Associate Practitioner

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Oxford; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting for an associate practitioner in the Clinical Biochemistry Department. The role involves preparing specimens, performing automated analyses, and supporting both sendaway and specialist testing areas.

You will work across multiple JR Laboratory sites and may include weekends or nights. We expect candidates to have foundational laboratory training or equivalent, with emphasis on safety, quality, and confidentiality.

Qualifications

• High level of laboratory knowledge and skills to build on for specialist biochemical areas.
• Knowledge of quality management and SOPs in a clinical lab setting.
• Awareness of Health and Safety within a clinical laboratory environment.

Responsibilities

• Prepare specimens for manual/specialist or screening sections including specimen requesting, pre-analytical handling and analysis on automated instrumentation.
• Handle and analyse blood, urine and faecal specimens.
• Support sendaway section as required to ensure smooth service delivery.
• Maintain knowledge of testing purposes and the laboratory analysers; follow SOPs and safety practices.
• Assist in administrative and secretarial tasks across laboratory areas as needed.

Skills

Laboratory knowledge

Quality management

Health and safety

Confidentiality & Data Protection

Education

Foundation degree or Diploma in Laboratory Science

ECDL or equivalent knowledge/experience

Tools

Automated instrumentation

Laboratory analysers

Job description

The Clinical Biochemistry Department at the John Radcliffe Hospital provides laboratory services to the hospitals and general practices of Oxfordshire. Due to the increased biochemistry testing in the sendaway /specialist /screening we have a vacancy for an associate practitioner. The post is for 37.5 hours per week and some out of hours work is expected. We invite candidates who already have good levels of laboratory knowledge and skills as this post builds on that skill set for more specialist biochemical areas of testing. The Department of Clinical Biochemistry is one of the large laboratory services within the Trust. We analyse over 9 million tests per year across a wide range of testing area, both routine and specialist, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We support every clinical specialty in the hospitals, community and for specialist testing a wider geographical area. NOTE: This role does not support visa sponsorship., Prepare specimens for the manual/specialist or screening sections of the laboratory including specimen requesting, pre-analytical sample handling and analysis on automated instrumentation. This includes handling and analysing blood, urine and faecal specimens. The post may also include a significant portion of time supporting the sendaway section. Maintain knowledge and understanding of the purpose of the testing, and the laboratory analysers. Run analysers following standard operating procedures using appropriate health and safety considerations and applying all necessary quality management requirements., The post-holder will be working as a Non State Registered Biomedical Scientist (NBMS) to assist in the provision of an efficient and smooth running service within the Clinical Biochemistry Department by following the departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). This may be in one or more of the following areas:

• Oxford Screening Laboratory
• Specialist Biochemistry including sendaway bench
• Specimen reception in a supervisory capacity
• Core JR Laboratory
• Point of care testing
• The post-holder will also assist in the provision of administrative and secretarial support in any of these areas.
• The post-holder will be required to work at any of the laboratory sites and sections within the Trust as and when required.
• The work may include some weekend, bank holiday and evening or night duties, which requires a flexible approach to the hours of employment according to individual contract.
• Foundation degree or Diploma in Laboratory Science or stated equivalent, ECDL or equivalent knowledge / experience, Aware of techniques used within a clinical laboratory environment
• Aware of techniques used within a laboratory office environment
• Aware of Health and Safety within a clinical laboratory environment
• Aware of Confidentiality and the Data Protection Act

Desirable criteria

• Aware of the role of Laboratory Medicine
• Basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology
• Basic knowledge of chemistry, Basic Keyboard Skills
• Previous practical laboratory work.
• Good communication and presentation skills.

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience in NHS Diagnostic laboratory
• Previous experience in point of care testing
• Previous running of any laboratory instrumentation

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. Find out more here www.ouh.nhs.uk

The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.