Associate Practitioner

Guys & St Thomas Hospital; London; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading pathology company as an Associate Practitioner at Guys and St Thomas' Hospital. You'll play a vital role in histology techniques, processing surgical specimens, and ensuring high-quality diagnostic services. This is an opportunity to develop your skills in a dynamic team with a focus on professional growth and learning within a UKAS accredited pathology department.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Contributory pension scheme

Personal development programs

Qualifications

• Previous employment in a relevant scientific or significant medical laboratory experience at MLA level.
• Familiarity with scientific and laboratory equipment.
• Experience in embedding, microtomy and special staining procedures.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the processing of surgical specimens and perform Histology laboratory techniques.
• Participate in equipment maintenance and reagent management.
• Support staff roles such as embedding, microtomy of paraffin embedded tissue.

Skills

Good communication skills

Ability to adapt efficiently

High degree of numeracy

Organisational skills

Team working skills

Education

A-levels or equivalent Including Science

IBMS accredited degree in Biomedical Science

Tools

Basic use of Microsoft Word

Basic use of Microsoft Excel

Job description

This post is only open to internal applicants.

Synnovis Pay Band 4

Main area Histopathology Grade Synnovis Pay Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref VIS6759

Employer Synnovis Employer type Private Sector Site King's College Hospital Town London Salary £33,094 to £36,194 per annum depending on experience Closing 10/07/2025 23:59

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

The post is for an Associate Practitioner to assist in the processing of surgical specimens. They will perform Histology laboratory techniques accurately, efficiently and according to Laboratory Standard Operating procedures. In addition to this to support staff roles, with tasks such as embedding, microtomy of paraffin embedded tissue and special stains.

Biomedical Scientist staff are available for technical support, quality assessments and advice when required. The post holder will assist with a variety of preparatory procedures of surgical specimens for microscopic examination. The post holder will rotate through both the routine and specialised histopathological sections. Working with other scientists they will liaise with consultant, clinicians and other laboratory staff to facilitate the effective delivery of a professional and efficient diagnostic service.

The Department of Histopathology provides a comprehensive, fully UKAS accredited diagnostic service across South London and receives specialist referrals from all over the country. We offer an opportunity to work within a dynamic team at Kings College Hospital with a prospect of working in conjunction with our new integrated services at the Blackfriars Hub. This department performs routine and various highly specialised diagnostic tests using modern and innovative equipment.

As an IBMS approved training provider, the department runs a well-structured training programme that is delivered by a highly experienced and dedicated departmental training officer who is supported by a team of senior BMS staff. Team members receive personalised training programmes and are encouraged to actively work on their personal and professional development including support for HCPC registration as well as specialist portfolios and MSc programmes on approval. Among other things, the training comprise individual training manuals, competency assessments, registration and specialist portfolios as well as reflective learning and CPD lectures and seminars.

Main duties of the job

Under the direction of Senior and Specialist Biomedical scientists, duties will include data entry, which involves initial acceptance checks on specimen received checking details with specimen senders and liaising with consultant pathologists and clinicians. They take part in equipment maintenance and reagent management as well as assisting medical and technical staff in various duties including specimen dissection. Our associate practitioners will perform analytical procedures such as embedding, microtomy and special stains following full support and training.

After in-house training and successfully completing the relevant competency assessments (with the support of the Senior BMS and other competent colleagues), they will rotate through the routine histology laboratory and Advanced Diagnostics sections of the laboratory. They will experience different points of contact with the samples and work with the team to ensure delivery of a professional, efficient and high quality diagnostic service is maintained.

The post holder will be expected to plan and organise their own work in line with the tasks allocated by following the principles and broad occupational policies and regulations, adhering to standard operating procedures and local rules set out by the department.

An expectation is that the post holder will maintain professional competency and dexterity in those precision based specialist and physical tasks, and maintain the levels of concentration required to maintain integrity and quality of service.

Excellent communication skills, both written and in spoken English is essential on order to give and seek complex scientific, medical and sensitive information as part of the scientific and communication process of service provision.

Working for our organisation

The department of Histopathology at Kings College Hospital currently processes approximately 28,000 cases per year. This will increase following our upcoming exciting venture when we are transformed into a larger, dynamic and innovative service based at Blackfriars and will offer an impressive range of diagnostics techniques including routine histopathological methods, immunocytochemistry, immunofluorescence, molecular pathology and a Mohs Micrograph Surgery service.

The service is delivered by a dynamic team of biomedical scientists and support staff across the core laboratory, advanced diagnostics and the office. We hold IBMS training laboratory approval and participate in multiple external assurance schemes which demonstrates a strong commitment to continual quality improvement.

This is an excellent opportunity for applicants with ambition to progress within Histopathology. To learn more about this opportunity, please see contact details below or simply apply through the application process.

Your development and learning

You will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The Synnovis Way Development programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the Synnovis Academy through which you can receive funding / support for advanced qualifications.

Through our Innovation Accelerator Fund, you can apply for finance to get that new innovative scientific project off the ground, and participate with the wider scientific community through symposiums, conferences and other peer group meetings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The successful applicant will be partaking in aspects of the laboratory processes appropriate for their role within various sections of the laboratory, including specimen receipt, booking in, dissection assist, equipment maintenance and reagent management.

The post holder will maintain professional competency and dexterity in those precision based specialist and physical tasks, and maintain the levels of concentration required to maintain integrity and quality of service. This will be aided by involvement with the Quality Leads and Quality Manager to enhance the department efforts in maintaining the high quality of all diagnostic tests provided.

At Synnovis, we are currently shaping the future of pathology services by creating a world-leading Hub and Spoke pathology network with our NHS partners. A large part of this modernisation will involve moving 70% of our services to a purpose built, state of the art Hub laboratory in the heart of London. For now, the job you are applying for will be based at one of our hospital sites however, from July 2025 our people and services will start to move to our Hub laboratory in Blackfriars, Southwark, SE1, with some work remaining in refurbished essential services laboratories across our hospital network, focusing on the rapid turnover of urgent tests. Please do ask your recruiting manager if you wish to find out more.

The list of duties and responsibilities for this post are outlined in the Job Description section.

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.

King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s leading NHS Foundation Trusts in specialist teaching. King’s has various divisions including Neurosciences, Haematology, Cancer and Cardiovascular sciences, where there are unlimited opportunities to develop and perfect your career.

Over the last 170 years, King’s has delivered nothing but world class service to all its patients from deprived communities as well as some of the wealthiest in London.

Person specification

Qualifications

• A- levels or equivalent Including Science
• IBMS accredited degree in Biomedical Science

Experience

• Previous employment in a relevant scientific or significant medical laboratory experience at MLA level

Skills & Knowledge

• Ability to adapt efficiently to changing work patterns and situations
• Familiarity with scientific and laboratory equipment
• General Familiarity with common office software
• High degree of numeracy
• Good communication skills, both written and spoken English
• Good interpersonal and team working skills
• Organisation and Planning
• Accuracy
• Computer skills (Basic use of Microsoft Word and Excel)
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team Good customer contact skills
• Experience in embedding, microtomy and special staining procedures

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

Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. All employees have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.

Please apply for this post on-line. If you have problems with using the online process, or need any assistance, please email [e-mail]

Your e-mail address is important to us. We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications.

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.

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