Associate Practitioner

Synnovis Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Generous annual leave entitlement

Flexible contract assignments

Job summary

Synnovis is seeking an Associate Practitioner to join the POCT team, based primarily at St. Thomas’ Hospital with time at Guy’s and outreach sites. You will assist the POCT Manager with audits, train staff on POCT devices, and carry out protocol-driven tasks under supervision.

Flexible working across primary and secondary care environments is expected. You will operate in a fast-paced pathology setting, performing routine maintenance, quality control, and data management to support high-quality

Qualifications

• GCSE standard including English and Maths or equivalent.
• A Level/BTEC in Science or L3/L4 Healthcare apprenticeships or equivalents.
• Experience in pathology or diagnostic lab environments is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and calibrate POCT instruments with first-line support.
• Train staff on POCT use and SOP adherence.
• Manage records and prepare documentation for audits.
• Support QA/EQA schemes and data entry across sites.
• Collaborate with GP clinics, hospital teams and external partners.

Skills

Follow procedures

Troubleshooting POCT

Data entry

Clear communication

Multi-site work

Education

GCSE English & Maths

L2 Healthcare Science apprenticeship

Tools

MS Office

Google Docs

LIS (Laboratory Information Systems)

Job description

Employer Synnovis Employer type Private Sector Site Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital Town London Salary £34,186 to £37,388 per annum depending on experience Closing 09/11/2026 23:59

Synnovis Pay Band 4

The place to work in pathology

We are looking for top talent to join the UK’s leading and fastest growing pathology company – a scientific organisation with a clinical purpose.

Working in partnership with our service partners, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals, King’s College Hospital and Princess Royal University Hospital we aim to set the standard for the future of pathology.

Job overview

Are you someone who enjoys working with people and thrives in a role that offers variety and impact? Join our dynamic Point of Care Testing (POCT) Team as an Associate Practitioner, supporting both hospital-based and community healthcare settings.
In this role, you’ll play a key part in delivering high-quality diagnostic services. You’ll assist the POCT Manager with audits of equipment and service users, and take the lead in training Trust staff on the correct use of POCT instruments and interfaces. You’ll also carry out a range of protocol-driven tasks—some of which may be specialist or complex procedures. These tasks, once performed exclusively by regulated professionals such as Biomedical Scientists, can now be undertaken by trained associates under supervision, thanks to technological advancements and focused scopes of practice.
You’ll work largely independently, collaborating with other healthcare professionals to support routine Secondary Care procedures in both Primary and Secondary Care environments.
Your primary base will be St. Thomas’ Hospital, with regular time spent at the Guy’s site and visits to Community and Outreach Teams.

Main duties of the job

Technical

• Perform routine maintenance, calibration, and first-line troubleshooting of POCT instruments and analysers.
• Ensure quality control procedures are followed; report failures and take corrective action.
• Safely set up equipment and process EQA specimens using automated, semi-automated, and manual methods.
• Analyse straightforward technical issues and make informed judgments.
• File samples and maintain accurate records.
• Support clinics and satellite labs with equipment installation and user training.

Administrative

• Follow and contribute to the review of SOPs.
• Maintain accurate records in compliance with UKAS standards.
• Manage stock of reagents, consumables, and stationery.
• Liaise with GP surgeries, clinics, and other departments.
• Assist with procurement documentation and work file management.
• Support EQA schemes and OPMS data entry and reporting.

Communication

• Communicate effectively with staff, adapting methods as needed.
• Act as first point of contact for complaints and queries.
• Coordinate training and equipment support
• Implement and propose updates to POCT policies.
• Deliver POCT training and workplace assessments to GSTT staff and healthcare professionals.
• Participate in audits of hospital and community POCT procedures.

Generic

• Ensure compliance with data protection and health & safety policies.
• Organize daily tasks and elevate service-impacting issues proactively.
• Collaborate with community healthcare providers to ensure high-quality care.
• Uphold equality, fairness, and the professional image of Synnovis Pathology.
• Complete training, competency assessments, and annual appraisals.
• Undertake all mandatory and statutory training as required.

Working for our organisation

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.

The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.
The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.
Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is a major emergency and specialist teaching Trust which has all the specialities associated with a fascinating and career-defining caseload, including: Women's Services, Foetal Medicine, Haematology, Oncology, Transplantation, and is also home to the Evelina Children's Hospital and the Cancer Centre on Guy's site.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Technical Duties

• Perform routine operative and preventative maintenance on POCT instruments and analysers.
• Undertake first-line calibration and basic troubleshooting of analytical equipment.
• Ensure quality control procedures are followed; take corrective action and report failures to senior staff.
• Safely set up equipment for use by others and support clinics with installation and training.
• Process EQA specimens using automated, semi-automated, and manual methods.
• Analyse straightforward scientific and technical issues, evaluating options and making informed decisions.
• File samples according to protocol and maintain accurate records.

Administrative Duties

• Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and contribute to their regular review and updates.
• Maintain accurate and compliant records for UKAS accreditation.
• Manage stock levels of reagents, consumables, and stationery to ensure uninterrupted service.
• Liaise with GP surgeries, hospital clinics, and other departments to support POCT operations.
• Assist with procurement processes, including logging and filing delivery documentation.
• Ensure timely reporting of results through effective work file management.
• Support EQA schemes by distributing samples, collecting data, and collating results.
• Contribute to Operational Performance Management Systems (OPMS) by collecting and entering relevant data.

Communication Responsibilities

• Communicate effectively with staff and team members, adapting methods to meet individual needs.
• Act as the first point of contact for complaints and queries related to POCT services.
• Liaise with Trust staff to address training and equipment enquiries promptly and professionally.

Supervisory & Training Responsibilities

• Implement new policies and propose changes within Synnovis and community-based POCT areas.
• Deliver POCT training to GSTT staff, including conducting workplace assessments.
• Provide instruction on POCT procedures to healthcare professionals as directed by the POCT Biomedical Scientists.
• Participate in audits of POCT processes across hospital and community settings.
• Promote effective teamwork and maintain positive working relationships with all staff.

Generic Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with local and national policies for the secure and confidential handling of patient and laboratory data, in line with SOPs and Synnovis quality standards.
• Organize daily tasks independently and prioritize urgent duties.
• Proactively elevate issues that may impact service delivery to senior colleagues at Synnovis and GSTT.
• Collaborate with community healthcare providers to deliver high-quality care.
• Uphold principles of equality and fairness in all professional interactions.
• Provide practical training in procedures to new staff within own area.
• Maintain and promote the professional image of Synnovis Pathology.
• Undertake initial training and competency assessments as required.
• Maintain knowledge and skills through participation in the annual appraisal cycle.
• Adhere to health and safety policies and complete all mandatory and statutory training as directed.

Qualifications

• Good all-round education to GCSE standard including English and Maths at grade 4/C or equivalent or L2 Healthcare Science apprenticeship
• A Level / BTEC in Science or L3 Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship or L4 Healthcare Science Apprenticeship or equivalence experience

Experience

• Working in a pathology laboratory environment
• Handling of biological specimens
• Experience of working with applications such as MS Office/Google docs, data entry etc
• Working with laboratory information systems
• Experience of working in Point of Care
• Experience of training and assessing competency in POCT users
• Experience in customer liaison e.g. good telephone skills

Skills

• Ability to accurately follow written procedures
• Ability to perform technical laboratory processes and procedures, use precision equipment and troubleshoot
• Basic knowledge of quality management
• Basic knowledge of laboratory health & safety regulation
• Able to work flexibly at multiple sites
• Ability to trouble-shoot POCT devices and liaise with suppliers

Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. All applicants are welcome to apply regardless of age, disability, gender, marital status, race, nationality or ethnic origin, religion, or sexual orientation. Equality of opportunity is our policy.

Our Bank workers enjoy competitive market rates and flexible contract assignments across all of our sites, dependent on your availability and location.

For our Permanent workforce we offer a competitive benefits package.

All employees are entitled to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Generous annual leave entitlement

If you decide to apply for this post but do not hear back from us within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been short-listed on this occasion.

Thank you for your interest in Synnovis.