to quality management in a busy laboratory. Candidates must hold a Degree in Biomedical Science and be HCPC registered. Expertise in cellular pathology is required. The position offers a competitive salary ranging from £38,682 to £46,580 annually.

Qualifications

• Significant recent post registration experience in cellular pathology.
• Supervision and training of MLA and BMS staff.
• Experience of laboratory and clinical audit.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice over the phone to users of the service.
• Act as primary contact for the laboratory outside normal hours.
• Train and supervise junior staff.

Skills

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Ability to work under pressure

Organisational skills

Time management skills

Andrology experience

Non-gynae cytology experience

Education

Degree in Biomedical Science

HCPC State registration

Postgraduate qualifications related to cellular pathology

Job description

Go back Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Biomedical Scientist

The closing date is 07 August 2025

*Please note that a band 5 applicant would be considered if no suitable applicants fill the band 6 criteria*To act in a scientific role and to carry out all routine investigations within the department, following such training as may be necessary, ensuring the quality of the service.

To assist in the provision of the cellular pathology and mortuary service for the trusts hospitals and CCGs by providing specialist knowledge and technical skills to process, analyse, understand and interpret results of diagnostic tests. Rotate on a regular basis through the different sections of the department and take part in the extended working rota.

To ensure health and safety is maintained, train junior members of staff, and be involved with quality and service development through laboratory and clinical audit. Continuous professional development will be essential for this post and further study will be encouraged.

Main duties of the job

Specialist techniques; including microtomy, embedding, frozen sections, immunohistochemistry, andrology, non-gynae cytology, block-checking, digital slide QC, troubleshooting, liaising with seniors and support staff, involvement with quality management systems, audits.

About us

We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients' homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children's and young people's services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS- yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff andthe local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.

Job responsibilities

The postholder:-

Providing confidential, specialist advice over the telephone to users of the service.

To act as primary point of contact for the laboratory when working alone outside normal working hours.

Liaising with other members of staff within the department on a routine basis to ensure safe and efficient daily operation.

To be able to train and supervise other members of staff.

To be a point of reference for junior staff and participate in the duty band 6 rota.

The post requires an ability to implement new policies and changes to practice in their own area.

Provide advice and guidance to other staff members working in that area.

Helps formulate SOPs.

To coordinate work and staff within their area.

To take receipt of clinical samples from wards, clinics, theatres and GPs checking the integrity of the sample.

To unpack the samples with reference to health and safety procedures and the minimum data set requirements for labelling the sample and request form.

To label the sample with a laboratory number and input patient and sample information into the laboratory computer system.

To input request form details and simple diagnostic test results.

To retrieve information from the IT system if required to do so.

To undertake with reference to departmental Standard Operating Procedures, the initial processing of all clinical samples, including: urine, sputum, fluids and fine needle aspirates. This requires a thorough knowledge and understanding of aseptic laboratory techniques and hazards associated with biological materials.

To undertake with reference to departmental Standard Operating Procedures routine examination and reporting of seminal fluid for infertility and post vasectomy investigations.

To participate in surgical sperm retrieval procedures.

To undertake, with reference to departmental Standard Operating Procedures, small biopsy transfer.

To assist consultant pathologists dissection including digital photography and decalcifying techniques.

To be able to perform emergency frozen sections.

Be proficient in embedding techniques.

Be competent in microtomy and routine H&E staining.

To carry out immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescent techniques, to understand the results and be able to recognise and solve problems.

Be proficient in the special staining techniques of the department and be able to recognise and solve problems.

To be fully trained in the maintenance and use of all equipment in the department.

Understand, perform and document daily quality checks on equipment.

Perform basic fault-finding and problem solving of faulty system processes.

To understand where different histology tests are performed and direct samples to appropriate laboratory.

To have knowledge of where other non-histology tests are performed and direct samples to the appropriate laboratory.

To make an assessment of the sample on receipt in conjunction with the clinical details to ensure that appropriate tests are carried out on the sample.

To be able to solve day to day problems with samples received such as unlabelled and leaking specimens

To ensure the patients samples follow the clinical pathways as defined in the SOPs

To perform external QA tests.

To take part in and co-ordinate internal QA testing.

To participate in Continuing Professional Development and continually update skills. Have evidence in a professional portfolio.

To have a good working knowledge of the pathology computer system.

To ensure the validity of test results by ensuring good quality QA processes.

To be able to plan your own work and that of the work area and prioritise urgent samples.

To co-ordinate the work within a section in conjunction with other biomedical scientists and the section leader.

Must have good hand eye co-ordination when handling potentially infectious material and when using equipment such as microtomes, microscopes and pipettes.

Implement(s) changes to practice within own work area.

Provide advice and guidance to other staff members working in that area.

To maintain adequate levels of laboratory kits and reagents in the department

To undertake staff training and competency testing.

To carry out staff appraisals.

To participate in clinical trials and audits.

To act independently within occupational guidelines and make the judgement when it is necessary to refer to their manager.

To deal sensitively with products of conception samples and mortuary-related issues.

To undertake supervisory duties throughout the cellular pathology and mortuary department.

To assist in the quality work of the department, maintaining UKAS accreditation and HTA compliance.

To perform health and safety duties in the department

To assist in the implementation of new projects and techniques such as genomics and digital pathology.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING

• State registration with the HCPC
• Degree in Biomedical Science
• IBMS Specialist postgraduate portfolio in cellular pathology, MSc in cellular pathology or equivalence
• Post graduate qualifications related to cellular pathology

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

• Significant recent post registration experience in cellular pathology
• Supervision and training of MLA, associate practitioners, trainee BMS, and BMS staff
• Experience of laboratory and clinical audit
• Experience of UKAS accreditation and HTA
• Knowledge of all areas of the cellular pathology department
• Must be organised and have excellent time management skills
• Andrology experience
• Non-gynae cytology experienced
• Experience leading a team
• Specialist cellular pathology training/ experience provided by reference laboratory/ external courses/ examination

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work under pressure and plan and manage workload

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.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Cellular Pathology Calderdale Royal Hospital

£38,682 to £46,580 a yearper annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Reference number

372-FSS2829

Job locations

Cellular Pathology Calderdale Royal Hospital